Puffer Tank Cleaner

[Little Fish]

I was cleaning my slight brackish puffer tank last night. While pulling a couple of mangroves from the tank, I saw a MTS the size of a small screw underneath the plant. I ran out of garden and ramshorn snails a couple weeks ago so I drop about 8 MTS the size of a grain into the tank. I know MTS has harder shells and it is not the best to feed puffers but my F8s had no problems crushing these small ones. I'm shocked that it got away, survived for 2 weeks, and grew 6 times in size. I guess it survives all this time because it is compatible with the F8's schedule MTS only come out when the lights are off and puffer sleeps at night. The last ramshorn that did not get eaten in the tank died overnight, probably intolerant of the salty water. I'm surprised that MTS can live in slight brackish water. It wasn't too bad to have tank cleaners in my puffer tank afterall.

 

[SirMinion]

We too have MTSs in our brackish setup and like you, have found that they not only thrive but grow larger and faster than in freshwater.

The Bumblebee Gobies and the Puffers do occasionally pick them off but they breed so fast that the sand is still crawling with them.

They come out at night and rasp away at the algae.