On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:04:35 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

http://tinyurl.com/23f2x9

Can one buy puffer fish for the home aquarium?
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:15:01 -0400, John H.
wrote:

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:04:35 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

http://tinyurl.com/23f2x9

Can one buy puffer fish for the home aquarium?

Yep. We had a snail infestation from new plants in the aquarium.
Fresh water.
I read puffers eat snails, so I bought one.
He went right after those snails.
We watched and began to get worried, because he wouldn't stop
attacking and eating snails, and there were a lot of them for one
little guy.
He ate so many in an hour his stomach was about to burst.
Within 2 hours he turned a dark color and died.
Got another one the next day, and he was more reserved, and not a
glutton.
All snails were gone after about a week.
The puffer lasted a while before ich got him.

--Vic

How big was/is your tank. I have snails in my 15gal aquarium, and I'm sick
of squishing them.

--Mike

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:15:01 -0400, John H.
wrote:

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:04:35 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

http://tinyurl.com/23f2x9

Can one buy puffer fish for the home aquarium?

Yep. We had a snail infestation from new plants in the aquarium.
Fresh water.
I read puffers eat snails, so I bought one.
He went right after those snails.
We watched and began to get worried, because he wouldn't stop
attacking and eating snails, and there were a lot of them for one
little guy.
He ate so many in an hour his stomach was about to burst.
Within 2 hours he turned a dark color and died.
Got another one the next day, and he was more reserved, and not a
glutton.
All snails were gone after about a week.
The puffer lasted a while before ich got him.

--Vic

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:49:19 -0700, "Mike" wrote:

That was a 40 gallon. Had a plectotomus(sp?) in there that grew from
a couple inches to about a foot long. Good glass cleaner.

--Vic

How big was/is your tank. I have snails in my 15gal aquarium, and I'm sick
of squishing them.

--Mike

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:15:01 -0400, John H.
wrote:

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:04:35 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

http://tinyurl.com/23f2x9

Can one buy puffer fish for the home aquarium?

Yep. We had a snail infestation from new plants in the aquarium.
Fresh water.
I read puffers eat snails, so I bought one.
He went right after those snails.
We watched and began to get worried, because he wouldn't stop
attacking and eating snails, and there were a lot of them for one
little guy.
He ate so many in an hour his stomach was about to burst.
Within 2 hours he turned a dark color and died.
Got another one the next day, and he was more reserved, and not a
glutton.
All snails were gone after about a week.
The puffer lasted a while before ich got him.

--Vic

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:06:50 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:49:19 -0700, "Mike" wrote:

That was a 40 gallon. Had a plectotomus(sp?) in there that grew from
a couple inches to about a foot long. Good glass cleaner.

--Vic

How big was/is your tank. I have snails in my 15gal aquarium, and I'm sick
of squishing them.

--Mike


Vic, did you mean one of these guys?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plecostomus

I've not had an aquarium for a long time, but I lucked out when I first set
one up. The book I bought said, "Do not put snails in the tank to keep it
clean." According to the book, they multiplied like crazy and eventually
scratched up the glass. The plecostomus was a good critter

We always kept a few corydoras around. They helped with the cleanup.
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:55:43 -0400, John H.
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:06:50 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:49:19 -0700, "Mike" wrote:

That was a 40 gallon. Had a plectotomus(sp?) in there that grew from
a couple inches to about a foot long. Good glass cleaner.

--Vic

How big was/is your tank. I have snails in my 15gal aquarium, and I'm sick
of squishing them.

--Mike


Vic, did you mean one of these guys?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plecostomus

Sure enough. Just the one kept the 40 gallon glass crystal clear.
Never bothered the other fish either.
When we decommissioned the tank I took it to the pet store in a bucket
and they put it in a big tank there. Caused quite a stir with the
customers in the store when I brought it in.
Thinking back it was bigger than a foot, maybe 15-16 inches.

I've not had an aquarium for a long time, but I lucked out when I first set
one up. The book I bought said, "Do not put snails in the tank to keep it
clean." According to the book, they multiplied like crazy and eventually
scratched up the glass. The plecostomus was a good critter

We always kept a few corydoras around. They helped with the cleanup.

Had them too for bottom cleaning.
I never even thought of putting snails in my tanks, but for a while we
had live aquatic plants. The eggs (or whatever snails have) came in
on the plants. You just couldn't tell, so we went to plastic plants.
Not a single fish complained about the lower ambience.
I haven't had a tank of fish for about 8 years, but the empty tanks
(40, 15, 5) are sitting in the basement taking up space because the
wife has ideas of starting them up again. I doubt that'll happen.
In the meantime she found these huge glass goblets that hold over a
gallon each and put a red betta in one and a blue in the other.
Very low maintenance - she changes the water and washes the goblets
about once a month. And bettas are pretty fluttering around - one on
the nightstand and the other on the dresser.
It was a good idea of hers. No honeydews about pumps, heaters, etc,
so it's fine by me too!

--Vic

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:48:55 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:55:43 -0400, John H.
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:06:50 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:49:19 -0700, "Mike" wrote:

That was a 40 gallon. Had a plectotomus(sp?) in there that grew from
a couple inches to about a foot long. Good glass cleaner.

--Vic

How big was/is your tank. I have snails in my 15gal aquarium, and I'm sick
of squishing them.

--Mike


Vic, did you mean one of these guys?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plecostomus

Sure enough. Just the one kept the 40 gallon glass crystal clear.
Never bothered the other fish either.
When we decommissioned the tank I took it to the pet store in a bucket
and they put it in a big tank there. Caused quite a stir with the
customers in the store when I brought it in.
Thinking back it was bigger than a foot, maybe 15-16 inches.

I've not had an aquarium for a long time, but I lucked out when I first set
one up. The book I bought said, "Do not put snails in the tank to keep it
clean." According to the book, they multiplied like crazy and eventually
scratched up the glass. The plecostomus was a good critter

We always kept a few corydoras around. They helped with the cleanup.

Had them too for bottom cleaning.
I never even thought of putting snails in my tanks, but for a while we
had live aquatic plants. The eggs (or whatever snails have) came in
on the plants. You just couldn't tell, so we went to plastic plants.
Not a single fish complained about the lower ambience.
I haven't had a tank of fish for about 8 years, but the empty tanks
(40, 15, 5) are sitting in the basement taking up space because the
wife has ideas of starting them up again. I doubt that'll happen.
In the meantime she found these huge glass goblets that hold over a
gallon each and put a red betta in one and a blue in the other.
Very low maintenance - she changes the water and washes the goblets
about once a month. And bettas are pretty fluttering around - one on
the nightstand and the other on the dresser.
It was a good idea of hers. No honeydews about pumps, heaters, etc,
so it's fine by me too!

--Vic

I have an old stand made by my grandfather that is just sitting there with
a bunch of pictures on it. It's a perfect size for a 25-30 gallon tank, and
every so often I've thought of starting the aquarium up again. Maybe after
we move. I find fish very relaxing to watch, and enjoy the sound of the
filter/aerator. Soothing.

I like the red tailed black sharks, but they don't like a whole bunch of
other fish!
--
John *H*
(Not the other one!)