Will Mts Eat Fry?

[slimeneo]

I am thinking of getting some MTS to clean up some algae in my tank. I just have a few questions.

1) The lights on my hood broke, so in the day it's hoodless because I have to use a desk lamp. They won't crawl out of the tank right?
2) My platy is pregnant and is having fry soon, and since the fry hide in the gravel, will the snails eat the fry?

I know they multiply really quickly. I'll be sure to ask my LFS if they take some... or is it safe to put it them in my pond outside when they multiply too fast (I have goldfish in the pond)?

Thank you for your help!

 

[Questions?]

goldfish i think will most likely eat the snails if they are big. the snails shouldn't eat the fry because the fry are faster. the platy migh eat the fry. is there any other fish there?

 

[slimeneo]

Oh ok thanks gold barbs, but I know they'll try to eat fry as well. I have a decent amount of plants so hopefully it'll be enough to save a few!

 

[nmonks]

They don't crawl out of tanks much, if at all. The only time they even come to the surface to gulp air is if the aquarium water quality is really bad. If you see a bunch of Melanoides crawling to the surface during the day, that's a massive alarm bell.

No, they don't eat fry, or even eggs so far as I can tell (there's lot of them in my Ricefish tank and the eggs are ignored).

Melanoides are very benign animals, but yes, they breed quickly, and unfortunately not much eats them with any enthusiasm save Assassin Snails.

Cheers, Neale

1) The lights on my hood broke, so in the day it's hoodless because I have to use a desk lamp. They won't crawl out of the tank right?
2) My platy is pregnant and is having fry soon, and since the fry hide in the gravel, will the snails eat the fry?

 

[slimeneo]

Thanks for the info!