ghost shrimp/glass shrimp

feel free to move this...I wasn't sure where to post it, so I'll try here!! :-\

thinking of getting some of these little shrimp beasts as they sound fun and useful!

just wondering tho.....will they eat snails? I have a major snail problem in my small tank (they breed faster than I can remove them!). as soon as an algae wafer goes in, the snails seem to multiply before your eyes. now, i've come up with an idea of putting the wafer in a big shell I have, then when all the snails climb in I can lift the shell out with all the snails in and dispose of them.

a bit of a faf tho............

anyway, I digress....the shrimps....if they eat snails they will be a great investment!! if they dont...any ideas on what will? I thought my loach would, but he doesn't!!!

all ideas welcome!!

thanks

Tan

 

First off, the shrimp will not eat the snails that I know of. You say you have a snail problem, have you looked inside your filter? When I cleaned out my filter the other day, all I could see besides the media and algae was a bunch of snails and snail shells. Since I cleaned them all out, I haven't seen any unwanted snails (knock on wood). Hope it helps.
Tom

 

Your loach may not eat the snails, but I bet it would eat the shrimp.
I would place a large lettus leaf in the tank and remove it while the tank lights are still out early in the morning.
Do this 2,3 times and you should get rid of most of your snails.

Dino

 

Your loach may not eat the snails, but I bet it would eat the shrimp.
I would place a large lettus leaf in the tank and remove it while the tank lights are still out early in the morning.
Do this 2,3 times and you should get rid of most of your snails.

Dino

thank goodness I always mention any ideas I have on here first!! i'd not considered my loach eating the shrimp!!! I just knew the loach wouldnt go with gouramis and other flat or large bodied fish as it'd suck a hole in them! def no shrimp for that tank then! would a bristlenose eat a shrimp? maybe a shrimp could go in that tank?
thanks for the lettuce idea. I will try that. i've tried using cucumber and that lured a few out, so hopefully the lettuce will lure the fussier ones out and more can fit on! I don't mind the odd snail here and there, but they breed so fast! i'm removing 20+ a day at the moment!
thanks again dino!

 

ummm...fresh water puffer fish will eat the snails

 

whats strange is I have a small tank for farming pond snails, and I had put a bunch of ghost shrimp in there as well for food for my GSP, well, over the past few days, some of the snails have died, and I have actually caught a few of the shrimp holding chunks of what only could be "snail meat" in their little claws, just chewing away. ive seen them eat pieces of freeze dried brine shrimp also...kinda hannibal lecter-ish

 

If you can move the fish to a new tank I think copper will kill the snails. I had ghost shrimp but they where for the stingray. They have babies quick though.

 

Try to remove the fish and add some freshwater puffers. Snails are a main staple it its diet, so if you could just get another tank for your other fish and get a puffer. He'll be happy to have so much to eat.