Getting food to your snails

[OnlyGenusCaps]

So, I really like the snails I have.  I have several specimen snails*, rabbit, pagoda, etc.  My dilemma is that I have fairly fast and aggressively feeding fish.  It seems no matter how much food I give my fish, within reasonable limits, none of it is left for the snails.  If I drop in algae tabs, the fish go after those as well.  And woe be the snail that does manage to get to the wafer in time, as they will suffer being harassed and picked at mercilessly until they relinquish any claim to the sustenance.  So, I am curious, for folks that also have quite food focused fish, how to you get food to your snails without overfeeding the tank?  Advice warmly welcomed.  Thanks! 

*Here, I am distinguishing between "specimen" snails and "colony" snails.  In this dichotomy, a specimen snail is one from a species where typically someone buys individual snails, and knows how many snails are in their tank at all times.  They are individuals to the keeper.  This is in contrast to colony snails which typically are approached as a self sustaining group in the aquarium.  These are species where the number of individuals in a tank are often unknown, and the number of adults may fluctuate without the keeper's notice.  Please note, that I am not placing a value judgement on the distinction here.  This is simply a means to categorize how different species are utilized in an aquarium setting. 

[Guppysnail]

My guppies are miserably voracious.  I make repashy thick like 1/2 cup repashy to 1 cup of water. Dip in a bamboo stick then cool in fridge then freeze. It stays too solid for them to pick it dry before the snails and plecos get some. I deleted my picture but it’s in my journal of guppies trying but not succeeding 

 I put it in just before lights out  snails climb the stick make sure it touches the ground

Edited October 15, 2021 by Guppysnail

[Atitagain]

I’ll second what @Guppysnail said she showed me the repashy on a stick and fish pick at it but snails are all over it as well

[OnlyGenusCaps]

Thanks so much for the input!  TBH, I was hoping to avoid anything as much outside of what I already do as making thick repashy.  I might try to drop the wafers in while the fish are fully asleep.  Once I start making @Zenzo style homemade gel food for the mbuna (haven't finished that tank yet) then I might give the stick approach a try for the snails.  Wouldn't have though of it without the input though.  Thanks again!

[Zenzo]

On 10/16/2021 at 12:10 PM, OnlyGenusCaps said:

Thanks so much for the input!  TBH, I was hoping to avoid anything as much outside of what I already do as making thick repashy.  I might try to drop the wafers in while the fish are fully asleep.  Once I start making @Zenzo style homemade gel food for the mbuna (haven't finished that tank yet) then I might give the stick approach a try for the snails.  Wouldn't have though of it without the input though.  Thanks again!

I'm glad somebody watches my videos!

[Streetwise]

@OnlyGenusCaps, you could consider increasing your lighting to grow more algae.

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 10/16/2021 at 2:37 PM, Zenzo said:

I'm glad somebody watches my videos!

Sorry if I am linking your vids too much, dude.  The thing is I have a tendency to link vids and references when I think they are relevant.  I want to share those with folks in hopes they will find them as useful as I did.  And because there are several of yours that have changed my mindset on fishkeeping, those tend to be top of mind for me often.  I'll stop tagging you in them though, so it'll all happen in the background.  Not my goal to pester you.  But I won't stop sharing them.  Sorry. 

On 10/16/2021 at 4:58 PM, Streetwise said:

you could consider increasing your lighting to grow more algae

That's not a bad plan!  That might work for everything, expect my rabbit snails.  Those little buggers never seem to head up the acrylic.  Indeed, it's rare to even see them on the rocks foraging.  They just seem to love working their little zen garden in the substrate.  Not that I am complaining.  They do beautiful work!

[Zenzo]

@OnlyGenusCaps Please share away. The more the better. I love it! 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 10/16/2021 at 6:45 PM, Zenzo said:

Please share away. The more the better. I love it!

Cool.  Never my goal to be a nuisance to...  Well, anyone if I can help it.  😛

[Fonske]

I give my rabbit and other snails slices of blanched carrots and zucchinis. Fishes nibble the veggies a little bit but don't seem to like them too much, so the lion share goes to the snails. 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 10/17/2021 at 7:16 AM, Fonske said:

I give my rabbit and other snails slices of blanched carrots and zucchinis.

That I can do for sure.  Thanks for the tip!

[Torrey]

On 10/16/2021 at 1:10 PM, OnlyGenusCaps said:

Thanks so much for the input!  TBH, I was hoping to avoid anything as much outside of what I already do as making thick repashy.  I might try to drop the wafers in while the fish are fully asleep.  Once I start making @Zenzo style homemade gel food for the mbuna (haven't finished that tank yet) then I might give the stick approach a try for the snails.  Wouldn't have though of it without the input though.  Thanks again!

I feed my fish and get them super excited at one end of the tank, and drop wafers on the other end.

I do a sloooooooooooow feed, crumble a tiny amount at a time to keep them interested. I trained them to come to one corner when I gently rub the edge of the tank.

If I have algae growing, I feed the snails algae by using plant tongs and placing a clump of algae where the wafer would fall.

Fish generally leave the clump alone.