Breeding snails (for dwarf puffers)

Nilet699

I didnt really know where to put this, so i went here...

The dwarf puffers, Carinotetraodon travancoricus, finally get to me next wednesday and I've looked this up but its just a nightmare to trawl through the crap tbh.

basically my plan was to do this is a cheap as chips 3 gallon plastic tank that i can pick up near me. Possibly add a super cheap sponge filter if i need one (??????) and some live plants on a sand substrate - and i have a 9w light spare from changing the puffer tank to LEDs, so i can use that.

Thats my whole plan though and all i know.

I suppose these are my questions;

1/ Is the above acceptable?
2/ What would any of you change about it?
3/ WHAT ARE THE BEST SNAILS TO USE? - I'm UK, so presuming these will basically be the same?
4/ Where can i get these snails?
5/ How do i ''promote'' breeding?
6/ What do i feed the snails?
7/ Whats the best plants to use with them?

All i can think of now.... but if theres other relevant info please feel free to tell me!

Thanks in advance

JDM

Malaysian trumpet snails apparently are good, breed like crazy. We've got some sort of pond snail that came in with some plants that are really starting to multiply.

Does the puffer diet rely heavily on snails or is it a treat thing to help with their teeth? How many snails do you need? I only wonder as you might be able to just get them going in an existing tank.

Thinking out loud hear (um, virtually out loud... My wife might start to wonder if I talked while I typed)

Jeff

Nilet699

Haha

Cant put them in an existing tank, due to the Botia kubotai, thought i had got them (invasive snails) before i got these guys, but they kept popping up.......now im SURE of it!!! Haven't seen a one since i had them. For these guys it would be a treat, but for the puffers a decent part of their diet along with live worms etc, which id also like to home breed- but the mrs says no, stamped her foot, and thats the end of that. Loves snails though and is ok with them being a food source too, which is a relief!

So, it has to be a separate tank....

Byron

My Dwarf Puffer [arrived by accident, in a shipment of pygmy corys] decimated the Malaysian Livebearing Snail population in the 10g. It wasn't until several weeks after the puffer was moved out of this tank that I began to see the snails again, just a few which had obviously managed to remain hidden under the chunks of wood. This is generally a difficult snail for fish to eat because of the "trap door" but the little puffer obviously got around this.

Pond snails and ramshorn snails are two easy snails. But I agree that these will have to be raised in another tank as the puffer would decimate them pretty quick I would expect.

Snails eat anything, from fish waste to detritus to decaying plant matter to dead fish... so they must have a good source of organics. They will obviously eat any fish foods esp sinking tablets. Lettuce and other green veggies. Any water container should do. No heat required (room temp is fine). Just be careful you don't develop a smelly stagnant container of filthy water.