What Fish Eat Snails?

[djl08]

Hi, some of you may remember me talking about snails a few weeks back. Well it started off with just 2 which hitch hiked on some plants. Now my tank is full of them.

I was told to crush them up when i get fish and they would eat them up. But do fish eat them by themselves without me crushing the shells? if so what fish?

- Dj -

 

[meguro]

What and how much do you feed your fish?

 

[dazsmith69]

assasin snails will eat them

 

[waterdrop]

A few big fish will attack them but for the most part in our usual sized beginner community tanks its the fishkeeper that crushes them for the fish to eat. When the numbers get large, some people have luck attracting them to vegatables overnight.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Bobtastic]

I have done all of the above.

* Collected by hand
* Collected by veg
* Squished for food
* and recently purchased an Assassin snail. Mainly for giggles to see what would happen and because the Assassin snail is quite pretty ta'boot!

I have also recently learnt that snail population it linked to excess waste food. Basically if you have loads of snails it's because you're over feeding your fish...

 

[djl08]

Lol i dont have any fish, Im currently in a fishless cycle (nearly finished). Was just wondering to see what i could get to eradicate them once my cycle has finished.

- Dj -

 

[meguro]

In that case their numbers will most likely diminish once you add fish as their resources will become less (assuming you avoid over feeding).

As for fish that will actively prey on them, you'd be looking at loaches. Without knowing your tanks dimensions I'd have to suggest avoiding clown loaches as they grow too large for most aquariums (even 4ft tanks). Have a look at yoyo (botia almorhae), zebra (botia striata) and polka dot loaches (botia kubotai). Make sure you don't keep them in a group of two. 3+ or even singularly is preferred.

 

[djl08]

My tank is 100 x 40 x 50 cm.

 

[meguro]

Too small for clown loaches then. Have a read of some of the other species I mentioned. Though, almost anything from the genus botia will predate snails.

 

[djl08]

Ok, thanks for your help meguro

 

[oscars r ace]

pufferfish are ace, they will eat snails, although they do rather limit what other fish u put in with them. ive heard of bettas eating snails, i assume they do as i have no snails just the empty shells in the bottom of my tank.