Would an upside down cat eat a snail?

[portia]

I have bought a couple of snails to try to control my algae, and one has disappeared-only his shell is left.

My tank has only zebra danios and tetras in it-small fish and not aggressive, except for the catfish.

The only thing that seems large enough is the cat, but I'll never be able to catch him at it, as he only comes out at night while I'm sleeping.


Do you think he's the culprit? They are good-sized snails.

 

[Affordable Aquatic]

Not likely. Probably it wasnt acclimated properly, or there was residual copper in the tank. Ever use ich medicine in the tank?

 

[portia]

Well, something has eaten 5 neon tetras, one by one, over a period of time (no bodies, and they disappeared over a space of a couple of weeks, so I doubt it's the water). Something also killed/ate both small chinese algae eaters I tried, and the small pleco I had in there, and I doubt it was the danios or the tetras.

 

[Crepe]

Snails and fish are totally different things. I'd understand if the cat was eating fish but snails require specialized equipment(sharp teeth to crunch the shells). For him, eating a snail would be like us swallowing a rock the size of our nose. It'd kill him for sure.

Also if you suspected the cat of eating the fish why are you still keeping him?

 

[HUKIT]

Synodontis nigriventris are not attacking other fish, he will eat them after they die but they're not the aggressor. I would look at your water conditions first then the quality of the fish stock. What other fish are in there?

 

[portia]

Snails and fish are totally different things. I'd understand if the cat was eating fish but snails require specialized equipment(sharp teeth to crunch the shells). For him, eating a snail would be like us swallowing a rock the size of our nose. It'd kill him for sure.

Also if you suspected the cat of eating the fish why are you still keeping him?

Well, a couple of reasons, i guess. I don't know that he's the culprit, it's only surmise on my part, for one thing. Second, I don't know anyone to give him to, so it would be a matter of flushing him, i.e., killing him, which seems kind of cruel if I don't even know he's the one. If you know anyone in South Florida who'd like an upside down cat, I'd give him away based on the likelihood, though.


Also, the shell is not eaten. Something pulled the "meat" of the snail out and ate it. The shell is intact.

 

[Crepe]

Sucking snails out of shells also requires special equipment cat fish do not have. I'm guessing it died and was picked at by the other fish. And I agree with Hukit. How's your water? Nitrate? Ammonia? Nitrite? How long has the tank been up?

 

[portia]

Synodontis nigriventris are not attacking other fish, he will eat them after they die but they're not the aggressor. I would look at your water conditions first then the quality of the fish stock. What other fish are in there?

I don't think it's water quality. For one thing, I test, but for another, the neon tetras disappeared over the course of several weeks. If it was water quality, I'd think they'd have all died at once, more or less. Also, none of the other fish in the tank are bothered by the water.

I've lost 5 neons, 2 chinese cats, and a small pleco (a smaller one, I forget the type). All smaller/slower fish and no bodies were ever recovered except the pleco.

All the fish in the tank but the upside down cat
are small peaceful fish, as I said. Danios and tetras (larger ones so they are not eaten).

 

[Crepe]

How big is this cat we're talking about. A full grown one could definitely swallow up the slower neons. Danios are probably too fast for it to eat. Idk about a pleco though they have sharp spines on some fins and very spiky skin. They aren't the favorite of piscivores. I've lost a 3" BN pleco in a 20gallon for 4 months before I found it so it could just be hiding.

 

[portia]

Sucking snails out of shells also requires special equipment cat fish do not have. I'm guessing it died and was picked at by the other fish. And I agree with Hukit. How's your water? Nitrate? Ammonia? Nitrite? How long has the tank been up?

Water is fine. I do test it occasionally and have never had a problem, mainly because I keep a low fish load and keep low maintenance fish because i don't have time for anything high maintenance. Tank is fully cycled, have had it for about 2-2 1/2 years or so.

 

[portia]

How big is this cat we're talking about. A full grown one could definitely swallow up the slower neons. Danios are probably too fast for it to eat. Idk about a pleco though they have sharp spines on some fins and very spiky skin. They aren't the favorite of piscivores. I've lost a 3" BN pleco in a 20gallon for 4 months before I found it so it could just be hiding.

He hides constantly, so hard to say, but probably about 2 inches or so, maybe a little more. I got him when I first set up the tank, so he's at least a couple of years old.

I know the pleco is not hiding-he's the only body I've ever found.

 

[Crepe]

I'm guessing the pleco just died. How big were the tetras? I know that if I were to leave a small tetra body in my tank it'd be gone in a day. Fish like to pick at things, even their best mates.

 

[portia]

I'm guessing the pleco just died. How big were the tetras? I know that if I were to leave a small tetra body in my tank it'd be gone in a day. Fish like to pick at things, even their best mates.

Just regular neons. I have black ones and reos in there now and they are fine.