Snail cannibalism

[werner]

I picked up 4 Asolene spixi snails at the auction. I was under the impression that these guys don't eat plants, but after researching them, it turns out that adults won't, but the babies will (mine are about pea sized). So I've been watching them quite a bit to make sure they don't devour my aquascaping. Several times I have caught them eating other snails! I have read that a large population may sometimes eat their own egg clutches, but nothing about cannibalizing other species. I don't mind that they remove a few snails, but just was surprised that this existed.

I was able to capture one eating a pond snail. They have also eaten ramshorns and MTS. They get their mouth and most of their foot inside the other snail's shell. When they're done the shell is usually empty.

[jvision]

Wow! I've seen snails eat dead snails, but I don't think any of mine have ever resorted to snail predation!!!

[Osprey]

Brigs and canas will do this too. Kind of creepy.

[Vapor]

Never would have thought snails would act like this. But I guess if you're too slow to get away the faster of the bunch wins. Sorry bad joke couldn't resist.

[prodogg02]

i had a black mistery snail eat a dannio that was dead,there was nothin left but bone in 5 mins.

[Toirtis]

Those were my sphixi.

I have never seen mine (adults or babies) eat any other snails (there are MTS and zebra nerites in with mine), or plants (or baby cherry shrimp, for that matter), but they are very fond of NLS, frozen rotifers, algae flakes, and cuttlebone. I will have to watch mine more closely...especially the babies.

[werner]

Those were my sphixi.

Thanks, they're cool little snails. They seem to like to munch the roots of my giant duckweed. In the afternoons (they're supposed to be nocturnal) I can usually find 3 out of 4 up underneath the duckweed. I haven't really seen any other plants being eaten and I can definitely live with that. The snails they've eaten are quite a bit smaller than they are, so sometimes it's hard to tell that they're doing it.

Do you just throw a chunk of cuttlebone in the tank? I have soft, low pH water, and would like to keep their shells in good shape.

I've also found several recipes for "snail cookies" so I'll be doing some baking for the little guys soon. :shock: [weirdo]

[Toirtis]

Thanks, they're cool little snails. They seem to like to munch the roots of my giant duckweed.

Ah, roots....I would imagine that a lot of critters that would not notmally eat plant leaves would readily munch on exposed tender roots.

In the afternoons (they're supposed to be nocturnal) I can usually find 3 out of 4 up underneath the duckweed.

Mine are reasonably diurnally active as well.

The snails they've eaten are quite a bit smaller than they are, so sometimes it's hard to tell that they're doing it.

Ah...all my sphixis' tankmate nerites and most of the easily visible MTSes are quite large.

Do you just throw a chunk of cuttlebone in the tank? I have soft, low pH water, and would like to keep their shells in good shape.

I do...soak it in hot water first to get pieces of it to sonk. I also do a lot of water-changes to keep the mineral content of the tank water up.