Snails and Axolotls?

[RobertW]

Hello,
I seen a lot of people having snails in there Axolotes tanks.
Some people say it's a bad idea as the snail can out grow the Axolotes and do damage, some people say it's fine to have in the tank, when some say they will end up getting eaten over time.

What do you guys think about this? only like to know as to day i phoned up the pet shop about this and the guy told me Apple snails will be fine in the tank if it's bigger then the Axolotes can eat.

I have seen some people having shrimps in there tank with Axo.
But are ghost shrimps tropical only?

Looking for a way to keep my tank clean, as it's getting hard to clean to parts i can't get to.

Thank you

 

[Kaini]

Re: Snails and Axolotes?

First of all I would definately not keep shrimp with your axolotl, they'd get eaten really fast.

Second of all, a snail isn't going to keep your tank clean for you, only you can do that. So as an accessory to keep your tank clean, no, don't get a snail.

As another pet, there's a bit of debate whether or not snails are okay to keep with your axolotl. I'm in the camp of 'no' - there are just too many risks involved with both animals. If the axolotl managed to eat the snail it would indeed cause problems.

 

[RobertW]

Re: Snails and Axolotes?

Ok thank you very much for your help.
My self is starting to think that keeping snails is a bad thing with Axolotes as more and more people i see on the web are having problems doing so.

I think i will keep them as the way they are :happy:

thanks

 

[axowattyl]

Re: Snails and Axolotes?

Actually, snails are well known and often utilized to keep tanks clean, and can have excellent results in some aquariums like planted shrimp tanks.

Having said that, they're probably/almost definitely not suitable to be in with axolotls for the same reason you don't want gravel in there.

 

[Tea Addict]

Re: Snails and Axolotes?

Hello,
I seen a lot of people having snails in there Axolotes tanks.
Some people say it's a bad idea as the snail can out grow the Axolotes and do damage, some people say it's fine to have in the tank, when some say they will end up getting eaten over time.

What do you guys think about this? only like to know as to day i phoned up the pet shop about this and the guy told me Apple snails will be fine in the tank if it's bigger then the Axolotes can eat.

I have seen some people having shrimps in there tank with Axo.
But are ghost shrimps tropical only?

Looking for a way to keep my tank clean, as it's getting hard to clean to parts i can't get to.

Thank you

Hey Apple snails do grow to big to be swallowed but there has been a reported case of a axie being cut by the 'trapdoor' to its shell which it quite sharp. Its a hot topic!
However I would be surprised if you could buy apple snails from a pet store in the uk as it is not illegal to import them due to ppl releasing them into the wild and they are now an invasive species. (It is not illegal to buy them from private sellers).

On the other hand snails are great if, like me, you have another tank. I have a large collection of apple snails and think they are fasinating. They don't clean the tank totally, (nothing eats their waste after all), and they can prefer your plants to algae but mine do a fair job of keeping the algae in check.

I have tried putting river shrimp in with my axies and have found they don't last long enough to get around to cleaning much unfortuantly. They just aren't fast enough!

 

[auntiejude]

Re: Snails and Axolotes?

However I would be surprised if you could buy apple snails from a pet store in the uk

Why? They are not illegal to keep or breed in the UK, only imports are banned.
I bought 2 from my LFS for my guppy tank, they had about a dozen, and you can get them almost anywhere in my region (including ebay).

I would not keep snails with axies, although some people do. Large hard-shelled snails are more of a problem, but there is always the risk of impaction from anything bigger than a few mm.
I get pond snails that have come from plants, but my adults take care of them as they are thin-shelled and they don't survive long enough to get big.

 

[Kaysie]

Re: Snails and Axolotes?

As an accidental snail keeper, I can say they're a serious pain. I had some generic pond snails come in on plants, and they're all over. I pick out dozens every time I do water changes, and I had to give up on the filter for my frog tank, as they clog it.

Snails poop A LOT! I would definitely not add snails to your tank to 'keep it clean'. They only add to the bioload. The only way to keep a closed system clean is to clean it.

