Petshrimp.com Discussion Forum

Will the little small snails (the kind that will take over a tank!) hurt my Cherry Shrimp? I have a ten gallon tank that I have 16 Cherry Shrimp in. When I purchased the shrimp I also purchased some Java Moss and Taiwan Moss! Within two weeks I was noticing snails. I have been netting and taking out every one I see but I am scared I am going to miss one and then I will have a whole colony to deal with. What is the best way of getting rid of unwanted snails without hurting my shrimp?

[Mustafa: I took the liberty to remove the violet coloring of the text as it was indeed very hard to read]

Can you post in just black? I can't read your post easily.

I think snails help a shrimp tank, so you should not panic. They eat feed missed by the shrimp, or if you over feed.

If you want to reduce their numbers, take a small water bottle, drop an algae wafer in it and sink it to the bottom of the tank. Come back in a few hours and it will be filled with snails, and maybe a few shrimp. Dump out any shrimp, the snails will stick to the bottle. You can then dispose of the snails as you see fit.

Overfeeding will quickly lead to a higher snail population. Snails aren't a problem, but overfeeding is.

crush the little snails against the glass with your finger and you have free shrimp food

Be careful if using a finger to crush snails....the shell could pierce your skin. I used to use a plastic spoon of doom but I don't overfeed now so don't have many pest snails.

I suck them out with a turkey baster .

I use the turkey baster to clean small areas of gravel too. Don't have room to use a vacuum of any kind because of plants . But I have one area where I feed algae wafers and I use the baster to remove the leftovers