Hi everyone,
I've been setting up my first opae ula tank (9 gallons) and ordered some Malaysian Trumpet snails to add. I had ordered 5 snails but received 13 from the seller. Since then, I've been reading about how they can breed a lot and overpopulate your tank and be extremely hard to get rid of. So I'm wondering if I should add all 13 to my tank or only toss in a few. I'd love some guidance on this from others with MTS experience because I really don't want the snails to overrun the tank. I want the opae ula to be the star of the show and had only wanted a few snails for a little cleanup crew. Are there any major concerns with MTS overpopulation or outcompeting the shrimp for food etc? Should I try to limit the MTS population from the start or should I just put all 13 in?
Hi! You can put all 13 snails in the tank. The snail population is dependent on the amount of food. As long as you do not overfeed, shrimp will outcompete snails for food, which prevents snails from overpopulating. Just feed the tank every 4-8 weeks, everything will be fine.
John wrote: Tue Jul 15, 2025 7:02 pm
Hi! You can put all 13 snails in the tank. The snail population is dependent on the amount of food. As long as you do not overfeed, shrimp will outcompete snails for food, which prevents snails from overpopulating. Just feed the tank every 4-8 weeks, everything will be fine.
Ok thanks so much!! I'm super excited and waiting impatiently for any signs of algae growth so I can order my opae ula
