Are some snails unsafe to be kept with breeding shrimp
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:59 am
Hi, for some time I've been researching the topic of keeping snails in a fry tank and found varying results. Most everyone online has expressed that it's fine as long as the fry are freeswimming because the snails could eat unhatched eggs. I have a T.F.H book " Apple snails in the Aquarium" that stated not to even try it because the snails would attack a small sleeping fish and eat it. I've read other places that apple snails are recommended in a tank with small fry because their waste promotes the growth of infusoria that the fry could feed on. I've even seen apple snails refered to "infusoria snails". I never seen snails attack a baby fish. Have any of you? I know they'll clean up anything dead. In my searches of this forum the only concerns I've seen concerning keeping shrimp and snails together are if the shrimp were large enough to bother the snails or if the snails were overcrowded in the tank.
Now that I'm keeping and hoping to breed shrimp I'm wondering which and how many snails I can keep in the tank with them. Specifically are giant columbian snails and spixis okay? I did see another posts that mentioned spixis and columbian. It didn't say specifically if they could harm the new born shrimp.
I have 18 CRS that I've had about 2 months. So far they are all seem to be doing well and none have died. My problem is that I can't decide which tank to put them in. I originally bought them to put in my 32 gallon aquaterrarium, but there are some danios and whiteclouds in there. I read that it's best to keep shrimp in a fish free tank so I have 2 other (fish free) options. I could put them in my 15 gallon that currently has snails only. There are 2 big columbian ramshorns(eggs get removed), 4 spixis and a number of small red ramshorns in there with bunches of java moss as the only plants. I periodically remove the extra red ramshorns from this tank so that population is kept in check. Also, two of the spixis will be moved to another tank soon. My only other option at this time is to put them in my extra 5 gallon, but I think that would be too small when they start reproducing. Right now they're by themselves in my 2 1/2 gallon tank that has a lot of algae growing in it, some cut leaves and an old oak leaf. What do you all think? Are the big snails okay for new born CRS? They are just so much bigger than the shrimp. That's what scares me. I also have a huge cana snail in another tank. I don't plan to place shrimp with him but wonder if he could eat a live one. He's bigger than my fist.
thanks Moni
edit- correction, I have RCS not CRS
Now that I'm keeping and hoping to breed shrimp I'm wondering which and how many snails I can keep in the tank with them. Specifically are giant columbian snails and spixis okay? I did see another posts that mentioned spixis and columbian. It didn't say specifically if they could harm the new born shrimp.
I have 18 CRS that I've had about 2 months. So far they are all seem to be doing well and none have died. My problem is that I can't decide which tank to put them in. I originally bought them to put in my 32 gallon aquaterrarium, but there are some danios and whiteclouds in there. I read that it's best to keep shrimp in a fish free tank so I have 2 other (fish free) options. I could put them in my 15 gallon that currently has snails only. There are 2 big columbian ramshorns(eggs get removed), 4 spixis and a number of small red ramshorns in there with bunches of java moss as the only plants. I periodically remove the extra red ramshorns from this tank so that population is kept in check. Also, two of the spixis will be moved to another tank soon. My only other option at this time is to put them in my extra 5 gallon, but I think that would be too small when they start reproducing. Right now they're by themselves in my 2 1/2 gallon tank that has a lot of algae growing in it, some cut leaves and an old oak leaf. What do you all think? Are the big snails okay for new born CRS? They are just so much bigger than the shrimp. That's what scares me. I also have a huge cana snail in another tank. I don't plan to place shrimp with him but wonder if he could eat a live one. He's bigger than my fist.
thanks Moni
edit- correction, I have RCS not CRS