Nerite With Snail Eating Fish?

Ok, I have a Nerite snail, and I also have a whole lot of tiny ramshorn snails. I have a 20 gallon right now, but if the fish gets bigger, I'll be getting a 75 gallon soon. So, are there any fish that will eat small snails, but not my 1 inch Nerite?

Tia, -Andy

 

Ok, I have a Nerite snail, and I also have a whole lot of tiny ramshorn snails. I have a 20 gallon right now, but if the fish gets bigger, I'll be getting a 75 gallon soon. So, are there any fish that will eat small snails, but not my 1 inch Nerite?

Tia, -Andy

Possibly a dwarf puffer tank? You could probably fit 4-6 of them in there.

 

In my 20 or soon to be 75

 

In my 20 or soon to be 75

The 20-gallon. They don't really need a 75-gallon unless you want a huge community.

 

Ya, they are small, and I think puffers are cute too.

Hmm, I've been more about them, and if they like to nip fins, then that won't work because I have fancy guppies and a betta in the 20 gal,

 

Don't put dwarf puffers in there unless you want your nerite to be a meal! They may be small, but they are vicious little things. Also 5 would be pushing it in a 20 gal. They are very territorial and would likely end up fighting. I have 3 in a well-planted 29 gal and they still occasionally have a dust up.

I previously had them with my huge mystery snails and while they couldn't kill them outright, they were literally biting chunks out of the snail's foot. If I hadn't separated them, my snails eventually would have died from the stress of being attacked constantly. A little nerite wouldn't stand a chance.

 

Ok, thanks for the help, I may just need to wait until I get my 75 gallon, and then just use a killer on the remaining snails, once my Nerite is out of the tank, as well as my hornwort.

 

Ok, thanks for the help, I may just need to wait until I get my 75 gallon, and then just use a killer on the remaining snails, once my Nerite is out of the tank, as well as my hornwort.

That sounds like a good idea. Your nerite will be much safer in the 75.

You could easily house two dwarf puffers in the 20 if you're interested in them, and could probably get away with three as long as it's well planted and has plenty of line of sight breaks. They are adorable, happy little blimps with fins and, aside from their murderous tendencies toward snails and literally anything else that isn't a puffer, are quite fun to keep. My three (dubbed the Three Puffkateers) have been trained to look for their supplemental frozen bloodworms in a reptile dish I put in their tank. When they're hungry, they'll swim over it a few times when they see me to make sure I know! Haha And watching hunt snails is endlessly entertaining. Their googly eyes crack me up!

 

That sounds like a good idea. Your nerite will be much safer in the 75.

You could easily house two dwarf puffers in the 20 if you're interested in them, and could probably get away with three as long as it's well planted and has plenty of line of sight breaks. They are adorable, happy little blimps with fins and, aside from their murderous tendencies toward snails and literally anything else that isn't a puffer, are quite fun to keep. My three (dubbed the Three Puffkateers) have been trained to look for their supplemental frozen bloodworms in a reptile dish I put in their tank. When they're hungry, they'll swim over it a few times when they see me to make sure I know! Haha And watching hunt snails is endlessly entertaining. Their googly eyes crack me up! View attachment 447593

I don’t really agree with the “5 would be pushing it” part. Plenty of fish-keepers have successfully kept three in a ten-gallon tank. Five puffers would do just fine in 20-gallons as long as it’s heavily planted with a lot of hiding places. I wasn’t aware that they’d go for nerite snails, so thanks for correcting me on that. I also wasn’t aware that the 20-gallon was already stocked. You may want to avoid adding puffers if that’s the case.

 

Oh yes, definitely no puffers if you have a betta and guppies!

Many loaches eat snails but many are also not good for 20 gallons.

One good way to control snails is to keep a clean, not overfed tank. I had a breakout in my 10 gallon recently. It only took a week or so with smaller feedings, frequent gravel vacuums, and physical removal of visible eggs and snails to bring the population down. I barely see snails at all anymore.

 

I don’t really agree with the “5 would be pushing it” part. Plenty of fish-keepers have successfully kept three in a ten-gallon tank. Five puffers would do just fine in 20-gallons as long as it’s heavily planted with a lot of hiding places. I wasn’t aware that they’d go for nerite snails, so thanks for correcting me on that. I also wasn’t aware that the 20-gallon was already stocked. You may want to avoid adding puffers if that’s the case.

Honestly, I think a lot of it depends on the particular puffers. If you get them before they are mature, as they get older whichever one grows into a male first actually releases hormones causing the others to remain female. This helps cut down on competition. My three looked exactly the same when I got them, but now one is clearly male, and is definitely the aggressor in the tank. If you had multiple males that would likely be the source of any issues, so I could see having more be ok if they're female. I just wouldn't push it myself, but that's not to say it can't be done.

I was surprised myself to learn how vicious they are with snails of all kinds. They pack a punch for their small size!

 

KuhlI loaches are good for 20-gallon tanks. Maybe 3-6 of them. Never knew they ate snails. I’ve always wanted some.

 

I don’t think kuhlI loaches eat snails. It’s only some types of loaches- the ones with snail sucking snouts like clowns and zebras.

 

I don’t think kuhlI loaches eat snails. It’s only some types of loaches- the ones with snail sucking snouts like clowns and zebras.

Do zebras work for the tank size? I know clowns don’t.

 

Ya, they are small, and I think puffers are cute too.

Hmm, I've been more about them, and if they like to nip fins, then that won't work because I have fancy guppies and a betta in the 20 gal,

Out of curiosity, is your Betta a male or female?