snails as food

[joitoy]

I was cruising aquabid today, as I had free time and found myself bored, and noticed in the loaches category there were lots of 100+ MTS and another type of snail for 17 dollars.

Generally I am sure I can get snails for a cheaper price than that, since most REALLY want to be rid of them, but the question is whetheror not they are healthy for my dojo loaches.

I have 3 adults (from 4 to 5.5 inches) and a baby (about 2.5 inches) that cruise about hunting for food often. I have ghost shrimp that they showed no interest in eating, and heard they'll eat snails. Is this nutritious for them as a snack? Is it a bad idea?

[Jim Powers]

First of all, MT snails are difficult for loaches to eat since they have a trap door to protect the soft body. They are definately not the best snail for loaches to eat.
Secondly, snails can be notorius carriers of disease and parasites so getting them from an unknown source can be risky. Believe me, I speak from experience in that area...unfortunately .
By the way, do dojos eat snails?

[joitoy]

Oh whoa, thanks for the warning, Jim! I didn't know snails could be that dirty from outside sources and was tempted to buy some.

I had an apple at one point that my dojo harrassed regularly until I removed the poor critter to my 10 gallon tank to live with the bettas. The snail is golfball sized though and too big for my 4 inch dojo to eat but he did make the attempt numerous times.

I have been considering the purchase of a female apple snail and breeding my own. This would insure the babies were small and helpless against the loach's suction power, and that I knew their source was clean and safe. But that does no good if they are bad protein or not very nutritious for them.

[Beowulf]

I breed my own snails as it is easier and I know where they come from. They love the appple snails for sure.

[joitoy]

Seems I can't find snails in this area anyway.

Walmart stopped selling fish until they have a pet department staff, and the LFS doesn't sell them. Petco and Petsmart won't sell snails either.

I have no idea how to find reliable online sources.

[grizzlyone]

How far are you from Dallas?

Unless its changed drastically, Dallas North Aquarium sold snails.

Also, there was a pet store in the shopping center across from them that I bought plants from them just to get the snails when I had clowns.


Cheers,

Kevin

[shari2]

Here's a helpful little bit about Apple snails:
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile92.html

And here's a thread on spixi snails--for sale and with 'free clutch' (whatever that means ). There are several snail afficionados on the Badman's forum. You may want to look through some of the threads there, or look up the articles there on them.

[joitoy]

How far are you from Dallas?

Unless its changed drastically, Dallas North Aquarium sold snails.

Also, there was a pet store in the shopping center across from them that I bought plants from them just to get the snails when I had clowns.


Cheers,

Kevin

200 miles from Dallas.

It's a PAIN being 80+ miles from major cities. The time and money I spend in gas and mileage is about what I'd pay shipping usually so a lot of the time I ORDER what I want and have it brought to me. Gas being 2.30 a gallon and 10-12 being spent on an excursion to buy tank goodies, I opt for 6-12 shipping fees

[LoachFiend]

If ordering snails online be careful as some are considered illegal to have in certain places as they are considered a pest and their introduction is closely guarded so even if you might be able to order them, better check to make sure that the species you order is allowed to be brought in the first place

As far as loaches and snails go, I've found it to be hit and miss for me, they don't seem to like Ramshorns very much, MTS are popular with my Kubotai and Skunks but my yo-yo's could care less and apple snails are loved by all but only when they are still under a dime size anything bigger and they seem to ignore them. I think part of this may be my fault though as I spoil them with pre-made easy meals like BBS and bloodworms so they're really never hungry enough to actually work for their dinner lol.

[shari2]

Yes, they're cracking down on invasive species. Here's a link to the snail transport ban info:
http://www.ekkwill.com/usaqsnailban.html

And I just realized I didn't include the spixi link...duh.
But this one may be better for you anyway:
http://www.badmanstropicalfish.com/foru ... 85.30.html
Debra is in Alabama and has wonderful Apple Snails.

[sophie]

By the way, do dojos eat snails?

I think so.
it's either the dojos, the goldfish, the CAE or the white clouds.
I'm fairly confident in ruling out the last two

[crazy loaches]

Do you know anyone who has a pond? Around here any goldfish pond usually is crawling with pond snails. I scooped some out of a whiskey barrel mini pond I have out in the front yard with some bog plants in it. Got out my spare 20G tank, threw in some excess plants from my big plant tank, some left over substrates, no real equipment in there, and had a snail breeding tank in no time for free. And I got a ramshorn snail that apparently hitchhiked on a plant I bought and in no time had a colony of ramshorn that overthrew the pond snails. The ramshorn seem to grow larger quicker and have no trap door. I mainly feed them to my puffers but when they get too big I throw them in for my clowns or yoyo's. They never last very long in either tank!

MTS can multiply like mad, especially if you over feed. They came from no where in my tank. One night I saw something in the tank after lights out so I grabbed a flashlight. There were MTS everywhere! I mean hundreds upon hundreds of them, crawling up the front glass, all over the gravel, up the driftwood, on plants, it was actually a freaky sight - kind of like the tanks at the lfs that are totally infested with ick and white spots on everything, but in my case it was tiny white snails. They never got very big at all, I assume once they were big enough the loaches were getting them. That was when I fed lots too. Since my tank is now cleaner, more frequent water changes, less feeding, they have pretty much vanished. I have only ever seen 1 large MTS in there, and the only reason I saw it was because one of the clowns was swimming around with a cigarette looking thing hanging out of his mouth at an angle. Looked really funny so I investigated, it was a MTS and he was playing keep away swimming back and forth amongst the other loaches. A few hours later I saw the empty shell laying there and it had a couple holes on the side of it as well. MTS have extra thick shells I was surprised that the loaches could have bit through the shell, if that’s what happened.

[loachmom]

My daughter is doing something similar to what crazyloaches did. She found some snails on a plant that I had bought from the lfs. I think some of them are ramshorm and some are another type. She put them in a large goldfish bowl (no fish in it) with a box filter, gravel and plants. Now we have lots of little snails.