Snails?

[loveforfhishies]

the apple snail question reminded me of the question i had..

i read and have seen that puffers love to eat small snails.. its good for there teeth i hear.. if i bought a few big snails how long would it take before they have baby snails crawlin around for my puffer to eat?

 

[sarena_rye]

I've actually been told that Apple Snails aren't the best for multiplying well in a tank, although if you really want some snails for your puffer to eat I know a few friends that are still fighting their pond snails problems (I ended my infestation ages ago) and I know they'd be more than willing to mail some off to others that have a genuine use for them . Pond snails multiply quite well though, so you'd really have to weigh the pros and cons. Granted they'd be great for aerating your gravel and giving your puffer something to snack on, but when I say they multiply fast I mean FAST lol, so you'd have to decide if you really want to deal with them.

 

[loveforfhishies]

im not sure what kind of snails they have at my fish store.. but do they have pond snails at the fish store?

 

[sarena_rye]

not likely unless it's a poorly handled walmart that sells live plants. Most people end up with pond snails from live plants that they buy, which was what happened in my case. I'd gotten them from Walmart and *poof* there they were. Honestly, anyone who is dealing with pond snails would likely be MORE than willing to send some to you for no charge as it helps cut down on their population, lol. I doubt any reputable LFS would intentionally sell them, as they are considered a nuisance by most people, including the LFS themselves. They do ship easily enough though, as all it takes is a bit of wet java moss and a ziplock bag to ship them

 

[loveforfhishies]

so i should go buy some plants from wallmart huh..

are there plants from there safe or do they carry diseases and other bad stuff that could harm my tank?

 

[sarena_rye]

lol, if you're local Walmart sells live plants, just take a look in their tanks. You'll likely see some snails in the tanks. I've not had any problem with the plants other than the snails. If you can't find any just drop a message. I could get ahold of plenty for you easily enough and ship them over in some java moss