I need a quickly reproducing large snail....

D

DIYMatt

AC Members
Oct 8, 2001
215
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Minneapolis, MN
Does anyone know of/where I could get a snail that:

1. Is large enough at adult size that my dwarf puffers would not be able to eat
2. Reproduces quickly in large numbers to feed the 2 puffers adequately in a planted tank
3. Eats Algae but not plants

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

A word of advice to those who want to rid your tank of snails. Be happy you have them at all, you don't know how good they are unitl they are gone! Mine apparently cleaned the glass and did wonders for substrate cleaning. I never used to vacuum the gravel. I have vacuumed twice in four months.
 
I doubt they could kill an apple or mystery snail but I believe both lay eggs above the water line. Other than that I don't know. I would just get a spare 10 gallon and go pick up some of the plagued brown snails from any LFS (I'm sure they'll be glad to give them to you) and let them start multiplying in the tank. Just keep feeding them and they will multiply faster than you can feed. I usually throw at least 10-12 away daily from my 55 gallon which is a big meal for puffers unless you have a swarm. KYle
 
Thanks Kyle- but I think ten a day would be about what my pair of piggy puffers would eat. I added about a dozen yesterday and saw my larger puffer tear up six of them right in front of me. Hes not the neatest eater either. He drops about half of each snail while he is tearing them up. Anyways, thanks for the advice. I did add snails to my "guppy tank" and I am going to try to feed the snails veggies in there. If brought home another tank, my tanks and I would be on the curb in a heartbeat. I just completed a stand that can hold 4 tens, a 55. and a growout "tub" beneath. I told the woman that it was all I needed so she signed off. A bigger house is in the plans this summer, so I going to make a play for more tanks then, since I should have a better place to put them. Heres to hoping..........
 
Puffers are not at all restricted by the size of the snail if you were planning or hoping to co-house them. Small puffers are perfectly willing to take bites from large snails.

The only co-housing which has worked for me is reforated sheet plastic to section off a refugium within the tank for snails, with holes large enough to allow baby snails through but not adult snails or puffers.

Even that is limited in production so that it is not likely to provide sufficient food for the puffers. Feeding pyramids are pictured as such for a reason - it takes more space to produce the prey than it does to house the predator.
 
I find that Rams horn snails can reproduce pretty quickly, though not that fast. And when adult they are the size of a nickle or so. I have a little 1 gallon plastic tank taht I keep them in from when I had puffers. Now it is just my extra snail tank.
 
For dwarf puffers, I like the common pond snails- they produce quite well, and the babys are tiny but numerous, just right for the dwarf puffers. I use ramshorns for the larger puffers, but it takes more room and time to grow them up.
 
probably ramshorns, if you get a kiddie pool you can have millions fast. you can feed your puffers other stuff and give the snails a chance to get things going.
 
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