Killer Bristlenose?

[Joe O]

Hi,

Searched first, didn't see anything on this. I did find an online topic in a forum elsewhere that was like 4 years old.

I have a 1.5 year old male Bristlenose in a community tank. I also have plenty of mystery snails which breed in a different tank. OK, I have LOTS of snails as my shrimp tanks are also pretty much bladder and ramshorn snail tanks.  For a long time I had a male Apisto in the community tank and he liked eating the smaller snails, which kept them under control. He'd ignore the big mystery snails. But at night I'd hear a tink tink tink noise when light were out and I'd find the Bristlenose smacking the mystery snails against the glass. Even saw a crack in one of the snail's shells from it.

The Apisto is gone, the tank is more 'friendly' now. Aside from the neons, green neons and harlequins I've added zebra danios and some cherry shrimp (the danios only hunt the baby shrimp, I built a rock pile in the back to give the kids a chance). There's one giant mystery snail and a couple smaller ones (between nickel and quarter size) This morning I awoke to a snail... corpse... just a pile of snail meat with the trapdoor still attached. I thought the pleco was just beating the big snail randomly, but can they rip them right out of their shell? It's definitely one of the smaller ones. 

I guess with the cherry shrimp in there the snails aren't as neccesary, I'm just looking for some verification that it really could be the bristlenose creating these horrific Halloween scenes in the tank, seems nothing else is big enough to pull it off. I thought they were 'peaceful vegitarians'?

edit: not sure why the photo is upside down, aplogies...

Edited November 1, 2020 by Joe O

[KBOzzie59]

They are "mostly vegetarians".

[Dandy Pearl]

@Joe O Well if your's has a taste for meat, and you like your snails, you do have some options. Try feeding the pleco what he wants like a cube of frozen blood worms. Drop it in at night when it is more active, as you know. If the pleco gets full on the 'easier prey' then problem solved!

Good luck!