Snails and Puffer

[raytan12]

Hi,
would like to know how effective is it for the puffer to get rid of the snails? found increasing number of snails in my tank as the plants grew. even though i crushed every snails i found, i can still find many more. i think i have to get a puffer to do the job before my tank is not infested with algae but SNAILS... think the snails in my tank are reproducing, so better do something before one day i return home and find my plants disappear. so a puffer can really get the snails effectively? besides can't having guppies with the puffer, any other fish that i can't have together with the puffer? i got only 1 puffer, is it enough for it to do a nice clean job?

[budak]

I dun think the snails will eat the plants. They are usually scavengers of leftover food and dead plant/animal matter. Try feeding a little bit less or syphoning debris from the bottom when changing water. Or just live with 'em; a puffer can be more trouble than it's worth. Alternatively, try kuhli loaches.

[hwchoy]

Horse-face loach! worked for me, and it doesn't get rid of every snail, just control the population, so you still get some snail around to do the cleaning job.

Plus it is quite cute if you know what I mean...

[raytan12]

hi hwchoy,
Any pic or info about the loach?

[binbeto]

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On 4/16/2002 1:23:35 PM

Hi,

would like to know how effective is it for the puffer to get rid of the snails? found increasing number of snails in my tank as the plants grew. even though i crushed every snails i found, i can still find many more. i think i have to get a puffer to do the job before my tank is not infested with algae but SNAILS... think the snails in my tank are reproducing, so better do something before one day i return home and find my plants disappear. so a puffer can really get the snails effectively? besides can't having guppies with the puffer, any other fish that i can't have together with the puffer? i got only 1 puffer, is it enough for it to do a nice clean job?
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Puffer are very effective. Will eat all the snail they can find. But still have soem that escape it if you tank is densely planted.

Soem have complained that the puffer will bite fish tail after all the snail is gone but mine last 2 is ok. They do start to feed on blood worm after the snail population is low.

Try to buy the smallest you can find in the tank, usually not so aggresive against other fishes.

[avant]

horsefaced loach

taken from www.loaches.com

[bclee]

Warning: Puffers are fussy eaters. They like live foods and maybe frozen foods. Most simply refuse to take flakes or even dried worms.

BC

[kingpin]

My puffer doesnt go for snails. It likes to go after the tails of all my fishes. No choice but to imprison it in a plastic container floating on my 2ft tank. It is also aggressive against it own kind. Saw it attacked and killed another puffy in the 5ft [] . This puffy has an attitude problem .

[hwchoy]

thanx for posting the pic. that's the thing I'm referring to. Non-aggressive but was told it is territorial so just one in a tank will do. It likes to go filtering through the gravel (takes in gravel from the mouth and ejects it through the gills) and sometimes burrow and hide in the gravel (just the two eyes peeping out). May not be suitable with foreground plants.

However, I had two puffers before with the same problem as Kingpin. Went for the tails of every other fish including the cherry barbs. Finally took them out, starved themselves to death by refusing bloodworms even.

[BFG]

tsk,tsk,tsk...wah Hwchoy, wait SPCA read this liao![]

B.F.G

[avant]

i got 4 horsefaced in my tank..very sociable with one another.. no evidence of territorial behaviour though..peaceful creatures but rather timid. may dive into the substrate if threatened..
not really recommended for planted tanks unless ur plants are deeply rooted since they burrow the gravel to look for food.

[bclee]

Try this link to find out more about puffers.

PUFFERNET

BC

[hwchoy]

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On 4/16/2002 10:15:11 PM

tsk,tsk,tsk...wah Hwchoy, wait SPCA read this liao![]

B.F.G
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Eh BFG, the puffer too dumb to eat, not my salah. I even drop the bloodworm right over it and the worm hit it on the head, but still he didn't notice that the worm is edible. []