A quick question regarding a pea puffer.

[kgeugene]

I have a tank filled with hundreds of ramshorn snails. Would a pea puffer eat itself to death if I put one there? I am not trying to get rid of the snails. I am just wondering if a pea puffer has a self restraint not to gorge itself to death.

Thank you.

[FLFishChik]

Well, it depends on the Pea Puffer. Some will eat their fill, then kill all the rest for reasons only they know. Others will ignore until they are hungry then pick ‘em off as needed and still others (like my previous peas) won’t eat them live, requiring I crush them before they eat them. 

[kgeugene]

On 9/13/2023 at 2:39 PM, FLFishChik said:

Well, it depends on the Pea Puffer. Some will eat their fill, then kill all the rest for reasons only they know. Others will ignore until they are hungry then pick ‘em off as needed and still others (like my previous peas) won’t eat them live, requiring I crush them before they eat them. 

The well being of the puffer is my only concern. I am worried that the puffer would just hunt them non stop until it gorges itself to death. I am surprised that yours didn't eat them live though.

[FLFishChik]

On 9/13/2023 at 6:29 PM, kgeugene said:

The well being of the puffer is my only concern. I am worried that the puffer would just hunt them non stop until it gorges itself to death. I am surprised that yours didn't eat them live though.

Yeah, I tossed them in the tank and they ignored them. They were only interested if I crushed the first. 
 

I understand your concern about a puffer overeating and causing itself issues, but there really isn’t a guarantee either way. You could do as I did and keep the puffer in a separate tank and just “farm” the snails as needed.