Can snails live with goldfish?
The answer is yes, and snails can live in harmony with goldfish. There are, a few things tank owners need to consider, because one snail isn’t the same as another. Small snails can be food, and all it takes is the fish to work out how to extract the snail from the shell.
Are apple snails good for goldfish in cold water?
Since tropical fish prefer warmer conditions, it can be hard to find an attractive tankmate for your cold water goldfish. Apple snails are often recommended because they can adapt to most conditions, but even then you have to be careful your goldfish doesn't mistake these smaller creatures for food.
What do mystery snails eat in a fish tank?
Mystery Snails: Mystery snails come in several colors and are an attractive addition to your goldfish tank. Just like nerite snails, mystery snails are also algae eaters. Along with algae, they love to eat leafy greens, spinach, and cucumber.
Are Melantho snails good for goldfish?
Melantho snails have sparkling shells that lit well in the lights to give a beautiful look to an aquarium along with goldfish. Besides, they adapt well to a wide range of temperatures and survive in the chilly winter of an outside pond.
Can I keep snails with goldfish?
The best types of snail to keep with goldfish are Netrite Snails, Mystery Snails, and Japanese Trapdoor Snails. These snails grow large enough that your goldfish won't bother them, and they enjoy the same water parameters as goldfish too. Goldfish will readily eat small snails that can fit in their mouth.
Can apple snails live with fish?
Apple snails can live together with most fish without problem, but snail eating fish species should be avoided (obvious). Also many fish will try to nip at the tentacles of the apple snails, but that should not be a problem, as the apple snails will adapt quickly by keeping their tentacles under their shell.
Will goldfish bully the snail?
Large goldfish will often eat snails. I've written about a local pet store that would move this big goldfish from tank to tank in order to control the snails.
Why are apple snails harmful?
If eaten raw, they can transmit a deadly parasite called rat lung worm to humans and other mammals. As with any invasive species, apple snails will overpopulate and steal resources away from native species, disrupting natural ecological processes.
Do apple snails bite?
They aren't going to try to bite you unless your hand seems tasty, and only some forms of Apple Snail would be able to do any little bit of damage, due to some of the species only being able to eat rotting (thus soft) vegetation and detritus.
Do goldfish eat my snails?
Small snails that are paired with large goldfish may be eaten by the opportunistic goldfish. Goldfish may also choke on the mystery snail if it is too large for them to spit out or comfortably chew.
How long do apple snails live?
An apple snail can live up to three years at low temperatures. Snails of ten years old have also been reported. Lanistes nyassanus have been said to live as long as 10 years with an average lifespan of 5-8 years. At a temperature of 25°C, they live up to 12-16 months only.
What can goldfish live with?
The Best Goldfish Tank MatesRosy Barb. Rosy barbs are colorful freshwater fish that do just fine in slightly cooler environments. ... Platy Fish. Platies are another group-oriented species that do well as goldfish tank mates. ... Bristlenose Pleco. ... Hillstream Loach. ... Hoplo Catfish. ... Cherry Shrimp. ... Banded Corydoras. ... Mystery Snail.More items...•
What do apple snails eat in a fish tank?
algaeUnlike pond snails which are a nuisance, apple snails are welcomed by aquarium hobbyists for their scavenging habits. Often included in an aquarium cleanup crew, apple snails feed on algae and other detritus in the aquarium, helping to keep the tank clean.
How do you control apple snail population aquarium?
2:343:51How To Control and Kill Aquarium Snail Population - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThose away not down toilet because they might get into your local ecosystem. And you rinse andMoreThose away not down toilet because they might get into your local ecosystem. And you rinse and repeat until all of your snails are gone or at least the population of snails has been reduced.
How quickly do apple snails breed?
Apple snail eggs are easy to identify. They are orange clusters about an inch to two inches long. The gestation period is long. It takes 3 to 4 weeks for the eggs to hatch and when they do, there will often be hundreds of newborn, spec-sized snails.
How many apple snails are in a tank?
Since apple snails are rarely kept on their own, you should always ensure that enough space is provided for both the apple snails and any fish in the tank. A 20 gallon aquarium is usually adequate, as it will allow a school of small minnows and 3-4 apple snails.
Will a Goldfish Eat My Snails?
Goldfish will eat anything they can fit in their mouths. It doesn’t matter if it is plant or animal, as long as they can fit it in, then it is food for them.
Are Small Snails Under Threat?
Yes, small snails are under threat from the omnivore goldfish. Because goldfish can grow to be quite large, many types of snails may at one stage not fit, yet they can fit in your fishes’ mouth as they grow.
Are Big Snails Safe With Goldfish?
There are two veins of thought why goldfish don’t bother with large snails. One thinks they are too large to fit in the mouth, so it must not be food.
Types of Snails
While there are plenty of snails you can choose from, the best two are the mystery snail and the Nerite snails. Although the latter being smaller than the Mystery one.
Why Nerite Snails Pair With Goldfish
The primary reason aquarium enthusiasts choose the Nerite snail is their love of algae. As long as you don’t go over 1 snail per gallon of water in your tank, they can control brown algae until it is almost nonexistent.
Mystery Snails Are Magical with Goldfish
The second-best option for a snail to any aquarium is the Mystery Snail. If you opt for this kind, you are better choosing one from a reputable snail dealer rather than a pet store. You tend to find they are healthier and won’t pass any disease onto your fish when you add them to your tank.
