Tankmates For Applesnails

[Melody]

I have been compiling a list of aggressive fish that are and are not, ok with Applesnails. I only keep one Cichlid and that's it for aggressives, so I've been picking people's brains. Some Cichlids have a jaw designed specifically for snail eating, for example. Researching the fish's wild diet will often give us clues as to how they'll be with snails in the tank.

If anyone keeps aggressives and has experience with them and Applesnails, please let us know. If your experience conflicts with what I have here, by all means point it out - I'm just parroting what I've been told for the most part.:smile:

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UNSUITABLE AGGRESSIVE/SEMI-AGGRESSIVE TANK MATES:

Synodontis cats
Pufferfish
Oscar
Severums
Parrot Cichlids
Mbuna
Honduran Red Points

UNSUITABLE COMMUNITY FISH

Botia Loaches
Pearl Gourami

SUITABLE AGGRESSIVE/SEMI-AGGRESSIVE TANKMATES:

Tang Cichlids
Ram Cichlids
Electric Yellow Lab.
Ameca Splendens

CAUTION - MIXED REPORTS:

Bettas
Swordtails
Platies
Guppies
Endler's Livebearers

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Some community fish will pick at snails as well, but there seems to be no rhyme nor reason to it. Some say Swordtails pick at them, others say they ignore the snails completely, for example. I have observed that it is, at least sometimes, learned behaviour. If one fish starts picking at them in a tank, the rest do too. I believe that with community fish they may be after the infusoria that the Applesnails pass with their feces. Others see the antennae as 'worms'.

I get asked about this on a regular basis and I feel I should be able to give a more well-informed answer than "Um... maybe?" lol I don't want to set people up for disaster, but I also don't want to deprive them if they want snails and it won't be a prob. Up until now I had to advise them to ask the people who are most familiar with the fish. Now I have you people :D .

Thanks for your input!

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[Pamelajo]

I have tried Guppies and that did not work. Males are okay too busy chasing anything that looks good. The females on the other hand will all peck at the snail until he closes up. Guppy fry seem okay.
I have had my Boesami Rainbows in with them with good results. Will be trying Red Rockets Minnows (lf white clouds) will let you know how that goes.

[CACAdmin]

I have applesnails in all my tanks & here is what I have observed in my tanks:


Mollies: seem to ignore them entirely
Hets: seem to ignore them entirely
Plecos: will often 'scrub' their shells (snails don't seem to mind) & will compete with them for food.
Adult/Juvie Platys: seem to ignore them except will compete with them for food
Platy Fry: will sometimes pick at them (the fry think everything in the tank is food...lol & pick at anything) but rarely to the point that the snail closes up. The platy fry lose interest rather quickly (short attention span, as is with most youngersters...lol.)

[bettakim]

I have apples in all my tanks now (thanks to Melody and Peggy, I love the colours!) and I only have one community tank the rest are strictly for bettas. It is really a hit and miss with the bettas from what I've been watching. My threee boys in their divided tank leave their cleaning crews alone - this is also were mating has been happening and most clutches are being laid, my large female is in the community tank and she likes to poke the snails, doesn't nibble or sample just annoy and it's not just the apples, she does it to the ramshorns too - but then again she is a bit of a bully to everyone in the tank. The male in that tank leaves them alone. I did have a good size fantail goldfish in the com. tank which seems to have kept my ramshorn snail population under control as I rarely saw eggs but he never bothered the actual snails. The 35G tank houses my current batch of growing fry, a small female and my golden dojo loach and everyone gets along quite well. I guess the snails are happy as I've been getting clutches from 2 of my girls (gold/black cross and ivory/blue cross) and everyone is growing and looking good.

[Melody]

Now ya see, I forgot to mention Loaches - I'll list the suitable and unsuitable ones as well - thanks for reminding me Kim!

The conflicting reports I don't know what to do about. I guess just having your experiences here so people know to watch for it, is great. Then we can add them if we notice a definite trend.

