15 gal snail tank?

**Xavier** · 03-25-2011, 09:37 PM

I've been wanting snails for some time now, but the goldfish in the 90 gal will eat them and the tetras in the 32 gal pick at the horned armor snails, so with the death of my betta, I've decided to turn the 15gal tank into a snail paradise.

Population at the moment is 2 horned armor snails. I would add 2 nerite snails and an apple snail. Thoughts on what other critters would be compatible and happy in a bare or lightly planted 15gal tank?

Food would be veggies I throw in there, algae wafers and items from the other tanks that need a scrub (rocks and anubias plants)

**Cascade** · 03-25-2011, 09:39 PM

How about some shrimp? They would appreciate some simple plants, but I know my RCS will pick algae off of anything and everything.

**Xavier** · 03-25-2011, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by Cascade

How about some shrimp? They would appreciate some simple plants, but I know my RCS will pick algae off of anything and everything.

I know nothing about shrimp.

Do they need plants? or just a place to hide? Do they require temperatures different from the snails? Will they touch, poke or prod the snails in any way shape or form? Sorry for the mountain of questions :P

**Cascade** · 03-25-2011, 10:16 PM

No problem! I have red cherry shrimp (RCS) in two tanks - one is a big community tank and one is a 10g shrimp only (with some pond snail hitchhikers) tank. They really keep to themselves and, when they are comfortable (i.e. not being hunted by other fish) they rarely hide.

I imagine they would completely ignore the snails. I have a nerite, trumpet snails, and some pond snails in my community tank with the shrimp and everyone behaves. That being said, the RCS are only about an inch long, so I can't imagine they could do any damage even if they suddenly decided to go crazy.

Temperature ranges from maybe 68 to 78 degrees (just a guess based on my experience). I found that the cooler the water, the less active they are. I keep my tanks at 75 to keep everyone happy.

As far as plants, mine are most frequently on the plants in the tank, picking off little unseen bits of food. I don't think it's a requirement for their care, but I mentioned plants simply because that's where I see mine the most. Moss seems to be a favorite. They are scavengers, but I do drop in a piece of a sinking pellet from time to time. They will come running from all corners of the tank and congregate around the food.

They are a lot of fun to watch as they buzz around the tank. It will give you a little more activity than the snails alone. They also multiply quite profusely, so you don't have to start with very many.

They tend to be fairly expensive in pet stores (at least around here). I picked mine up from aquabid, the going rate is generally about $1 each, look carefully and you can often find a deal with free shipping, too.

Hope that answers your questions, feel free to ask if you have any more