Mollusks can be a lovely addition to any tank. Snails are one of the favorite choices among aquarium hobbyists. But you should make sure if they are compatible with the fish you have in your tank. Most livebearers like the swordtail harass any smaller and lower creatures in the food chain, including snails. So, do swordtail fish eat snails?
Swordtail Fish are omnivorous, so given a chance, yes, swordtails will eat your snails. They are likely to eat the tiny snails that fit in their mouths when stressed or underfed. However, if you take proper preventive measures, your snails and swordtail could co-exist.
Swordtail fish are not particularly snail eaters. They have to be smart enough not to try and eat a hard-shelled creature like snails. However, a little preparation never hurts.
Do Swordtails Eat Snails?
Swordtails are one of the most peaceful creatures. Therefore, snails come under the list of best tank mates for swordtail fish.
However, swordtails are omnivores and voracious eaters. So, they would not mind attacking your snails if you do not provide them with adequate food.
Likewise, some swordtails are born passive-aggressive. Such swordtails will go for even the bigger fish in the tank; your snails would be an easy food.
Swordtail fish will eat whatever fits into their mouth-even their own babies! It’s just nature.
Hence, swordtails will try to eat tiny snails.
What Should You Know?
There are a few things you should consider while pairing swordtails and snails. First, swordtails are peaceful and are compatible with snails; I’ll give you that. But, you never know.
Size
Swordtail fish are opportunistic eaters, and they’ll consume whatever fits in their mouth. They’re able to go as extreme as eating their own babies under the right circumstances.
As such, baby snails would easily make up a large part of swordtail fish’s diet provided they could catch them.
However, most adult snails are 1-4 inches, and a swordtail fish grows up to be 3-5 inches long. So while a swordtail fish may eat small snails if it gets the chance, they cannot easily eat larger snails.
Appearance
Snails have hard shells to duck into whenever there’s trouble, but swordtail fish are not interested in eating them.
So, your swordtail will probably get bored after constant attempts to get past the shell.
But if the snail is small enough, swordtails will eat them even with their shells.
Temperament
The most peaceful of swordtails will not even bother the snails in your tank.
However, some are born alpha and will pick up on every other creature they find. This can keep your snails in harm’s way.
Aggressive swordtails can do a lot of damage to other creatures in the tank.
On the other hand, snails are just busy eating and crawling in your tank.
Water Parameters
Most snails are found at a temperature of 75 to 86 °F and have pH values similar to those encountered by swordtail fish.
Snails are small, slow creatures that inhabit the bottom of your aquarium. They act as excellent tank cleaners and enjoy easy living, providing a cleanup service like no other.
Some snails breed in filters, creating a biohazard. Some also shed ammonia which is poisonous to swordtail fish.
How To Protect Your Snail From Getting Eaten By Swordtails?
The following steps should help swordtails and snails to coexist in the same tank:
Put Plenty Of Hiding Spots
Enough coverage for your snails is necessary for the tank. In addition, covering with plants will provide your snail more of a feeling of safety from the swordtail fish.
Swordtail fish can eat snails if they get the chance–the plants you use for this purpose need to grow densely, so the swordtails have no way of reaching your snails.
Select plants like java moss, water wisteria, and java fern will provide better protection from swordtail attacks.
Feed Your Swordtail Adequately
As mentioned, swordtails are likely to chase and harass your snails if you don’t feed them properly.
Swordtails will eat snails if given a chance. Eliminate this problem by providing a balanced diet to your swordtail fish, preventing them from eating other creatures in the tank.
Balance Water Parameters
Maintaining a clean and healthy tank is one of the key ways to ensure fish can live in tranquility.
If you neglect your tank’s water parameters, like the ammonia levels in your tank, they are spiking. Then, your swordtail fish can display violent tendencies to snails due to their increased stress level.
You should carefully balance a cornucopia of tank factors so that your swordtail fish can peacefully exist in its habitat and refrain from causing distress to the poor snails.
Keep Suitable Snails
Not all snails are equal when it come to eating them. Some of the larger ones might seem completely off-limits for a swordtail fish, and you shouldn’t offer them as food, but many smaller snails will be eaten if given a chance.
Make sure that any snail you get is compatible with your swordtail fish. Consider any of the following requirements before deciding to purchase a new one:
- large, but not so large as to hinder the movement of swordtail in tank
- peaceful, but also active enough to deter snails
- hardy and disease resistant
In this way, you can protect your snails from getting eaten by your swordtail fish.
Can Snails Eat Swordtail Fish?
Snails are slow and peaceful. They can’t ever catch the fast swimmer swordtail or harm them.
The best way to remove dead or sick fish from your tank is through the use of a snail. Snails will eat up dead or weak swordtails in your tank.
Snails are tank cleaners and eat dead swordtail fish, but they typically do not prey on them.
Best Snails To Keep With Swordtails
The best snails to keep with swordtails are the larger ones that live on plants.
A hungry swordtail will eat the smaller types of snails in an instant, and thus, they need to stay away from your tank, or you’ll have another problem on your hands.
Some compatible snails for your swordtails are:
- Assassin Snail
- Mystery Snail
- Nerite Snail
- Mithras Spiny Stream Snail
- Bumblebee Assassin Snail
- Golden Apple Snail
- Turret Snail
Benefits Of Keeping Snails In Your Tank
Snails are one of the most common aquarium tank pets and have some great benefits.
They help clean your fish tank; they can be a food source for larger predatory fish, they provide nutrients to plants in your tanks via their waste products.
Moreover, they eat algae that may grow on surfaces such as glass or substrate material.
Conclusion
Swordtails eat snails. But you need to be careful and follow all the rules. Otherwise, your swordtails and snails can’t live together.
Still, having a tank with both in it is better for all of your creatures because they will benefit from the snails.
Follow the steps, take proper care of both your snails and your swordtails, and you should be good.
