Feeding Snails To Puffers

[fryeguy82]

i've read in plenty of places that snails are a staple in the puffer fish diet and are good for keeping their teeth trimmed. i have 2 green spotted puffers (Tetraodon nigraviridus) about 1.5" inches in length. should i give them full grown snails and let them tear him up or feed them smaller snails that they can fit into their mouths? also, i heard somebody mention a feeding rock, what's that?

thanks,
chris

 

[DarkEntity]

big ones, let em shred them lol

 

[Maximus]

A feeding rock is a piece of granite ect.
Puffer keepers use the flat surface to put
their food on and when they pick the food
off, they grind their teeth.

It may not completely remove the
need to trim the teeth of sp. such as
the south americans but, does reduce
the time before it needs doing.

I've never used one but i hear there
very effictive

 

[Bufo Bill]

I always thought it was best to feed snails that were easily "crunchable" so the puffers had to crunch and chew the snail shell, which wears down the teeth better than cracking open the big snail shells piece by piece. They won't waste their time eating something with no nutritional value like a piece of shell, they'll just crack pieces off and spit them out, and eat the snail flesh they have exposed.

 

[newtotropical]

Can anybody tell me if Apple Snails are OK for South American Puffers?

 

[Bufo Bill]

Can anybody tell me if Apple Snails are OK for South American Puffers?

I'd go for smaller snails myself. Your LFS will probably be able to give you some pond snails from their tanks. Set these up as a breeding colony. Then you could add some apple snails and see if they breed for you, then you could let some grow up as the next generation and feed some others to your puffers.
All the best from Bill.

 

[fryeguy82]

Can anybody tell me if Apple Snails are OK for South American Puffers?

I'd go for smaller snails myself. Your LFS will probably be able to give you some pond snails from their tanks. Set these up as a breeding colony. Then you could add some apple snails and see if they breed for you, then you could let some grow up as the next generation and feed some others to your puffers.
All the best from Bill.

the LFSs near me only sell "mystery snails" would these work? i remember reading, i don'k know if it was on this site, about breeding snails. are mystery snails asexual or do you need a male and female? the only available tank i have is 1 gallon tank, would this work for breeding?

thanks,
chris

 

[DarkEntity]

Can anybody tell me if Apple Snails are OK for South American Puffers?

As a rule of thumb, a Puffers eye is generally the same size as its mouth. It seems to work for my Salivator and did for my Turgidus. Worth checking out then looking at food accordingly