Mystery snails in a cichlid tank?

[Crawdaddy]

S this a good idea, or will they become a late night snack? I have them in my betta tank, and they do a great job with the algae.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Well it depends on the type of cichlid your talking about????

 

[Crawdaddy]

Africans, lol. I know that covers a lot of fish. 2 yellow labs, 2 jewels, 1 blue acai, 1ob zebra, 2 juvie zebra obliquidens, 3 juvie Redfin Borleyi, and 3 juvie phenochilas. The juvies are all around 1-1.5 inches. Also there is 1 African feather fin cat, 1 CAE, 1 high fin leopard Pleco.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Africans, lol. I know that covers a lot of fish. 2 yellow labs, 2 jewels, 1 blue acai, 1ob zebra, 2 juvie zebra obliquidens, 3 juvie Redfin Borleyi, and 3 juvie phenochilas. The juvies are all around 1-1.5 inches. Also there is 1 African feather fin cat, 1 CAE, 1 high fin leopard Pleco.

I would say yes to the snack bit I've never tryed it. So maybe someone that has will chime in

 

[dmk6]

Yes the yellow labs will eat them. All mbuna will but yellow labs even more so. They start eatting snails from fryhood on. When I first got yellow labs I had a snail infestation they were are gone with in a month.

 

[christine2012]

I've tried it and the mbuna constantly pecked at the snails. Eating tentacles and whatnot. Those poor snails didn't make it three days.

 

[Crawdaddy]

Good to know. I have a line of algae along the sand line, and my pleco's don't seem to be interested in cleaning it. They latch on everywhere else, but not there, and I'm worried that be trying to scrub it, I might scratch the glass.

 

[christine2012]

Good to know. I have a line of algae along the sand line, and my pleco's don't seem to be interested in cleaning it. They latch on everywhere else, but not there, and I'm worried that be trying to scrub it, I might scratch the glass.

Just use your finger, alot of algae will just wipe right off. I doubt the snails would get it that low anyway

 

[dmk6]

Try anubius attached to a rock or driftwood. It might out compete the algae for nutrients and mbuna don't like the taste. so a bite then they leave it alone. It will help with nitrates also, as most mbuna tanks are overstocked (a. because they are the coolest fish on the planet and b. because this helps with aggression.).

 

[Crawdaddy]

Try anubius attached to a rock or driftwood. It might out compete the algae for nutrients and mbuna don't like the taste. so a bite then they leave it alone. It will help with nitrates also, as most mbuna tanks are overstocked (a. because they are the coolest fish on the planet and b. because this helps with aggression.).

What are the special needs for this. The one time I tried real plants it was a disaster, so I'm not set up with CO2 or special substrate. I'm running LED lights.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

What are the special needs for this. The one time I tried real plants it was a disaster, so I'm not set up with CO2 or special substrate. I'm running LED lights.

They.don't really need anything special they can float around and stay alive. there are not too many people that have had much sucess keeping plants with Cichlids including myself.

 

[Malawi Freak]

Mts (Malaysian trumpet snails) are the only snails that really stand a chance to cichlids because they can close off their operculum. Kinda like shutting a door behind them when they hide in their shell.