 

[Geckogal]

In my 55 gallon I have 3 ghost shrimp, to help with left over food and other items, and 3 amano shrimp, to help keep the algae in check. My axolotls seem to have no interest in eating them, or they are just too fast for them to catch. They have been in there for about 3 months. I am well aware that they may end up as a snack, but for now they are doing the job.

 

[EmbryH]

As far as I'm concerned, an axolotl tank is only an axolotl tank. Anything that I put into the tank is there for food and only for food.

Axolotls are not the kind of animal to comfortably have tank mates, and there are too many instances of injury and death from people attempting to keep other species with their axolotls. Some people can manage it without any catastrophes, but I still consider it to be a very poor practice, not only for the axolotls, but also because it can spread bad habits to rookie axolotl keepers.

Generally, the rule is no. No other animals sharing the tank except Axolotls

 

[Niels D]

I definitily love snails. The snail feces is a lot easier to "recylce" by bacteria than the dead plant material and the raw axolotls feces. Bladder and pond snails mostly feed on dead material. Instead of rotting plant material and axolotl feces which produce a lot of nitrates, you get snail feces which is much easier to decompose. In my experience I've had more succes in raising L.laoensis, T.dobrogicus/carnifex/marmoratus, H.orientalis, C.e.popei, T.verrucosus, P. waltl, N.viricescens and A.mexicanum larvae in containers with snails than in containers without. Especially when you feed Daphnia and other small crustaceans. The large tanks with snails only need a partial water changed twice a year. Most of the time I only need to refill the vaporised water. I'm not saying this is only due to the snails, but the tanks which have a lot of living plants in combination with a good amount of snails are better in balance than all the other setups I've ever had.

 

[Tea Addict]

Re: Snails and Axolotes?

Why? They are not illegal to keep or breed in the UK, only imports are banned.
I bought 2 from my LFS for my guppy tank, they had about a dozen, and you can get them almost anywhere in my region (including ebay).

/QUOTE]

I was just going by what I had been told in the few stores I had been in. When I wanted more the place I orginally brought apple snails from didn't have a supplier and neither did any of the other stores I asked around in. I was always directed towards private selling, (ebay and the like). I kinda assumed they might be slightly harder to get hold of for stores.

 

[xxianxx]

As far as I'm concerned, an axolotl tank is only an axolotl tank. Anything that I put into the tank is there for food and only for food.

Axolotls are not the kind of animal to comfortably have tank mates, and there are too many instances of injury and death from people attempting to keep other species with their axolotls. Some people can manage it without any catastrophes, but I still consider it to be a very poor practice, not only for the axolotls, but also because it can spread bad habits to rookie axolotl keepers.

Generally, the rule is no. No other animals sharing the tank except Axolotls

It is generally "rookie axolotl keepers" who are averse to snails on the grounds of safety. Snails would have formed part of the natural diet of an axolotl

I definitily love snails. The snail feces is a lot easier to "recylce" by bacteria than the dead plant material and the raw axolotls feces. Bladder and pond snails mostly feed on dead material. Instead of rotting plant material and axolotl feces which produce a lot of nitrates, you get snail feces which is much easier to decompose. In my experience I've had more succes in raising L.laoensis, T.dobrogicus/carnifex/marmoratus, H.orientalis, C.e.popei, T.verrucosus, P. waltl, N.viricescens and A.mexicanum larvae in containers with snails than in containers without. Especially when you feed Daphnia and other small crustaceans. The large tanks with snails only need a partial water changed twice a year. Most of the time I only need to refill the vaporised water. I'm not saying this is only due to the snails, but the tanks which have a lot of living plants in combination with a good amount of snails are better in balance than all the other setups I've ever had.

As above, you can also add A.andersoni, H.boettgeri, I.a.alpestris and I.a.reiseri to the species that I have kept with snails. I generally introduce greater pond snails to my tanks as they dont harm the plants, grow to a large size , develop a golden colour when adult making them an attractive addition to a tank and an additional food source. I have over seventy tanks atm, mostly axolotls , they all have snails in and I have yet to have had a problem with axolotls getting impacted with snails despite the fact that the snails get heavily predated, even to the extent that I have to keep adding new ones to tanks where they get wiped out.