Nerite snail

[Jmrwiggly]

Hi,
I have a well planted 75g tank which makes it slightly hard to vacuum. I have 2 fiddler crabs, various tetras, a candy stripe and a cory cat. I want to get some nerite snails but worry that the crabs will make a lunch out of them. My water has no salt, I know the crabs are brackish but they seem to be happy. I've had them around 8 mths now. Will the snails be safe?

John

 

[Tenaya]

I have neritie snail in my shrimp tank they have also been in a tank with a cichlid and he did swim up to them and try to nibble on them but they're pretty good at hiding in their shells and figuring out the predators. They also doing great in freshwater. They have never even been in brackish or salt water so I wouldn't worry about the salinity of your water unless you want them breeding( they can only lay eggs in brackish water). Also they are algae eating machines and never seem to stop eating. I'm not too sure about your crabs, I would say it depends on the size of the crabs and the snails and if there are enough spots the snails can get to that the crabs can't/won't go.

 

[_Drago_]

Your crabs will most likely eat or injure the snails if you were to add them into the tank. Fiddler crabs in fact will often snap and even eat fish that get too close to them and thus do better in an environment that is their species only. I'd recommend separating the crabs altogether, though they technically can live in freshwater without dying, it's stressful on them and very unnatural. Fiddler crabs come from brackish swamp and marshland where they prey upon small fish and invertebrates so keeping them in a community tank is risky for your fish as well as stressful for the crabs However, it would be an easy fix as you could simply go out and get a ten gallon tank to separate them into so they can live in brackish water and your snails can live peacefully best wishes!