Could I keep any species of snail in my African cichlid tank?

[AmyKieran]

Could any species of snail be okay in my cichlid tank? I have about 40 African cichlids (some of them about 6 inch long) with my water being very hard and high ph.

 

[AquaBarb]

Could any species of snail be okay in my cichlid tank? I have about 40 African cichlids (some of them about 6 inch long) with my water being very hard and high ph.

Not any species will fair out well. Cichlids will pick at or eat certain snails. Ramshorns would be one of them and any snail with decent size antennae may become a target (they look like juice worms to a cichlid)

Malaysian trumpet snails are probably top of the list to work out best for me. I find them very beneficial to my tanks and they live mostly under your substate.

Nerties maybe an option too. Both these have worked in my SA/Central Cichlid tanks

 

[AmyKieran]

Not any species will fair out well. Cichlids will pick at or eat certain snails. Ramshorns would be one of them and any snail with decent size antennae may become a target (they look like juice worms to a cichlid)

Malaysian trumpet snails are probably top of the list to work out best for me. I find them very beneficial to my tanks and they live mostly under your substate.

Nerties maybe an option too. Both these have worked in my SA/Central Cichlid tanks

Okay so I ordered some Malaysian trumpet snails. How would I add these to the tank without the cichlids simply destroying them as soon as they enter the water? I’m thinking putting a pipe into the water then dropping them through that to the bottom. But even then, they may just attack the snails at the bottom

 

[GaryE]

Can I ask why you want snails? Malaysian trumpet or burrowing snails are often considered the worst of the pest snails, along with pond snails. What was the plan?

If you do want them, and some people think they are beneficial, put them in at night. They have tough shells, and most fish find them foul tasting, apparently.

 

[AmyKieran]

Can I ask why you want snails? Malaysian trumpet or burrowing snails are often considered the worst of the pest snails, along with pond snails. What was the plan?

If you do want them, and some people think they are beneficial, put them in at night. They have tough shells, and most fish find them foul tasting, apparently.

I like the thought of snails as other types of cleaner in my tank. Some of the parts of sand in my tank are difficult to reach due to large rocks, so snails may help clean those areas too.

I’ll add them at night when the fish are resting. I’ll try to put them in a rock aswell so larger fish can’t get to them

 

[AquaBarb]

Mine have never bothered with snails luckily but when the lights go out sounds a good plan. They quickly burrow under the sand anyway.

 

[AmyKieran]

Mine have never bothered with snails luckily but when the lights go out sounds a good plan. They quickly burrow under the sand anyway.

Are they the type of animal that you never see? I don’t mind either way just wondering how I know if they died or not lol

 

[AquaBarb]

Are they the type of animal that you never see? I don’t mind either way just wondering how I know if they died or not lol

No you wont see them much. They are night shift cleaners really lol. They live predominantly under your sand and only really venture out after dark, if your over feeding your tank or somethings wrong with your water chemistry.

They are great to have in your set ups. They burrow through your sand which helps prevent the buildup of gas bubbles and eat any food your fish leave behind and help keep surfaces and live plants free of algae.

 

[AmyKieran]

No you wont see them much. They are night shift cleaners really lol. They live predominantly under your sand and only really venture out after dark, if your over feeding your tank or somethings wrong with your water chemistry.

They are great to have in your set ups. They burrow through your sand which helps prevent the buildup of gas bubbles and eat any food your fish leave behind and help keep surfaces and live plants free of algae.

Great! How many snails should I have in my setup? And are these the only species I should have?

 

[AquaBarb]

Great! How many snails should I have in my setup? And are these the only species I should have?

They say 1 or 2 per gallon for mts

Depends on what you want to add really. no more are needed as such. Mts for me are clean up crew but id add Nerites because i like them. They are good little cleaners aswel but they come in some cool colours too

Id say add 10-20 mts with a couple of Nerites if you like them.

 

[AmyKieran]

They say 1 or 2 per gallon for mts

Depends on what you want to add really. no more are needed as such. Mts for me are clean up crew but id add Nerites because i like them. They are good little cleaners aswel but they come in some cool colours too

Id say add 10-20 mts with a couple of Nerites if you like them.

Awesome thanks

 

[GaryE]

MTS are a scourge. They burrow under the gravel, reproducing like rumours. They die under the sand, undetected and cause pollution. They need very little food to thrive, and clean nothing. In a Malawi tank like you have, substrate isn't important and you could do what their supposed benefit is with a stick, if your gravel is even deep enough for potewntial gas build-ups. Malawis dig enough you have no worries. The species has not been an algae eater here.

This is the realm of rumour, but most fish won't eat them and the story is they are either mildly toxic, or taste awful. I haven't tested that. When I moved, my gravel and sand froze, and for the first time in 30 years, I have no MTS here. Long may that continue.

If yu are going to add something to a tank, slow down and take your time before you buy. We'll see how you feel about these creatures in six months.