Can I only feed my Dwarf Puffer fish snails?

Question

Ok, since I'm grossed out by thawed bloodworms, live blackworms, live shrimp and krill, and live glassworms, I figured the best way would be snails. So here's some questions I have about my Dwarf Puffer fish:

1. Can I only feed my Puffer fish snails? I mean, will it still get all the essential nutrients it needs just by snails?

2. Instead of gravel, I want to use marbles. Is that okay?

3. I have this thing that provides more air in the water. It blows out bubbles (like when you put a straw into a drink and blow air into it) but I'm afraid that it might scare my Puffer fish. Will it?

4. How long is a Dwarf Puffer fish's life span? If taken care of well?

Thanks for taking your time to read my question! I already got most of my other questions (ones not listed here) at dwarfpuffers.com. So thanks!

Answer 1

1. thats up to your puffer if it prefers to eat snails or not. nutrients... not too many people worry about their fish's nutrients lol

2. yes, but thats kind of gross though because poo can fall into the gaps between the marbles and it gets stuck there and u see all this poo on the bottom of the tank.

3. no, it will not scare the puffer.

4. several years  

Answer 2

Like I said before, do not listen to Mr.Right. I highly agree with "tikitiki".

Answer 3

1.  No.  All fish need to have a varied diet.  And, the only snails they would be able to actually eat, would have to be very small-I've heard the guideline of "the size of the fish's eye".  Mine absolutely loved thawed bloodworms and live/frozen and thawed brine shrimp.  I know it's gross, but it's what's best for them.  Also small cut up pieces of shrimp are good to rotate in the mix as well.  

2.  Marbles should be fine, don't see any reason why they wouldn't work.  Might be a pain in the a... though doing water changes and trying to suck up all the uneaten food and fish waste, but I've never tried that so can't say for sure if that's the case.  

3.  Is there a filter on the tank?  That should be more then sufficient to adding oxygen into the water.  Keep the water level down about 1/2-1 inch below the waterfall/filter output area.  It's the surface agitation that allows the oxygen into the water and releases the carbon dioxide.  

4.  No idea on that one.  I had 4 years ago, one killed off the other 3 rather quickly, and I had the remaining one for several years.  Here's a link for a great site & forum with lots of info on puffers, try looking around there for that info.  Click on the freshwater puffers link for dwarf puffers care sheet:

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug.p...

Site says 5+ years for their life span.

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