Algae-Eating

[bberyy91]

so i got two mystery snails, and heard that they do NOT eat algae. the pet store told me that they do though. i have a 20 gallon tank. will they eat the plants as well with the algae? and any pieces of advice?

[CatfishSoup]

im pretty confident that they will eat algae. never faced a fresh water snail which wouldnt eat algae.. thats like, there life!

[Chrissy_Bee]

In my experience, the algae is a last resort for them. They'd much sooner eat your plants or left over fish food first. Not to mention fresh fruits and veggies

[Jeana727]

I think they DO eat algae, but not enough to really CLEAN. If you want something to eat you algae get a BN Pleco or 3. I have several Albino Bristlenose Plecos & you can see their tummies.......which are ALWAYS very GREEN!!!!!

[shellbell4ever]

I recently got a few of these... but I feed mine mostly veggies but I do not have much algae in my tanks atm

[bberyy91]

so what kind of fruits and veggies do you give them, and how do you prepare them?

[Chrissy_Bee]

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/forum/index.php?/topic/26854-snail-food-list/

[bberyy91]

would it be ok for my goldfish to eat at them as well? if it is all natural, i would think it would be fine. and the only other thing i would worry about is her beating them to the food. and with the tomatoes and baby carrots, aren't they a little hard? or do i just throw them in there just the way they are?

[Guest Banhny]

I have both snails and bristlenoses. I'd have to say that my BN's do a better job at cleaning my tank.

[bberyy91]

I have both snails and bristlenoses. I'd have to say that my BN's do a better job at cleaning my tank.

so my water is around 72/73 degrees, and it seems like it is cold for them since they are not moving around much. the one snail was just floating around and is now sitting on the bottom, as well as the other one is on the bottom too. does it need to be warmer? will they chill like this since it is cold for them?

[Lupin]

im pretty confident that they will eat algae. never faced a fresh water snail which wouldnt eat algae.. thats like, there life!

Depends which snail and algae you are talking about. Assassin snails do NOT eat ANY algae at all. MTS will NOT eat diatoms and green spot algae however they appreciate hair algae. Ramshorn snails tend to eat almost anything even a few reported cases of BBA (not a true algae). Nerite snails will eat almost any type of algae but prefer mostly green spot algae and diatoms.

In my personal experience, mystery snails as with all other apple snails, will simply gobble hair algae but never diatoms and green spot algae. They do NOT eat those types of algae and even if they do, it could simply be out of starvation and still cannot do an efficient job about it. Mystery snails (Pomacea diffusa) will rather starve than actually eat a healthy plant. They forage mainly on dead and decaying plant matter but still appreciate added food supplements especially calcium pills and fish foods.

Bbery, make sure you are not confusing the Pomacea diffusa with Pomacea canaliculata. In USA, canas are illegal to get across states but legal within the state area. They are voracious plant eaters and will strip all planted tanks within hours and even a few days clean. Whereas, Pomacea diffusa are far more docile and will not eat healthy plants at all.

Do you have pics of your snails?

[Lupin]

I have both snails and bristlenoses. I'd have to say that my BN's do a better job at cleaning my tank.

so my water is around 72/73 degrees, and it seems like it is cold for them since they are not moving around much. the one snail was just floating around and is now sitting on the bottom, as well as the other one is on the bottom too. does it need to be warmer? will they chill like this since it is cold for them?

It's not really too cold for them and they'll be fine although it does slow down their activity but remember, mystery snails are more active mainly at night. 72-78 degrees is the ideal range for these snails.

[Lupin]

would it be ok for my goldfish to eat at them as well? if it is all natural, i would think it would be fine. and the only other thing i would worry about is her beating them to the food. and with the tomatoes and baby carrots, aren't they a little hard? or do i just throw them in there just the way they are?

Never heard of tomatoes being used much but carrots are fine. If you are worried for your snails being outcompeted for foods, get a divider which you can put temporarily to allow the snails their share of their own foods. If you have a breeder trap, it'll make do as well. Goldfish will appreciate vegetables and so will your snails but your fish will likely outcompete them for foods.

[Jascar]

would it be ok for my goldfish to eat at them as well? if it is all natural, i would think it would be fine. and the only other thing i would worry about is her beating them to the food. and with the tomatoes and baby carrots, aren't they a little hard? or do i just throw them in there just the way they are?

Never heard of tomatoes being used much but carrots are fine. If you are worried for your snails being outcompeted for foods, get a divider which you can put temporarily to allow the snails their share of their own foods. If you have a breeder trap, it'll make do as well. Goldfish will appreciate vegetables and so will your snails but your fish will likely outcompete them for foods.

My mystery snails have rejected all the food I've given them. They won't even go on the cuttlebone. I've given them lettuce, spinach, pea gel and they will not touch it. They seem to prefer the algae in the tank. Is that normal? I'm going to get them some cucumber when I get the chance. Is there a good way to prepare the cucumber for them?

[whitner]

My picky boy loves cucumber. Just slice it and clip it to the side of the tank and they should smell it quickly.