Guppies, for example - mine don't bother the snails at all. Endler's, however, have been reported to pick, so maybe it depends on if they have Endler's in their ancestry? Pure guesswork. Personality, learned behaviour, all seem to be factors, with some fish being more prone to it than others.

I've also heard reports about Platy's picking, yet others don't. Swordtails seem to quite often, so I'm wondering if its an ancestry thing again, since Platy's are often carrying Swordtail blood.

Lotsa Livebearers there.... their love of vegies comes to mind. This is gross:laugh: , but maybe the undigested vegies that the snails are passing appeal? Along with the fact that its full of infusorians?

However inconsistent that the reports may be, its something people should be aware of and I'm glad everyone is being so specific, thanks.

Goldfish - Applesnails are tropical creatures but I do keep many of mine at room temp so I don't personally see a prob in that respect. However, I have heard that Goldfish may try to eat them, perhaps accidentally as they fall through the water or whatever, and they can choke on them. Be careful with smaller snails in their tanks, just in case.

Very interesting and informative - its one of those things that only experience can help with in many cases and I appreciate your taking the time to share yours. :)

[thegrandpoohbah]

I had juvie swortails in with my snails. They were fine until they got to about 1" in length, then they started attacking the snails incessantly. Long story short, Melody got 8 juvie swords in a trade for some more snails!

[Melody]

Now the odd part of that one is, they don't bother the Spixies. Maybe the male Albino Reds are keeping them too busy, because there's only the females in there. Works for me anyway! :D Thanks for adding your experience!

[Pamelajo]

Like CACadmin said my bn plecos are great with snails sometimes clean them but does not bother the snails. Cories are great with them too!

[Corbin]

You can keep apple snails with snakeheads, mine never bothered anyone of my snails (ramshorns, apple snails, gaint ramshorns)

[estuary]

You can keep apple snails with snakeheads, mine never bothered anyone of my snails (ramshorns, apple snails, gaint ramshorns)
bichirs dont bother my snails (apple, nirate)

[AquaScaper]

Danio's bugged the Bridgesii's incessantly. They refused to come out of their shells and had to be moved.

CAE's like to clean their shells and they don't seem to mind.

Hets leave them alone, except the fry which seem to be curious of the shells sometimes but never actually really pester them.

My female Betta likes to play ball with the Rams but leaves the apples alone so I guess it really depends on the Betta

Splendens are fine but they do sometimes knock em off the glass, curiosity I think.

Oto's are great with them, they do clean their shells sometimes though.

My Green Terror who isn't a terror at all leaves snails totally alone if they are dime size and bigger. There's a big purple Bridgessii living in the tank

Striped Barbs are totally fine with them

[CACAdmin]

I originally posted that mollies seem to ignore the snails entirely. This is true only of the adults. Now that I am breeding mollies, I have discovered that the fry pick at the snails incessantly (for infusoria I guess). The snails seem to put up with it for the mostpart, rarely closing up because of it. Sometimes they don't even seem to notice. (either that or they have accepted it as just one of those things in life you have to tolerate.:rolleyes: )
I will monitor it to determine at what age the mollies lose interest.

[pacific]

My Neolamprologus Brevis (little Tang. shell dwellers) are house with a bunch of red ramshorns. They only attack them when the snails try to come into their shells (which seems to happen about 50 times a day :). This usually involves them picking up the snails and dumping them on the far side of the tank. Once a month or so they manage to catch a snail in the soft parts and then there's one less snail living in the tank.

[corrosionjerry]

Does anyone here know if Briggs are compatible in a cherry shrimp tank?

[Melody]

:Welcome: They are indeed - I've had them together for a couple of years now. The shrimp ride around on the snail's back - its hilarious. :laugh: As long as the pH is above 7, they'll be fine in that regard too.

[distanc3]

my koi's do well with them =]

[Pamelajo]

Like Mel said! I have two tanks with just shrimp and snails and everyone is getting along fine.