Pea Puffers :3

[fishychick77]

i recently purchased a pair of dwarf puffer( have not sexed them yet) they are in a 10 gal and i have done some research on them before buything them. i also work at petsmart we sell can o snails. i read that they like snails but i DO NOT want to put the annoying cone snails that we have at work in my tank due to well it would just be stupid and then have an infestation. but i was wondering if anyone has had any luck with this or any snails they love? i am also currently feeding them frozen foods too

 

[sawickib]

I here they like to eat pond/bladder snails and ramshorn, you could breed snails in separate tanks though.

 

[attibones]

I go to petsmart, they give me the pest snails. I put them in my snail tank, let them breed in there, and every few days I do a water change. I feed them two snails every other day. If you don't keep them in the main tank, you never have to worry about an infestation, though they'll pretty much keep the tank under control. Mine eat ramshorn and pond snails which are the ones most common seen in there, but I've also had a few Malaysian Trumpets.

 

[Chad]

The snail I recommend is the pond snail. I would keep a second tank to breed them. You will need that many. 
The trumpet snail (cone) isn't really on the menu of these smaller puffers. The shell is incredibly hard and their behavior (burrowing during the day) make them generally undesirable to the fish. 
Rams horn snails are pretty good but can grow too large for the fish to go after and they don't breed as fast as pond snails so it's hard to keep up a good enough sized population for the voracious puffer.
 
Blood worms are a good food source as well, especially live ones but I feel snails should always be included in their diet. 

 

[attibones]

The good thing about ramshorn snails is that you can get them readily at most pet stores and are usually still quite small. We don't complain about the price tag either: free! 
 
Other good food choices include live shrimps. Ghost shrimp are a pretty good treat. The shells are good for their teeth, and I think they benefit from the hunting activity. However, you do have to be careful to make sure the shrimp are not from poorly maintained tanks with dead fish or shrimp in them. 
 
Also be sure to sex them soon. Males can be quite aggressive towards each other (and sometimes to females). I've had a great deal of success with a mixed pair, but I'd be very reluctant to add another male.

 

[RRaquariums]

I have two puffers in my 29 gallon and I put in about 100 rams horn snails they seem to leave the larger rams horns alone so they keep breeding and the puffers eat the baby's.

 

[sawickib]

Ugh i went to petsmart and the lady wouldnt give many any pond snails, she said its against store policy, and ive met this lady before, shes the "fish" expert, when i know i know more than her with fish, lol and she admitted it.

 

[Chad]

Some stores will and some won't. It's against store policy for them all but sometimes they understand that you are using them for food and will give them over. Because they breed so much that comes back as complaints against the store so they've stopped giving them away. At least that's how it was explained to me. However, I was able to get them to turn them over after continued asking and explaining. Telling them, "yes, I know they breed a lot, that's why I want them."

 

[sawickib]

I was i begging her and telling them they were going in their own tank just to breed. And she kept saying no. i even asked if i could be the dang things and still no.

 

[Chad]

Go back later and find someone else. Or try PetCo. I've had good luck with them. 
It's funny that it's sometimes so hard to get these snails when you read of so many people complaining that they have a plague of them in their tank.

 

[sawickib]

lol yea but anyway not getting puffers anymore so dont matter, and shes always there , i dont like her

 

[fishychick77]

wow yeah some stores are different then others im up there with the fish experts at my store but still have alot to learn , ive only had my little puffers for one day and they are already hand eatin with a eye droppers some mysis shrimp they are so interesting to watch . but thank you everyone ill look into it at work to see what we have. and the pest snails i am more than happy to give them away at our webster store haha

 

[attibones]

The main reason why it is against Petsmart policy to give away the snails is because the chain caters to many states in which there are very strict snail policies. In Mississippi, the only snails available for legal sale are nerites. Other snails are illegal to sell and buy because, if released into wild populations, they can overtake sensitive ecosystems in our waters. Instead of making the rules based on individual states, it is easier to make a blanket rule in the policy. Managers are less likely to give out the snails, but the employees who don't care, don't usually mind. 
 
I always make a point to ask for a donation of snails as a food source, that way there is no confusion about whether or not I am purchasing the snails for private enjoyment. It also helps to show a video of my puffs eating a snail.