I have 15 cherries in my heavily planted 10 gallon tank. 3 of the 15 cherries are pregnant. I am currently experiencing snail out break in the tank. Can anyone tell me is it safe to put a pea puffer in the tank to control my snail situation? If not, any suggestions please?
Thanks
Fishstreet
Pea Puffers and Cherries??
Moderator: Mustafa
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fishstreet
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- Location: Edmonton, Alberta
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chlorophyll
- Shrimp
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Your best bet is to take rclover's advice.
It has been my experience with 3 individual pea puffers (and keep in mind, the ones you might buy could have very different personalities/tastes/inclinations) that they will go after the snails before almost anything else. Mine also have never killed any of my 10 N.d. sinensis (I definitely should mention these are the plain/clearish variety of the species. Red colored shrimp may prove more attractive to the puffers) that have shared the tank with them over several months. This is 20 gallon, moderately planted, with two large rocks. However the puffers have been witnessed trying to strike the shrimp on occasion, though general disinterest in the shrimp is by far the prevalent behavior. Often the striking is actually at the food (blood worm) the shrimp may be carrying.
Baby shrimp will definitely be small enough to be prey, but I also believe them to be quick and fairly good at avoiding predation, especially with lots of cover ... and dwarf puffers are neither voracious nor stealthy, and again will probably prefer snails.
I have only subjected adult shrimp to cohabitation with pea/dwarf puffers.
And again, individuals differ substantially. Many have reported these puffers killing but not eating (MURDERING??!) ghost shrimp.
The puffers I'm describing are ~5/8 inches long, and full grown inch-long individuals may be more dangerous.
It has been my experience with 3 individual pea puffers (and keep in mind, the ones you might buy could have very different personalities/tastes/inclinations) that they will go after the snails before almost anything else. Mine also have never killed any of my 10 N.d. sinensis (I definitely should mention these are the plain/clearish variety of the species. Red colored shrimp may prove more attractive to the puffers) that have shared the tank with them over several months. This is 20 gallon, moderately planted, with two large rocks. However the puffers have been witnessed trying to strike the shrimp on occasion, though general disinterest in the shrimp is by far the prevalent behavior. Often the striking is actually at the food (blood worm) the shrimp may be carrying.
Baby shrimp will definitely be small enough to be prey, but I also believe them to be quick and fairly good at avoiding predation, especially with lots of cover ... and dwarf puffers are neither voracious nor stealthy, and again will probably prefer snails.
I have only subjected adult shrimp to cohabitation with pea/dwarf puffers.
And again, individuals differ substantially. Many have reported these puffers killing but not eating (MURDERING??!) ghost shrimp.
The puffers I'm describing are ~5/8 inches long, and full grown inch-long individuals may be more dangerous.
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fishstreet
- Egg
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:45 pm
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta