Puffer or Snails? Which would you rather have?

[grey_fox]

Just would like to hear you point of view on this.

Which would you rather have in your tank? Snails (ramshorn, malayan, etc) or a puffer?

I'm thinking of removing (give it up for adoption) the puffer for good. I find the snails rather harmless (maybe because they're small and that the puffer is controlling the population?) and find that the puffer is causing more harm (fin nipping) plus.. I can see that the discus are getting quite intolerant already and saw a couple of them trying to nip (kill) the puffer.

So which would you guys rather have in your tank?

[Justikanz]

I prefer to have neither!

But some snails are good to look at... But I am quite irritated by smaller ramshorn and pond snails crawling everywhere... So, if I HAVE to have 1, then I would rather have snails...

[lEddyl]

i haven't got any snail yet. but i hear crazy stories of snails crawling around the house. yuck!

[Ibn]

Been there done that. Picked up a red-tail red-eye puffer and used that for snail control. Great personalities and very docile. I eventually got rid of it and have since regretted it. Currently looking for another pair, so in this case, I'd rather have the puffer (snails are popping up like mad without the presence of a natural predator; these guys will even eat MTS).

[diki]

If I have to choose, I would choose snails! They are a pain to see around (so many in my 1 ft shrimp tank. ) but no issue with them there. A small puffer can cause greater harm to other fishes, unless u intent to keep it on its own until snails population starts again.

[grey_fox]

Hey Eric,

If I am able to ship mine over to you I'd definitely do that Mine's the smallest fella in the tank but its temper is that of an Oscar...

[bossteck]

snails for me, at least they do not nip fins of other fishes

[Ibn]

Sounds like a feisty fella; I like.

The one that I had was really docile. Had him and his mate in with the altums with a good size school of rummy noses without a problem. Even had some Cambarellus shulfertii in the tank and they left those alone.

[grey_fox]

Good news! (or bad?)

I finally managed to catch the pygmy puffer!!!!! Good god, I'm so happy now Donated the fella back to the LFS I bought it from.

*jumps around for joy*

[Kev0055]

Snails - they keep the algae down quickly and effectively and their population size is more or less dependent on algae availability, for those which prefers algae anyway, or leftover fish food, such as ramshorn snails.