Bottom cleaners for 10 gal brackish puffer tank

Buggy · 06-25-2007, 05:28 PM

Just bought a figure 8 puffer and I'm slowly switching from fresh to low end brackish (1.005-1.008). I need a bottom feeder to clean up what the puffer misses. Any suggestions on a brackish bottom feeder that will survive a nipping puffer and fit well in a 10 gallon tank? Any suggestions on brackish snails that the puffer won't mistake for dinner?

flamingo · 06-25-2007, 05:56 PM

In a tank that small, with a puffer, no fish is really a suitable tankmate. Just keep up on the water changes.

Dr_House · 06-25-2007, 08:00 PM

Agreed. Puffers do not make good tankmates. You can read a great profile on the Figure 8 Puffer here.

SBDTHUR · 06-25-2007, 10:58 PM

You would need a bigger tank and possibly even have it planted.. Once again, agreed. :P

Buggy · 06-26-2007, 03:34 PM

Ok, so much for the bottom feeder idea. How about some kind of snail for brackish water...that won't become a snack. Any suggestions?

flamingo · 06-26-2007, 03:46 PM

All snails will be a possible food item for a puffer, MTS are the only common ones that cannot be easily eaten, but have a bad history of cracking their "beak."

fishbone · 07-06-2007, 09:14 AM

Try Malaysian trumpet snails. I've been told their shell is too hard for the puffer to get through. And if he does, those snails reproduce like crazy anyway

flamingo · 07-06-2007, 09:17 AM

There are too many cases of their shells hurting the puffers mouth to really risk it.

Buggy · 07-07-2007, 10:46 AM

Yeah, this little guy barely has any teeth, you have to look very close to see them. I know he will suck a snail out of the shell if he can't crack the shell. I put a good sized ramshorn in the tank and he slurped it right out and I had to remove the empty shell. As a matter of fact I've removed a lot of empty shells after his escargot feast. lol
Looks like I'll just have to keep doing frequent vacs to take care of his messes. I'm a mom so I know all about cleaning up after messy eaters. lol

Fish Taco · 01-24-2008, 12:44 AM

I put a red crab with pretty good sized claws in my brackish tank w/puffers. does pretty well. puffers dont mess with him

fishbone · 01-24-2008, 09:30 AM

They will eventually. That crab is completely ill-suited for that environment if you're looking to do anything beside him being puffer food. He'll also need access to land, somewhere above water.

Fish Taco · 02-03-2008, 01:22 AM

i thought the same thing at first..my crab just molted..(lol wife thought it was dead until it came out from behind some coral) its doing great

Obsidian · 02-03-2008, 12:22 PM

Buggy, what about just giving him a fairly constant cache of snails to choose from? As long as there are more than he would eat in the tank then they would be helping with the cleanup. All you would need to do this for free is a tank where the source snails could reproduce safely away from Mr Puffer. It is not an elegant solution, but it should keep things relatively clean and keep your puffers beak in check. After a while I bet you would know exactly how many you would need in the tank to accomplish your goals.

oliesminis · 02-03-2008, 12:51 PM

red ramshorn snail breed readily in any size tank, also a delicous snack my fish love them

06-25-2007, 05:28 PM	#1
Buggy Room Mother Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Oklahoma Age: 42 Posts: 659 User Feedback: (0)	Bottom cleaners for 10 gal brackish puffer tank Just bought a figure 8 puffer and I'm slowly switching from fresh to low end brackish (1.005-1.008). I need a bottom feeder to clean up what the puffer misses. Any suggestions on a brackish bottom feeder that will survive a nipping puffer and fit well in a 10 gallon tank? Any suggestions on brackish snails that the puffer won't mistake for dinner? __________________ Fish are people too! My animal family Dixie - Boxer/Lab Peanut -Chihuahua Cali - American Short-hair Cat B.B. - Parakeet Flower - Western Ornate Box Turtle Aquariums 55 gal tropical Fresh Water -14 various fish 29 gal tropical Fresh Water - 4 various cichlids 20 gal tropical Fresh Water - 5 skirt tetras, 8 zebra danios, 2 cherry barbs, 1 glass catfish, 1 rosey minnow, 1 corydora, 1 ghost shrimp. 3 empty 10 gal tanks

06-25-2007, 05:56 PM	#2
flamingo One Word: Croutons. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 16 Posts: 1,895 User Feedback: (2)	In a tank that small, with a puffer, no fish is really a suitable tankmate. Just keep up on the water changes. __________________ If you put "u" instead of typing out the actual, shocking, three letter word... i'm not going to read your ramblings. I'm so behind it's not even funny.

