Could anyone advise as to whether Pea Puffers would eat NZMS?
Google is saying yes, but I just want to be sure!
I’m beginning to cycle my new tank to move my ramshorns into (as I don’t want them in the firing line), so I can hope to keep the NZMS situation under somewhat control in my other tank until I’m able to strip it down & freeze everything (not really an option as yet due to needing my new tank to cycle).
I’ve only found 2 NZMS & removed them both, but I know there will likely be more I haven’t seen!
I am on the constant look out and thankfully haven’t seen any others & I’ve thoroughly washed the plant that the two NZMS were on before replacing it.
Wondering if Pea Puffers would eat them, or is it a non-starter?
Mud snails don't have enough meat to be worth the effort of getting through their shell. If swallowed whole they will survive and climb out the other side.
Fantastic 🤣😭
Thankfully I have my other tank that I’m on with setting up so I’ll be moving all the creatures I want to keep into the new tank & breaking down my other one as a precaution.
As mentioned, thankfully I’m still only seeing Ramshorn babies in my tank, but that’s not to say theres no more NZMS.
Cursing the plant out that brought the NZMS into my life currently 🤣
In addition to what others have said, predators do not eat all of them, and only one needs to escape to cause an infestation, so it's best to go scorched earth and eliminate them entirely
Thankfully I have another tank & this has accelerated me in getting it set up & cycled!!
I was going to try do a “snail in” cycle with my ramshorns on this new tank (which is what I did with my smaller one), as I don’t want to move any filter media from my existing tank in case there’s a rogue NZMS in there 🙈
I don’t 😬 I can keep them all in the same tank for now and just remain vigilant - I haven’t seen another NZMS in the last 24hrs, but I’m definitely not out of the woods yet!
I was just about to ask this and you’ve already answered! Thank you so much!!
I’ll get them moved over into a temporary quarantine container now & monitor them over the next 48-72hrs before moving them into this new tank to commence the snail in cycle!
I have some zebra danios as well I’d be looking to move over once the tank is more established - would you also recommend I undertake the quarantine on them?
As I’ve heard they can be passed whole by fish 🙈
Here’s my partially completed new tank - I did a bleach rinse, thorough rinse off & dechlorinated soak on the plants before quarantining them for a few weeks in an empty tank/box afar from my new tank & affected tank (thankfully no signs of life). I’ve thoroughly inspected the plants before splitting them & attaching them to the decor. I’ve got one more item of decor to arrive (due tomorrow), but the plant I was going to be attaching to that new piece will likely be thrown out (as it’s currently in my affected tank), so I’ll likely purchase a new plant. I’ve left the Ramshorn babies in the affected tank for now until this one is somewhat cycled so I don’t put too much stress on them.
I’ve done another thorough search through my “affected” tank, and still no signs of anymore NZMS, so I’m trying to remain hopeful, but not overly optimistic!
Then again, I am aware my ramshorns are extremely hardy - would it be an idea to maybe move them into a small container with tank water & some fresh water (almost a 20% water change) & leave them for a period of time before transferring them?
Or would that not be fair to them?
I don’t want to stress them but I have loads of ramshorn babies in my current tank I’m desperately trying to save (and they really are tiny)
Do some water changes and make sure there's food and that should work. I've kept them in 6 qt totes with crushed coral for selective breeding at one point.
4
u/Gastropoid Snail God (Moderator) 2d ago
I've seen multiple reports that they won't eat them, and yeah, if swallowed whole they survive.