Ramshorns vs Malasian Trumpet Snails

[Semnae]

My inner biologist has once again gotten the better of me, and I'm conducting a little science experiment. I noticed a few months back that my larger apple snails were having their shells devoured by ramshorns. I tried my best to remove the ramshorns by hand, but the larger apple snails became sick and suddenly died.

This unfortunate series of events made me curious as to which species of snail is the most competitive in an aquarium environment. To find out, I've introduced Malaysian trumpet snails to my aquarium which has had ramshorns in it for some time. The competitive exclusion principle states that no two species can occupy the same niche at the same time. I believe that resource demands of aquarium snails are so similar that no two species of aquariums snail can occupy a single aquarium without one being driven to extinction.

The 12 gallon Eclipse tank is a gravel tank, kept at a temperature of about 79-82 degrees Fahrenheit, with some quartz, calcite, and slate for decoration. The dead apple snail shells were also left in the tank, but the ramshorns have about finished them off. Plants include dwarf onions, bandanna plants, a radican sword, and a very small amount of anacharis (most of the anacharis has died off. I had tones of it, but it all turned yellow and died quite suddenly). Other organisms that may indirectly influence the results are nematodes and swordtails. The tank is equiped with a biowheel and a 60 Hz light fixture, and water and filter changes are done at irregular intervals.

At the moment, the ramshorns far outnumber the Malaysian trumpet snails, but the experiment has only just begun. Are their niches different enough for the two species of snail to coexist? If so, what factors contribute to niche differences? If not, which snail species do you think will out compete the other? What factors (advantages or disadvantages), do you think will contribute to the outcome? Are there any species of snail you think might be a better competitor than these two?

[kimmers318]

I have a tank that is for nothing but raising pond snails and added a trapdoor snail for awhile and had no problems with either. The snails co-existed just fine.
In other tanks with fish I have had pond and mts snails together co-existing just fine....until all my loaches and puffers came along that is. Actually what started me down the road of puffers was the purchase of a single dwarf puffer to get rid of the snails in my tank.....quickly learned they don't play well with others and once she rid the tank of snails she started on my fish.