dwarf puffers

[Torrean]

Will dwarf puffers eat snails? common pond snails, possibly giant pond snails.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

yes, yes, and yes

 

[LoachLover]

I THINK they might be able to but I'm not exactly a puffer expert

But on the other hand they seem a little small to be able to crack the shell.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

they will eat whatever is exposed of the snail then leave the rest to rot. my SAP does that all the frickin' time.

puffers will eat your snails, your shrimps, your newts, your fish, your frogs...

 

[Torrean]

ok so it would be a bad idea to try to feed them snails because the snail would just be killed and would rot, making the tank filthy.

edit:My sister has my old dwarf puffers and I have snails so I was wondering if I could take out the batch of snails that is on it's way and feed it to her puffers.

don't worry pica dwarf puffers are never going in my tanks again

 

[pica_nuttalli]

so long as you are feeding lots of snails, the decaying carcasses shouldn't be an issue because snails will eat essentially anything if it holds still long enough.

 

[Torrean]

hmm. you don't think the snails would get eaten faster than they reproduce do you. Well I am planning on keeping snails in my tank to I could restock her tank when they start getting low. I don't suppose you could specify a lot?

 

[pica_nuttalli]

*shrug* never matters how many i add, they always wind up being a lot

but really, i can't give you a specific number; it just all depends on how quickly the puffer(s) will eat them. whenever i reseed a tank with snails, i just pluck every last adult snail i can find in the originating tank. my theory is that for every snail large enough to be seen, there are two that are too small. the original population will pretty quickly restore to level, provide you don't introduce any predators.

 

[Torrean]

I talked to you guys about my sister before. She almost never does water changes and hasn't vaccumed her gravel in like 3 months. That is one of the reasons i am kinda hoping to get the snails in there. She has a 7 inch pleco and he is a POOP MACHINE. Will the snails break down the pleco poop? I know I know I know, so don't bother I already told her.
She is going to set up a 55 gal for him soon but she doesn't have the money yet.

 

[SirMinion]

No the snails will not eat pleco poop, and even if they did they'd just convert it to snail poop anyway.

The only way to get poop and its by-products out of your tank is through water changes and vaccuming.

On the subject of Dwaf Puffers eating snails, pica_nuttalli is correct, the puffers will eat what they can get to and leave the rest to rot at which point you need to remove the shells before they pollute the water.
In my experience Dwarfs can eat snails way faster than the snails can reproduce. Snail hatchlings are relished by the puffers who will crunch them up.
Dwarfs will also eat the eggs.

 

[Torrean]

thanks. The pond snails have really soft shells. When I handle them it feels like i'm going to crush them between my fingers. I don't suppose the puffers could crack the shell and eat the whole snail. The snails that I would put into her tank would be very small, (as soon as I can fetch them out of my tank I will) would the snails still need to be removed even if the shell has been cracked open and the entire snail devoured? just curious. Also if I don't get rid of the snails in my tank is there anyway to get a snail shell substrate without harming water parameters. like sucking the snails out with a turkey baster and dropping the shells back in. would the shells change hardness like most seashells will? I saw a tank with a snail shell substrate at my not so lfs so i am curious. I don't think it was intentional but it was there.