Dwarf Puffer Journal

[yankeefan]

Very cool thread you've got going here Mandy. I've just bought a 36 g tank for my wife and I think we'll end up with Dwarf Puffers in it, so your thread has been very helpful and informative.

I originally intended to set up a 10 g for her but I found a decent buy on a 36 gallon bow front and I couldn't refuse.

Your tank looks very cool with the plants doing so well and the Dino theme is a hoot! Good luck with everything, keep us posted

[MandyK]

Hi guys! I'm back so I owe you all an update on this tank.

Puffy has been really worrying me lately. Sadly I had a HUGE snail die off in my 55g. I have no idea why. Whatever it was didn't have any affect on my shrimp.

That being said I've been having to get snails every week for the little guy, and none of them are very big at all. I don't think they are filling him up like they should because of their size. He looks really skinny as well.

So one week I ended up buying a different kind of snail that is a little bit bigger than the ones I usually get. They have a sort of cornucopia shaped shell. I dumped them in and...... THEY DISAPPEARED.... They dug themselves into the sand... This was not a good week.

Puffy couldn't find any of the snails, and was apparently weakened to the point that swimming was a bit tiresome for him. I woke up one morning to find him stuck in the intake! I thought he was dead for sure. I scooted him out with my finger and he started swimming around. He had puffed up, and I think that saved his life.

Since then he hasn't been the same. It's been a week since that happened, and he's just not swimming around the tank like he used to. He mostly rests in the java moss.

Well, needless to say I went back to getting the other kind of snails. There don't seem to be any medium sized ones there. It's either so small you can barely see them, or the size of the end of my thumb.

I just don't know what's going on. I've seen him eat snails since then, so I know he is getting food. Uhg...

[KevinVA]

Now might be a good time to start a pond snail tank. You could also buy a ton on Aquabid which would last you a while (and they'll keep their numbers up). Problem right now is weather. However, you might want to give it a shot: http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/aucti...ils&1359337881 <- for instance.

[~firefly~]

Just catching up on this. Sorry to hear about your food source issues. I agree with the above, get a pond snail tank.

Can you sub him any other food type to tide you over?

[MandyK]

I would, but I really REALLY don't want to set up another tank. My sincere hope is that my new strictness with my 55g will have eradicted whatever problems caused my snail die-off. I currently have some of the snails that bury in the sand that are doing good in there. Pond snails are what I usually buy, they are just really small when I get them. I'm going to start splitting my supply at the end of the week, and hopefully they will take off in the 55 again.

I just don't have the room for a snail tank. My Puffer tank is actually set up in my master bath because my son's new tank stand isn't ready for it yet. Uhg.... I'd show you a pic, but it's just too sad looking, lol.

During all that I've tried to give him frozen shrimp and frozen bloodworms. Maybe I'll buy another sea monkies kit..... Haha!

[~firefly~]

I've heard of people breeding pond snails in a vase on the windowsill. Would that work?

[Lady10Godiva]

We feed our puffer blood worms at least once a week. It helps fill in when it doesnt want to hunt snails. We tried a few prepared foods and they were not eaten. Good luck.

[MandyK]

Now that vase idea is something to think about. That way I won't have to have any equipment hooked up. If I can't get them to take off in the 55g again, I may end up trying that.

My puffer snubs absolutely everything but snails. I would much rather he eat some other stuff as well, but it's a no go.

[KevinVA]

Do they eat shrimp, per chance?

Edit: I just looked it up and maybe they don't eat RCS or Ghost shrimp (not sure), but they do eat Frozen Brine Shrimp. Perhaps you should try that?

Edit 2: Blackworms, too. =]

[Lady10Godiva]

We put ghost shrimp in with ours and he will sometimes chase and kill them, but dont know if he actually eats any of them.