Fast & Ferious Puffer!

[jellydot72]

Hi all,
Today I got my tank a puffer fish to rid it of snails. I was watching this little puffer how it works. I got a very very tiny one. By the look at its mouth size I doubt it can manage any of those snail[:]. But I was wrong, first it starts staring at those snail and zapp!!! it gives it a fast and ferious bite. Wah![:0] now I know it is aiming at the head (fleshy) part. Use to think it will chew up the whole snail but was wrong. Really deadly and effective eh!

[wks]

Hi jeelydot 72, snails are useful in controlling algae. If u find algae blooming after the snail population was decimated, better take out the puffer fish.

[jellydot72]

Hi,

You mean they also feed on algae! I actually got them to rid of snail. If they do rid algae then it is worth the money. What i do know is that they will start to attack fish fins and tails once the tank runs out of snail colony.
And that's why i got myself a fish breeding nylon cage just to 'prison' this fellow when he has finished its job! heh heh heh

[bentan]

i tell u wat, dont be cruel jellydot.
imprisonment is a painful death.

i suggest u make some puffer sashimi or 'fugu' after ur puffer has made ur $$ worth.

[wks]

jellydot 72, puffers don't eat algae, snails do.

[Simon]

add dwarf cichlid, they too help u clear yr snail population.. seen my apisto picking on them

[jellydot72]

Hi,
I really enjoy looking at that tiny puffer. The way it moves and its eyes scanning for snail heh heh heh.... like a Apache helicopter []

[ryan]

i got puffer to whack snails too but when he whacks them... he tears a hole in the LEAF!! pisses me off man... my beautiful echinodorus all got holes all over the place... like kena sprayed by para then all bullet holes...

[kelstorm]

er... i read somewhere in this forum that clown loaches also have snails for snacks...[]

[Vican]

I do have a 1 yr old spotted blue eyed puffer in my tank.
There was a period he was attacking the fins of other fishes. I took him out in a pet container for a while. When there were snails in my tank again, he was in it.
This time round, he seems to have learnt his lesson and never bit another fish again...

He's now in my tank. But I think puffers can't get at the snails hidden among my hairgrass. They're too dense and deep for him to find.

I think clown loaches would be more effective, but they tend to burrow around and could dislodge your plants. Also, heard that they're shy fishes and you might only get to see them after lights are off. They also grow up pretty big 3-4" I think

[lsz]

Vic, clown loaches grow up till 8-10" in aquarium...
12" in the wild or in a very large tank over very long period of time.

[jellydot72]

Hi,

So far no plants with large leaves in my tank so not bullet hole yet[]
I also fear it will attack my fishes tail and fins so I went for a very small tiny puffer and has been putting it under strict survelliance. Once it starts its nonsense....you know where he will go! I will prison him in my 10 cm cube or in a breeding net.

[sherchoo]

Did have some snail infestattion awhile ago so I sent in the spotted puffer. Snails gone the very next day, so it started to attempt to nip tails but it did not stress or damage any the fishes so I left the guy in there.

Jellydot,
The puffer will definately snap at the fishes, but if no major problems like missing fins then try not the imprison the bugger......

[jellydot72]

Hi,

ya...have to be more humane hor! heh heh heh....

[hoppinghippo]

I read that dwarf gouramis eat snails too tho only small snails, if the snails get too big they won't be able to eat it. my honey gouramis do look for snails and peck here and there, don't know if they actually ever eat any tho. but I only occasionally find a big snail, don't have any infestation.(tho never check after lights out)

Qn: how do you tell there's snail infestation or there's snails but at an ok level? are leaves noticably eaten up?

[sherchoo]

Actually snails don't cause any problems except for their unsightlyness. Other than that they are not to be worried about. Dwarf chiclids are known to remove snails too.

[AnA]

My puffer snap off my rummy nose initially. However, it became less aggressive after sometime. Now, I have three puffers in my 4ft tank without any problem. I will monitor further.

[Simon]

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On 3/4/2002 2:15:41 PM

My puffer snap off my rummy nose initially. However, it became less aggressive after sometime. Now, I have three puffers in my 4ft tank without any problem. I will monitor further.
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FWOAH!!! I realise puffer school together, which makes them more lethal... a rule of the thumb is 1 puffer, min size is 3ft & above... just 1 puffer in my 6ft keeps the tank cleared of snails

[Allen_1971]

Moving this thread to the fishkeeping section...

Simon, you sure about puffers schooling? I've read that they are loners not schooling creatures.

[Simon]

thats what happen to 3 of the puffer in my office, they actually gang up and bite the tails of all the neon tetra[]