Creating A Self Sustainable Puffer Tank

[SeanTrollope]

this post is just out of curiosity but might happen when i have the time ang a bit more money and space
 how big must your tank be to keep 3 dwaf puffers without having to feed them ( there will be snails that they eat for them to hunt but remember you cant add any)
 it would be medium planted
 it will be filtered and heated
 
 

 

[Lillefishy]

Puffers need more than just snails to eat, so it wouldn't be a self sustainable tank.
Good article on them here http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=6358

 

[SeanTrollope]

yea i know but with all there prey and them living in one tank and the prey never runing out

 

[Lillefishy]

But they can't live on just snails, you would have to feed them other foods

 

[attibones]

Also, puffers are kind of pigs. They'd eat almost all the snails in one or two days. They wouldn't have time to breed. You'll also need to go more than medium planted. You'll want dense jungle if you're planning on having three puffers. They'll do fine in a ten gallon though. You'll need to add bloodworms and daphnia fairly regularly to the diet. 

 

[sawickib]

You could do a 29+ gallon tank, densely plant it, let the snail colony go crazy for about 2 months or so, and then add the 3 pea puffers lol

 

[SeanTrollope]

guys please help me out here would 2000 L be big enough

 

[Munroco]

Wondering if you could use some sort of tank divider. Some kind of grill with big enough holes to let snails through. Put the snails in the small side so they breed there and trickle through to the puffer side. Daft idea but........

 

[SeanTrollope]

that is a really good idea

 

[attibones]

guys please help me out here would 2000 L be big enough

2000 liters would be definitely big enough haha. 38 liters would be your minimum, the more tank you have, the longer it would take them to eat all the snails before you have to add new ones.

 

[nigsy]

2000L would be more than enough!!
You would need some way to create a full 'Bio Sphere' so that the right mix of food was dropping into the tank; and not just snails.
 
I'm thinking an indoor pond environment in some kind of self contained tropical bio-dome that would have to include full flora and fauna to generate insects etc.
 
Basically you would need to fully recreate their natural environment.

 

[SeanTrollope]

i know how epic could that be