Can I cycle a tank with snails?

[logansmomma1228]

It won't hurt them will it? As far as I know they won't be harmed but I don't want to add pure ammonia if it's going to hurt the little guys. **** MTS got me wanting a snail/shrimp tank now instead of QT... still fighting myself on it lol. And I am thinking about running the 60 filter on the 5, that won't be an issue will it? TIA everyone

 

[mellawson]

If your going to have snails in there it might be better to just use fish food instead of ammonia.

 

[neilanh]

Yeah, the high levels of ammonia can hurt them.

It sounds like you have another tank - just take some of the filter foam media or something from that one and put it in the filter for the new tank. If you're only going to have shrimp and snails, you won't have much of a bioload at all, so a small piece of seed material from your main tank will be fine. I wouldn't even bother cycling it if that's all you plan to have in the tank. The filter media from the already running tank will be sufficient to handle that small of a bioload.

 

[logansmomma1228]

Thanks guys. Yeah I am still not sure, I know if I do do anything with it it will be shrimp and snails, I am trying to keep it as QT though lol. I put the snails in there because I got them to feed my puffer but they are kinda cool and now I am all wanting to put more in there!