Dwarf Puffers and Snails

[pinegun]

My sister is getting a dwarf puffer (I'm kind of overseeing it all, since she hasn't had a pet to herself for many years and we're all kind of skeptical of her abilities.) I've been coaching her as to what she'll need to do for it, as she's been very good for the most part. One of the only things that are freaking her out is the fact that dwarf puffers need "an occassional snail," according to most profiles on the fish that I've been able to pull up.

I can tell she's going to have some trouble working up to feeding the snails, and I might very well end up doing it, which, although I'm not thrilled about, I'll do. Either way, I have some questions about the whole snail/puffer scenario (I've never owned a dwarf puffer before).


1. What type of snails are suitable for dwarf puffers? Since they're so small and snails come in so many size, what type should I get that would pass as a suitable serving for the puffer?

2. How often is an "occassional snail"? Every day, week, month...? Just to make sure the puffer would get a suitable fix. :P

3. Do the puffers eat the whole snail, shell and all? I've read that the whole purpose behind the snail, nutritional value aside, is to give the puffer a chance to keep its teeth at a functional size. So does that mean the puffer is going to eat the whole shell, or what?

[Apotheosis]

Small pond snails are the best for dwarf puffers, but you don't really need to feed them snails that often because dwarf puffers don't have nearly as much of an issue with overgrown teeth as other puffers do. I'm not sure on the amount, but you could probably drop 2 snails per puffer in the tank every two weeks. You could forget snails altogether, but it's best for them to have a varied diet.

I'm no expert on snails..... http://dwarfpuffers.com/ is a great site for info on dwarf puffers.

[Dr_House]

I'm also not terribly familiar with puffers, but you may also want to try http://www.pufferresources.net/forum/. I've never sought advice about puffers, but I know the people on this website and they are very friendly and have a tremendous amount of knowledge on the subject. Good luck!

[frogman5]

yeh u need to feed them snails to keep there teeth down its prolly isnt necessary but i would do one a week and pond snails are the best also actually quite entertaining to watch

[pinegun]

Thanks, you guys.

I'll take a look at that site, too. I appreciate it!

[Plecostomus]

and also, if you buy live plants for your fishtank, they usually have small snails on them.