Caring For Snails
With these two snails, you will find they can eat very much the same as your fish. Along with algae, they will eat waste food from the bottom of the tank, and the veggies you often feed to your fish. While goldfish don’t eat cucumber skins, snails adore them.
Do Goldfish Eat Large Snails?
Goldfish are opportunist eaters. They generally eat everything that fits into their mouth. However, if you have large snails, your goldfish is not a threat to them. Your goldfish will not look at the large snails as their food because the large snails won’t fit in their mouth. So, your goldfish will not attempt to eat them.
Do Goldfish Eat Baby Mystery Snails?
Goldfish tend to search their food by size. If they find anything small, they will undoubtedly attempt to bite and eat it.
Can Snails Live With Goldfish?
Many aquarists like to give a different and varied look to their aquarium. So, they experiment with keeping fish and other species together. Often, hobbyists keep snails and goldfish together to give a distinct look to their aquarium.
Can Snails Transmit Diseases To Goldfish?
Snails can transmit diseases to goldfish. So, you should never introduce a snail immediately to your goldfish tank after buying it from a store. The transmission of diseases can be prevented by quarantining your snail.
Related Questions
Do goldfish eat snail eggs? Yes, goldfish do eat snail eggs. It is challenging for snail eggs to survive in a goldfish tank. As snail eggs are small, they can only survive until they are out of your goldfish’s sight.
What Are Algae, And How They Form?
Algae are a multi-cellular plant-like organism that’s commonly found in water. However, they have no roots, stems, and leaves.
Is Eating Algae Good Or Bad For Goldfish?
Algae is neither good nor bad for goldfish. In simple terms, eating algae will not do any harm to goldfish. At the same time, it will not provide any nutritional benefits to goldfish either.
Can I Keep Snails With Goldfish
It is possible to keep snails and goldfish together but one of the most common problems is that the fish will attack the snails and attempt to eat them. But this doesn’t apply to all species. It is important that, if you intend to keep goldfish with snails, you purchase molluscs that will grow large enough that the fish won’t try to eat them.
What Are The Best Snails To Keep With Goldfish?
There are several snail species that you can keep with goldfish without any issues. That said, there are two that really work well and these are the ones we are going to cover in a little more detail. The nerite snail and the mystery snail are widely considered to be the best pairing for goldfish.
Nerite Snails
One of the great things about the nerite snail is that it comes in a huge array of patterns and colors. If you are looking to create a vibrant tank with a lot of variety then this is a great reason to select this snail.
Zebra Nerite Snails
It may surprise you to learn that you can source just about anything online if you need to and snails are no exception. These zebra nerite snails provide your tank with an eye-catching addition with their gold and black stripes.
How To Take Good Care Of Your Snails
One of the great things about adding snails to your tank is that they are incredibly easy to care for. Of course, they are algae eaters so will feed heavily on this but they also need additional nutrition which can be given in the same way that you feed your fish.
Conclusion
Goldfish are perhaps one of the most well-known and classic aquarium fish in the world. They are affordable both to initially purchase and to care for and are widely available in pet stores everywhere. However, most people don’t like to keep only goldfish in their aquarium and many are tempted by the idea of pairing them with snails.
Just What is a Mystery Snail?
Also known as apple snails, mystery snails are a larger variety of aquarium snails you can keep with goldfish that grow to be about the size of a golf ball.
2. They are Peaceful and Can be Kept with Goldfish
I’ve watched my goldfish interact with my snails (all about a dime to nickle size) now for a long time, and am happy to say they get along great.
Taking Care of a Mystery Snail
One thing that’s really important to know is that mystery snails are highly sensitive to levels of copper in aquarium water. That’s why they use copper in medications designed to kill off pest snails.
Read This Before Getting Your Snail
Even though you can find mystery snails pretty inexpensively at chain pet stores, I made sure not to get mine there.
Types of Goldfish That Can Be Kept with Mystery Snails
Generally, when you want to house your mystery snail’s goldfish, you must first establish if you have single-tailed or fancy goldfish in the tank. Single-tailed goldfish like the common, comet, or shubunkin grow to exceptionally large sizes and will be able to fit a young mystery snail inside of their mouth.
How to Make the Tank Suitable
The tank should be large enough to accommodate both the goldfish and mystery snail. Since goldfish grow to great lengths, a minimum of 20 gallons should be established for a few baby fancy goldfish and juvenile or adult mystery snails.
Feeding Mystery Snails and Goldfish Successfully
Goldfish are known piggies when it comes to feeding time and will eat the mystery snail’s food before they even get the chance to nibble on a morsel. This can pose a problem with feeding your mystery snails. Mystery snails should be fed a few times a week with sinking pellets, algae wafer, or vegetables from the kitchen.
Aggression between Mystery Snails and Goldfish
Both goldfish and mystery snails are peaceful and social creatures, which means little aggression should occur between the two. Mystery snails do have the risk of being nipped at and tossed around by a curious goldfish, and this can be stressful for the mystery snail.
Final Thoughts
If kept well, mystery snails and goldfish can get along great, with minimal interactions occurring between the two. Goldfish will typically ignore the mystery snails crawling around the tank and your mystery snails will not mind sharing a spacious home with your goldfish.
