How do I Feed Shrimp not Snails

[DanPlanted]

I have a few tanks with neocaridina shrimp and tons of various pest snails. No snails I actually put in the tank on purpose. I don't mind them, but they eat a ton of the food I put in the tank for the shrimp and I'd rather be feeding the shrimp and not the snails.

Are snail traps my only solution here? What about those tall shrimp sticks? I would think snails could still get to those too.

I can't imagine there's any food out there that snails hate but shrimp love.

[Odd Duck]

On 6/9/2023 at 3:11 PM, DanPlanted said:

I have a few tanks with neocaridina shrimp and tons of various pest snails. No snails I actually put in the tank on purpose. I don't mind them, but they eat a ton of the food I put in the tank for the shrimp and I'd rather be feeding the shrimp and not the snails.

Are snail traps my only solution here? What about those tall shrimp sticks? I would think snails could still get to those too.

I can't imagine there's any food out there that snails hate but shrimp love.

You can siphon out the snails, or crush a few small ones at a time (the shrimp will eat them crushed).  Sometimes I’ll feed, then check the food an hour later and use a turkey baster to suction out as many snails as I can.  Or use veggies to attract them or mulberry leaves, then lift out the veggies or leaf and snails all together.  Picking them out, using the Dennerle snail catcher if there’s enough and they’re small enough (once snails get too big they won’t fit in the Dennerle but they’re easier to pick out by then).  Be persistent and you can get them all out unless your tank is huge and very heavily planted.  That’s trickier.  There are a variety of snail traps available.  You’ll also catch shrimp but they’re easy enough to put back in the tank.

[Odd Duck]

On 6/9/2023 at 4:50 PM, Pepere said:

“You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain. Deut 25:4.

 

do not muzzle the snail while it is cleaning out your tank….

I feed bottom pellets for my cories.  The snails swarm the pellets too.  The cories have been observed pushing snails out of the way to get at it…

 

I figure the snails earn their keep…

But snails will push the shrimp out of the way.  A few snails are fine but too many snails can be an issue in a shrimp only tank.

[Lennie]

On 6/10/2023 at 9:00 AM, Odd Duck said:

But snails will push the shrimp out of the way.  A few snails are fine but too many snails can be an issue in a shrimp only tank.

Agreed. 
 

Same goes both direction actually. Shrimp also bother snails too. Not intentionally, but going on them picking around nonstop even on their faces scare the snail and make them close up.
 

Also it is impossible to control pest snail population considering shrimp are slow eaters and they want the growth of biofilm/algae around and food on their dish. So basically it is like snails having food all the time as well.

I personally like keeping rabbit snails or mysteries with shrimp instead based on the species, as rabbits like it a bit warm. Snails are really good for shrimp and also keep the cycle alive as shrimp bioload is very low. Also snails cant digest well so their poop is also a good food source, am I  right? Rachel O Leary was mentioning she introduces mysteries to fry tank as fry eat snail leftovers as food when she has to leave for some time

 

I really dont know if you can actually eliminate pest snails in a shrimp tank at this point. Constantly killing them does not sound ideal to me personally. And this will be an endless battle I think. I guess I would just accept the tank as it is and try to control the feedings as best as I can, like using shrimp dish, maybe monitoring food, feeding less, maybe creating a pest snail tank and removing them manually there all the time

 

Edited June 10, 2023 by Lennie

[Odd Duck]

I’ve cleared bladder snails and ramshorns from large tanks.  You just have to be very persistent at removal.  You can’t crush a lot in a small shrimp tank, you have to remove most of them.  Persistence is the key.