# Where to buy Baby Snails?



## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

Is there a place in the GTA I can get live baby pond snails or any small type of snails that won't damage live plants?

This is for my dwarf puffers.


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## J-P (Feb 27, 2011)

you can usually get them for free as hitchhikers on plants if you look carefully. If the plants have gel sacks on them you're then officially into the breeding business


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

and post a thread in the classified and im sure someone would love to give you a bunch.


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## chriscro (Dec 3, 2010)

i can give you some MTS i have thousands


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## J-P (Feb 27, 2011)

chriscro said:


> i can give you some MTS i have thousands


ahhh no good for dwarf puffers...


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## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

Malaysian Trumpet Snails no good for puffers? 

I just finally found a place that sells them, PJ Pets.

How come their no good? Too small or? I asked around for live blood worms and almost got laugh out of the Reptile store on kennedy.


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## J-P (Feb 27, 2011)

the shells are too thick.

Unless you take a take of pliers and crush the shells the puffer won't get through them.

With pond snails or ramshorn you can crush the shells easily for larger ones or let the little guy ave a go at the tiny one. They should be about the size of the puffer's eye.


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## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

Yeah I'll do the pilers trick, I google the MTS and people were having good luck with them.

Supposedly they try to eat the soft part, trying to suck the snails out.

By the way, anyone know a place that sells LONG tweezers , I got to make those frozen bloodworms seem live.

Does anyone sell live bloodworms? 

Thanks for all the advice,


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## J-P (Feb 27, 2011)

I think Big Al's sells live black worms and cone feeds


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## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

Naw, they don't, at least the one in Scarborough doesn't. 

There is one thing that they love to eat, cherry shrimps. It was a massacre and a waste of 10 bucks, as soon as they got a taste for those guys, it was all over. 

 I might have to get an Otos for the on coming algae.


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## J-P (Feb 27, 2011)

LOL!! I have a single DP in my cherry breeder tank and it only picks off the babies. The adults know to stay hidden and I have gotten away from snail feeding all together.


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## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

Damn, that exactly what I want. A colony of shrimps and for the puffers to be a population control. 

I think mine are a bit on the aggressive side, one of them took out a huge shrimp and when he was done, he looked up to me with his big eyes and was asking for more. 

Any idea about where I can get the tweezers, beside BA. I might grab that worm cone thing, doubt they're like it tho.


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## J-P (Feb 27, 2011)

FlyingHellFish said:


> Damn, that exactly what I want. A colony of shrimps and for the puffers to be a population control.
> 
> I think mine are a bit on the aggressive side, one of them took out a huge shrimp and when he was done, he looked up to me with his big eyes and was asking for more.
> 
> Any idea about where I can get the tweezers, beside BA. I might grab that worm cone thing, doubt they're like it tho.


For the tweezers check some of the canadian aquascape stores. I believe one is called AI in markham, or there are deals to be had on http://www.plantedtank.net/

For breeding the shrimp in a DP tank you need lots of vegetation and hiding places. I have lots of Java moss areas that the puffer won't go into but hunts the edges.

Also there are no lights on the tank. Just use normal ambient daylight / room light.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Hagen and Zoomed both make feeding tongs (long tweezers). Any store that has reptile stuff should have them. I bet BA's even has them, but in the reptile section.
You don't get out to Burlington at all, do you? I think I have a pair in my storage bin that is a little rusty but barely used...


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## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

carmenh said:


> Hagen and Zoomed both make feeding tongs (long tweezers). Any store that has reptile stuff should have them. I bet BA's even has them, but in the reptile section.
> You don't get out to Burlington at all, do you? I think I have a pair in my storage bin that is a little rusty but barely used...


Thanks for the offer! I might check out shoppers or some dollar store, the one at BA was a bit pricy and the ones at AI are kind of pricy too.

I use need something to hold on to the worms and make them "dance" a bit.

Oh and I just got back from PJ Pets and they gave me 20 free trumpet snails. At first, they said it was 1 dollar for 3 snails but once the guy saw how small the snails were, he said I can have it for free. The customers service at PJ is great! Thanks PJ.

I'll snap some pictures if they eat the snails. *fingers crossed.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

No worries, good luck in your search!



FlyingHellFish said:


> Thanks for the offer! I might check out shoppers or some dollar store, the one at BA was a bit pricy and the ones at AI are kind of pricy too.


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## J-P (Feb 27, 2011)

DPs can be very picky eaters... just don't limit your options.


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## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

Good news, the larger one just DEVOUR a baby MTS. I had to put them in clear glass because those suckers disappear fast. 


I lost 1 baby MTS that went into the substrate, you think I'll get a colony of them with just that one? I don't want my main tank over run with them.


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## bettasandbeads (Aug 18, 2010)

*snails*

Hi
Where are you located? I have piles of pond snails in my endler tank.
I have started feeding them to my clown loaches.
I am in Hamilton but will be going into Toronto next week. Could meet you with a bag full if you like.
CAtherine


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## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

bettasandbeads said:


> Hi
> Where are you located? I have piles of pond snails in my endler tank.
> I have started feeding them to my clown loaches.
> I am in Hamilton but will be going into Toronto next week. Could meet you with a bag full if you like.
> CAtherine


Hey, thanks for the offer Catherine, can pond snails reproduce by themselves?

I completely lost 1 baby Trumpet Snail and now I'm totally worried the tank going to be over run with them.

I was under the impression that you need TWO Trumpet Snails, but I just found out that 1 is all you need for a colony.


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## J-P (Feb 27, 2011)

FlyingHellFish said:


> Hey, thanks for the offer Catherine, can pond snails reproduce by themselves?
> 
> I completely lost 1 baby Trumpet Snail and now I'm totally worried the tank going to be over run with them.
> 
> I was under the impression that you need TWO Trumpet Snails, but I just found out that 1 is all you need for a colony.


If you can take up the offer... snails can store semen for MONTHS before laying fertile eggs, even as tiny babies. You'll NEVER know if a snail is pregnant or not. Only when it lays eggs will your realize.


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