It may sound strange, but I want snails!

[SirMinion]

Everyone is always trying to get rid of snails from their Aquariums, but I want snails. Tiny ramshorns for preference.

Why? because I have puffers and it's their favourite food. I often go to my local pet store and badger them for snails from their tanks but they're getting pretty sick of me now.

50 or so snails about the size of a guppy fry last about 2 hours in a tank with four dwarf puffers

So I want to breed them myself- anyone got any tips?

Or does anyone know of anyhere that sells ramshorn snail eggs or hachlings by mail or online?

I considered raiding my local canal and river for snails, but I'm concerned about disease & parasites.

Of course the puffers will happily eat loads of other things, but they love their snails.

 

[rsz]

Just set up a tank (5-10 gal, perhaps) with a couple of nice live plants and put a load of snails in there - they'll most probably breed If you made the tank look nice, it wouldn't matter so bad that you have a tank full of snails (unless, of course, you want a tank of snails, but I find that a bit unattractive...) Hey, you could even put in a pair of guppies or something, so that it was nicer to look at

 

[amazingbioloboydp]

Speaking of I jsut put 4 in my tank and a few weeks later they laid eggs..MY FIRST HATCHED TODAY YIPPEE...they are soooooo small.

 

[SirMinion]

...they are soooooo small.

Just the right size for dwarf puffers .. yummy.

 

[amazingbioloboydp]

NO im talkin period (.) small.

 

[SirMinion]

Have you seen the size of a dwarf puffer? The photo in my avatar is larger than actual size.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I agree, I'm also on the lookout for snails constantly and I am setting up a snail tank. Hopefully the puffers and loaches will thank me.

 

[amazingbioloboydp]

I have 2 dwarfs... but i mean its hard to see the snails.

 

[SirMinion]

Ah, I see what you mean. Fair enough.

 

[Olive]

I love puffers. I had one for a long time, and I set up a little area to breed snails by what my lfs told me to do..................

get some snails..........put them in a big glass.............(full of aquarium water from your tank), put in some aquarium plants............let them breed, and viola, you have snails. You don't need to set up an extra tank unless you want to.
I had to put a lid on the glass so they didn't crawl out, but other than that, I just added water when it got icky and replaced the plants every once in a while. I got many, many snails this way. They also liked the occasional shrimp pellet or algae wafer.....and I think they grew faster when I gave them those special treats too!

good luck!