Do Golden Apple Snails Eat Plants...

[Abyss]

Simple question, do Golden Apple Snails eat plants?

Answers I've found:

- Yes
- No
- Only decaying plants.
- Only if not fed other food.
- They will eat all vegetation until it is gone.

Do they eat smaller snails like MTS too?

Seriously, all this conflicting info IS DOING MY HEAD IN.

ps. largest aquatic snail that does not eat plants?

 

[Ryefish]

My apple snails don't eat my plants. They might eat decaying leaves, but i've not seen it happen. They eat the algae off the leaves, and also eat the algae wafers i feed to them and my cory's. They won't eat other snails (have some pests in my tank)

 

[Curiosity101]

The reason you're getting so many conflicting answer is because there isn't just one species of apple snail.

The one that's most commonly found in aquariums and for sale in shops are P. Bridgesii, these are safe with all plants and animals (ie. they wont eat anything you don't want them too).
However I presume they would happily eat fish eggs... but I haven't had a chance to test that yet.

They do well on a varied diet, although they mainly eat algae it's a good idea to give them some high protein foods too. I tend to feed mine mostly on algae wafers and spinach, but they also get cichlid pellets, blood worm and flakes (if they fall to the floor).

They also browse on plants and the glass if there is algae on them, and if they're really pushed for food they will eat decaying plants. But this is a last resort and something a well fed snail wouldn't do. But even they it's only decaying plants they'll eat, not live healthy ones.

@Ryefish - Corys aren't actually vegetarians, they do best on a nice high protein diet so don't avoid chucking in bloodworm, cichlid pellets and possibly even getting them some tetra prima granules as their staple food.

 

[Abyss]

The reason you're getting so many conflicting answer is because there isn't just one species of apple snail.

The one that's most commonly found in aquariums and for sale in shops are P. Bridgesii, these are safe with all plants and animals (ie. they wont eat anything you don't want them too).
However I presume they would happily eat fish eggs... but I haven't had a chance to test that yet.

They do well on a varied diet, although they mainly eat algae it's a good idea to give them some high protein foods too. I tend to feed mine mostly on algae wafers and spinach, but they also get cichlid pellets, blood worm and flakes (if they fall to the floor).

They also browse on plants and the glass if there is algae on them, and if they're really pushed for food they will eat decaying plants. But this is a last resort and something a well fed snail wouldn't do. But even they it's only decaying plants they'll eat, not live healthy ones.

@Ryefish - Corys aren't actually vegetarians, they do best on a nice high protein diet so don't avoid chucking in bloodworm, cichlid pellets and possibly even getting them some tetra prima granules as their staple food.

Ah, I see, good info. Thanks, that's brilliant. Will have a look at identifying P. Bridgesii to see if they are the ones my LFS has (they are big a yellow though, that isn't P. Bridgesii is it, after a v. quick Google). Hopefully they are if they are the most common.

 

[Curiosity101]

P. Bridgesii is a species, not a colour variety. In the species they come in all sorts of colours, gold, pink, purple, blue, ivory, brown and I think green... they also come with plain shells and striped shells and different coloured feet (white and bluey/grey)

To distinguish them you do it by shell shape/size. Check out www.applesnail.net for more info.

Edit: Hmm, seems applesnail.net is down... oh well. If you try googling 'ID'ing apple snail' or 'Identifying Pomacea bridgesii' something like that should hopefully get you what you want. But eitherways I'd be relatively confident that 99% of 'apple snails' up for sale in fish shops are P. Bridgesii

 

[Abyss]

Sweet, thanks Dude.

 

[Ryefish]

@Ryefish - Corys aren't actually vegetarians, they do best on a nice high protein diet so don't avoid chucking in bloodworm, cichlid pellets and possibly even getting them some tetra prima granules as their staple food.

Oh, they don't just get the wafers they are the first fish at the front of the tank when i open the lid to feed on a morning, so they get plenty of other things aswell. The snails mostly eat the wafers

 

[codface]

YES LIKE IT'S GOING OUT OF FASHION

I googled this and this particular forum came up on the top. The advice was a bit confusing so I got 2 apples.
After zooming around the 3ft tank for a couple of days they started eating all of mine so they are going back to the shop, pronto! There was not enough advice here on the forum. They never touched any decayed plants or anything else, just my favourite prime jucy plants. My advice is unless you know they will not eat what you have in your tank don't get them. They are vegetarian thugs. I will stick with my cute little trumpets