Due to their rapid reproduction, specific freshwater snails, such as bladder snails, may become a problem in aquariums.
These crawlers frequently sneak into tanks on decorative items and aquatic plants without being detected.
How to deal with these creatures which share the same tank with shrimp? It’s a great idea to add fish that eat snails but not shrimp to that aquarium!
Let’s dive into this article to learn more about these species!
Contents
The Importance Of Snail-Eating Fish
Hitchhiker snails that find their way into a well-established ecosystem may interest inexperienced aquarists.
However, experienced experts know these crawlers can make maintenance more complicated and challenging.
Snails reproduce quickly, and various species can breed alone without a partner. They can deliver up to 50 fertilized eggs, resulting in a growing population.
Once the crawlers in the second generation begin to reproduce, they can swiftly take over your aquarium.
It’s your tank’s biological load that’s the cause of the snail overpopulation problem.
Your aquarium’s size doesn’t matter. Maintaining the water’s parameters will become more challenging as more live things appear.
Many crawlers consume algae, decomposing plant materials, and residual food. However, they’ll undoubtedly generate a considerable amount of waste.
Although it may not look like much, the impacts of the waste will have catastrophic repercussions on the ecology when faced with an overloaded tank.
You can use a filter, but this equipment is unsuitable for a shrimp tank as these little organisms may be sucked into the system.
For all the above reasons, adding some fish that eat snails but not shrimp to your aquarium is best.
These creatures can help reduce and control the snail population without causing harm to tiny shrimp.
Fish That Eat Snails But Not Shrimp
Adding fish that eat snails but not shrimp is a good idea, but you must ensure these creatures are compatible with other species in your tank.
Here are some of the peaceful fish to get along with other mates:
Pea Puffer
These aquatic creatures belong to the genus Carinotetraodon. They are tropical fish famous for their tiny body size and long lifespan.
These traits, with their unique personality and aesthetic appeal, make these fish a popular option for a modest tropical aquarium.
- Body size: 1.5 to 3.8 inches
- Origin: India
- Recommended tank size: 5 (gallons)
- Temperature: 72°F to 82°F
- pH: 6.8 to 8
- Planted aquarium suitability: Yes
- Tankmates: Danios, Kuhli Loach, Tetras, Cherry shrimp
Yoyo Loach
The Yoyo Loach is a fantastic fish to aid the snail infestation problem.
These great tropical fish have a reputation for eating crawlers, and they also have incredible looks!
The medium-sized yoyo loach is a fantastic choice for medium- to large-sized aquariums.
- Body size: 2.5 to 6.0 inches
- Origin: India
- Recommended tank size: 55 (gallons)
- Temperature: 66°F to 81°F
- pH: 6.0 to 7.5
- Planted aquarium suitability: Yes
- Tankmates: Molly fish, Angelfish, Tetras, Goldfish, Clown loaches, Gourami
Dwarf Chain Loach
These creatures are one of the greatest small fish that will eat snail eggs and crawlers in your tank.
They are compatible with many species and tough enough to survive in most typical water environments.
- Body size: 2.5 to 6.3 inches
- Origin: Thailand
- Recommended tank size: 20 (gallons)
- Temperature: 68°F to 86°F
- pH: 5.5 to 7.5
- Planted aquarium suitability: Yes
- Tankmates: Zebra Danios, Otocinclus fish, Tetras, Roseline Sharks
Zebra Loach
Due to their modest size and ability to thrive in smaller tanks, these striped bottom feeders will be a fantastic choice.
Sometimes, these creatures won’t munch on crawlers. Thus, it is best to provide them with other sinking dried or frozen/live food.
If you want to know more about this species, you can watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NhMq1H-aoo
- Body size: 1.5 to 3.5 inches
- Origin: India
- Recommended tank size: 20 (gallons)
- Temperature: 70°F to 78°F
- pH: 6.0 to 7.5
- Planted aquarium suitability: Yes
- Tankmates: Cherry Barb, Cory Catfish, Sparkling Gourami
Gouramis
These adorable tiny predators, who belong to a similar genus as the betta, will consume small crawlers if they are around.
- Body size: 2.5 to 20 inches
- Origin: Asia
- Recommended tank size: 10 to 250 (gallons)
- Temperature: 75°F to 80°F
- pH: 6.8 to 7.8
- Planted aquarium suitability: Yes
- Tankmates: Plecos, Mollies, Cory catfish, Danios, Neon Tetra
Bala Shark
Due to their omnivorous nature, Bala sharks can consume any natural food organisms that can suit their jaws, even crawlers.
- Body size: 12 to 14 inches
- Origin: Southeast Asia
- Recommended tank size: 120 (gallons)
- Temperature: 68°F to 82°F
- pH: 6.0 to 8.0
- Planted aquarium suitability: Yes
- Tankmates: Oscars, Angelfish, Gouramis
African Cichlids
Although several African cichlid species occasionally consume pest crawlers, some are more dependable than others.
- Body size: 10 inches
- Origin: Lake Malawi
- Recommended tank size: 70 (gallons)
- Temperature: 75°F to 82°F
- pH: 7.6 to 8.8
- Planted aquarium suitability: Possible
- Tankmates: Clown Loaches, Giant Danios, Synodontis Catfish
Goldfish
Due to their omnivorous nature, these common freshwater tank fish can consume everything that can accommodate their jaws, even crawlers.
- Body size: 6 to 8 inches
- Origin: China
- Recommended tank size: 20 (gallons)
- Temperature: 65°F to 72°F
- pH: 7.0 to 8.0
- Planted aquarium suitability: Possible
- Tankmates: Bristlenose Pleco, Zebra Danios, and other Goldfish varieties
FAQs
Will Cory Catfish Eat Snails?
Yes! These aquatic creatures eat snails in small amounts. Moreover, they only consume little crawlers instead of big adult ones.
Will Molly Fish Eat Shrimp?
The answer is yes! This species will eat anything, including crawlers. Remember, these creatures may consume shrimp.
Do Guppies Eat Shrimp?
The bad news is yes! Shrimp is one of the food sources of Guppies. Therefore, you shouldn’t keep the two species in the same tank.
Do Plecos Eat Snails?
Yes, these omnivores Plecos can eat crawlers and even other dead fish.
Do Angelfish Eat Snails?
No. Angelfish don’t prefer eating crawlers. These crawlers are not their favorite, but sometimes you may see Angelfish eat snail eggs.
Wrapping Up
That’s all fish that eat snails but not shrimp that you can consider adding to your tank to address the crawler overpopulation problem.
If you plan to introduce these species in a community aquarium, it’s best to determine whether they are compatible with other tank mates.
If you know other recommendations, please comment below to enrich this list. Thanks for taking the time to follow this post!
