Do Danios Eat Snails?

[Abyss]

Around 3 years ago I added around 10 Malaysian Trumpet Snails to my tank. A short while after, I had practically hundreds of the things. They were great cos they only came out at night but stirred up my sand nicely.

Often I'd suck up sand accidently and deposit in a bucket outside or something, to my suprise the snails survived being outside in the cold absolutely fine. The minute they were put back in the tank they sprung to life.

Point is, these seem hardy snails that take a lot of beating.

Fast forward 3 years or so, I change my fish setup. I add a group of Zebra Danios. Weeks later there was a noticable decrease in my MTS population. 6 months on from that, there is none left. I added two Apple Snails in those 6 months and these also died. These are the only things that have died on me in years, nothing else (apart from a few escape artist fish who jumped out). My tank is heavily mature yet all parameters are maintained with care.

So, did Zebra Danios eat my MTS? Where did they go?

I can't figure it out.

My other idea is something got into the water that I can't test for that affects snails but not fish. Maybe that is a possibility too.

Would like to know, cos I'd like to get more, but don't want to send them to an early grave.

Thanks!

 

[saltynay]

Sounds like heavy metal or copper poisoning to me due to the apples dying. Have you used any medication recently? I would run some activated carbon for 2 weeks then give it a try with a couple. If the snails died from copper you may have an ammonia spike as they start to decay so sift through the substrate a little and try and pick out the dead ones.


I have not heard of danios eating snails or believe it is possible due to there lack of strong jaw and teeth that is required to crack an MTS shell. They cannot suck them out as MTS have a hard plate attached to their foot so when they retract into their shell they seal it.

 

[fishlove75]

I have kept zebra danio and nerite and mt snails along with a few other types of snails over the years and have never had a problem. I have never seen any of my zebra danio even bother with the snails at all. I would have to agree with the previous post, possibly some sort of copper got into the tank that would definately affect snails and not fish. I would suggest the same sift through the sand to make sure you don't have any dead snails hiding under the substrate and run some carbon for a couple of weeks then try again with one or two snails.

 

[bluhms152]

I have kept zebra danio and nerite and mt snails along with a few other types of snails over the years and have never had a problem. I have never seen any of my zebra danio even bother with the snails at all. I would have to agree with the previous post, possibly some sort of copper got into the tank that would definately affect snails and not fish. I would suggest the same sift through the sand to make sure you don't have any dead snails hiding under the substrate and run some carbon for a couple of weeks then try again with one or two snails.

I actually had the same problem with snails suddenly dying - then I actually saw one of my Zebra Danios nipping at one of the survivors! Case closed for me. Apparently Zebra danios like Escargot!

 

[wimaloz]

i also suspect danio as the culprit eating snail
as i have many snail b4 (and have many still) when i have that fish(it died chasing one in a small space entangled.. "napi-it" in our dialect)
i have to try it again and post it here