Rabbit snails?

[Sora]

I really like rabbit snails and have never had one, my LFS has some in stock so I thought it would be fun to get one. but before I do I have some questions. my tank is 20 gallons with 3 platy one nerite and a betta. I have heard that the minimum for rabbit snails is 20-30 gallons. is that because they get big or because they have a high bio-load? would my tank be overstocked if I got one? I was planning on getting some corys too. thanks!

[Lennie]

20g is fine. They have less bioload compared to mystery snails because they sleep much more and eat less from my experience. But they have more bioload then most other snails, they do poop a lot. But it would not overstock the tank by itself I believe.

Rabbit snails are the most fragile snails I have ever kept. They require lots of blanched veggies and snellos. Mine are not a huge fan of normal fish food and wafers. A bit picky about water parameters and tank conditions, and tank mates should be chosen with caution.

They like to bury into substrate and sleep. So you should have a sand or smooth substrate that they can bury. They also like hard water with high ph, gh and kh. I'm not sure how ideal this is for a betta. They should be kept in warm waters too, ideally 25C or more. they sometimes climb and fall down, so you should ideally not have anything sharp or stuff like rocks next to glasses or they can break their shells.

Also you should be ready for betta and platies showing interest in their antennas. They can literally get depressed and never open up and die if they lose their antennas. I would personally not keep them in a tank with anything that may potentially be interested in their antennas like worms, which bettas are known to bully snails.

Also some people say their snails being interested in eating plants, especially java fern. Mine never eaten one, but I feed them veggies/snello daily. If they get hungry, they would go for plants I believe.

If you have any further questions I may help.

Edit: I have corys with them. Corys pose no danger in my experience.

Edit 2: Nerites love to lay eggs on them. If you have a female one, just be ready. Mine literally filled their erosed parts in their shells. Medic, reporting for duty

Edited February 16, 2023 by Lennie