06-25-2007, 10:58 PM	#4
SBDTHUR Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Michigan Age: 15 Posts: 245 User Feedback: (0)	You would need a bigger tank and possibly even have it planted.. Once again, agreed. :P __________________ 10 Gallon 72W of Lighting Onyx Sand Paragoda Stone Dwarf Hairgrass 3x Chinese Algae Eaters

06-26-2007, 03:34 PM	#5
Buggy Room Mother Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Oklahoma Age: 42 Posts: 659 User Feedback: (0)	Ok, so much for the bottom feeder idea. How about some kind of snail for brackish water...that won't become a snack. Any suggestions? __________________ Fish are people too! My animal family Dixie - Boxer/Lab Peanut -Chihuahua Cali - American Short-hair Cat B.B. - Parakeet Flower - Western Ornate Box Turtle Aquariums 55 gal tropical Fresh Water -14 various fish 29 gal tropical Fresh Water - 4 various cichlids 20 gal tropical Fresh Water - 5 skirt tetras, 8 zebra danios, 2 cherry barbs, 1 glass catfish, 1 rosey minnow, 1 corydora, 1 ghost shrimp. 3 empty 10 gal tanks

06-26-2007, 03:46 PM	#6
flamingo One Word: Croutons. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 16 Posts: 1,895 User Feedback: (2)	All snails will be a possible food item for a puffer, MTS are the only common ones that cannot be easily eaten, but have a bad history of cracking their "beak." __________________ If you put "u" instead of typing out the actual, shocking, three letter word... i'm not going to read your ramblings. I'm so behind it's not even funny.

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06-25-2007, 08:00 PM	#3
Dr_House Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 346 User Feedback: (0)	Agreed. Puffers do not make good tankmates. You can read a great profile on the Figure 8 Puffer here.

07-06-2007, 09:14 AM	#7
fishbone Newbie Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Nebraska Posts: 400 User Feedback: (0)	Try Malaysian trumpet snails. I've been told their shell is too hard for the puffer to get through. And if he does, those snails reproduce like crazy anyway __________________ My YouTube aquaria videos

07-06-2007, 09:17 AM	#8
flamingo One Word: Croutons. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 16 Posts: 1,895 User Feedback: (2)	There are too many cases of their shells hurting the puffers mouth to really risk it. __________________ If you put "u" instead of typing out the actual, shocking, three letter word... i'm not going to read your ramblings. I'm so behind it's not even funny.

07-07-2007, 10:46 AM	#9
Buggy Room Mother Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Oklahoma Age: 42 Posts: 659 User Feedback: (0)	Yeah, this little guy barely has any teeth, you have to look very close to see them. I know he will suck a snail out of the shell if he can't crack the shell. I put a good sized ramshorn in the tank and he slurped it right out and I had to remove the empty shell. As a matter of fact I've removed a lot of empty shells after his escargot feast. lol Looks like I'll just have to keep doing frequent vacs to take care of his messes. I'm a mom so I know all about cleaning up after messy eaters. lol __________________ Fish are people too! My animal family Dixie - Boxer/Lab Peanut -Chihuahua Cali - American Short-hair Cat B.B. - Parakeet Flower - Western Ornate Box Turtle Aquariums 55 gal tropical Fresh Water -14 various fish 29 gal tropical Fresh Water - 4 various cichlids 20 gal tropical Fresh Water - 5 skirt tetras, 8 zebra danios, 2 cherry barbs, 1 glass catfish, 1 rosey minnow, 1 corydora, 1 ghost shrimp. 3 empty 10 gal tanks

01-24-2008, 12:44 AM	#10
Fish Taco Fishy Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 12 User Feedback: (0)	I put a red crab with pretty good sized claws in my brackish tank w/puffers. does pretty well. puffers dont mess with him

01-24-2008, 09:30 AM	#11
fishbone Newbie Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Nebraska Posts: 400 User Feedback: (0)	They will eventually. That crab is completely ill-suited for that environment if you're looking to do anything beside him being puffer food. He'll also need access to land, somewhere above water. __________________ My YouTube aquaria videos

02-03-2008, 01:22 AM	#12
Fish Taco Fishy Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 12 User Feedback: (0)	i thought the same thing at first..my crab just molted..(lol wife thought it was dead until it came out from behind some coral) its doing great

02-03-2008, 12:22 PM	#13
Obsidian Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Arizona Age: 37 Posts: 911 User Feedback: (0)	Buggy, what about just giving him a fairly constant cache of snails to choose from? As long as there are more than he would eat in the tank then they would be helping with the cleanup. All you would need to do this for free is a tank where the source snails could reproduce safely away from Mr Puffer. It is not an elegant solution, but it should keep things relatively clean and keep your puffers beak in check. After a while I bet you would know exactly how many you would need in the tank to accomplish your goals. __________________ Obsidian 20 gallon 1 Dwarf Gourami; 6 Cherry Barbs 4F 2M; 8 Black Neon Tetras; 3 Peppered Cory's; 1 Bristlenose Pleco 10 gallon 5 Zebra Danios 5.5 gallon Betta 100 gallon 9 giant danios; 4 Rosy Barbs, 4 German Blue Rams

02-03-2008, 12:51 PM	#14
oliesminis FISH ARE FREINDS NOT FOOD Join Date: May 2007 Location: England, Milton Keynes Age: 15 Posts: 490 User Feedback: (0)	red ramshorn snail breed readily in any size tank, also a delicous snack my fish love them __________________ OllieCoxPhotography Why, in a world of thousands of languages, does everbody laugh the same

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