Re-arranging stock...opinions?

Boredomb

Thinking that's a no go for my puffers lol 5 dead shrimp out 6 is not a success. You can try it with yours, I have heard it all depends on the personality of the puffers. Yours maybe different from mine. Lol

LasColinasCichlids

I think I will skip the attempt of the ghost shrimp. LOL
My three just seem like they would attack it just for fun, lol.
My three are doing well, today makes a whole week that I have had them. They have ate so many snails it is ridiculous!
Seriously, they have had to have ate between 30 and 50 snails in one week!! There was about 8 in the tank when I put them in, and every other day I add 10-15 more snails... havent check how many are left from today's snail addition, but prior to it there was only 3 snails I could see. The snails are smarter than I thought, the survivors stay near the water surface and when they manage to see a puffer prior to a strike, they quickly go above the water. LOL
I thought they would eat the shell or bite it, at least on the super tiny young snails, but they dont. They bite and pull the snail out by its head and if it misses a piece of the body it just pecks until it cleans it's "plate". I didnt think I would be able to handle watching them do this, but I find it super neat.
How often do you feed snails? And do you feed your puffers every day? I am just trying to find a good feeding schedule for these guys and dont want to under or over feed them.

Boredomb

I agree it is kinda neat watching them suck the snail out of the shell! I usually feed the puffers everyday with the exception of water changing days. Now there are times I forget to soo one week could be every other day. I try not to make that a habit though. As far as snails go umm usually I try to feed them to the puffers atleast once a week. My reasoning on that is my snail population is kinda down right now but is growing fast. So when it gets back up I will probably start feeding them more often. I am not worried about feeding them snails that much because they don't have to have them like other puffers do.
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LasColinasCichlids

Yeah, I have seen it debated many times on DPs needing the snails for teeth, and now owning my own, I see they dont even bother with the shells, however I'd like to think that its important to keep snails in their diet, they sure seem to enjoy them... and it keeps their natural hunting instincts on.

I started my snail population with 100-150 when I got the puffers last week, with it growing daily. I also gave one of my friends a handful of snails to grow in her guppy tank for my puffers future feeding needs. I will say I was overly prepared for my puffers, I better have been, as I had been wanting them for 6 months! They are one of the biggest reasons I set up my 15g and got into the planted aquarium.

I so need to get pics up TODAY/TONIGHT of my puffers and their tank, I also have a video I shot of them. I will make that my task for this evening, on top of changing the cat litter, taking the carpet cleaner to the dinning room and playroom (for my nephew), and cooking dinner. LOL

The pics can show what a great home these 3 puffers have. There is plush plantage of all real plants from wisteria, water sprite, amazon sword, java fern, baby tears, grass mat, moneywort, brazillian pennywort, and multiple small logs of grape driftwood. Its also on sand, temp kept at 81F, and I am running a Top Fin 20 HOB filter on the tank. The tank was also fully cycled and established for 4 months prior to them going in the tank. And all the snails are home grown to avoid any possible parasites. And my nitrates run around 10ppm for this particular tank, they are a bit higher in my 29g (between 15-20ppm), but that tank is also more heavily stocked, and slightly less planted.

Boredomb

It sounds like you have a GREAT setup for them! We definitely need pics!
I also think the snails need to be in their diet just need to get my stock back up. The last time I redid my tank I took out my puffers and put them in my snails tank LoL and not thinking about their "relationship" . The puffers had a feast LoL. So I had to take some out of my 55 gallon tank and start over LoL. I have bunches in that tank but they are hard to find and get out. So unless I just have to I don't bother them.

LasColinasCichlids

I figure if I run out of snails, I can always go to any of my 3 LFS and ask for a bag full, they will happily hand them over like they did when they gave my best friend and I a total together of 25 MTS.lol

LasColinasCichlids

Okay... here is the best pics of the tank and of any of the 3 puffers in the tank. My camera kind of sucks, so such a small fish is hard to get a good pic of.
I am working on updating my aquarium log with pics and a video of the puffers in their tank which I will also put on my youtube page (will eventually post it here as well).
Let me know what you think...

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Boredomb

I think it looks really good!

LasColinasCichlids

Video of puffers...

GwenInNM

Great looking tank Amanda. Looks like you'll have some very happy puffer dudes! I'm slowly building on getting my German Rams; starting first with Cardinal Tetras. Just put them in the tank today and so far they look like they are doing very well. After loosing all my others within 24 hours of putting them in the tank (Petsmart on sale). I broke down and got 5 I added, from a better fish store at $4.99 each. It will take awhile to build a good size school.


Gwen