When it comes to keeping a tank of fish, there are many things that Nancy’s newbie needs to know. For example, do dwarf gouramis eat snails? The answer is yes, they will eat any type of snail that is in the tank.
In fact, they are known for being voracious snail predators. This means that if you have a tank with snails in it, you need to be very careful about adding dwarf gouramis, or any other fish that might prey on them. Otherwise, you could quickly find yourself with a tank full of empty shells!
Keep reading to learn more about what types of fish eat snails, and which ones you should avoid if you want to keep your snails alive.
Keeping Snails With Dwarf Gouramis
Many fish eat snails. The good news is that there are many types of fish that prey on the ones in your tank, but you need to be careful about which ones you put in.
Dwarf gouramis will not only eat any snail they can find, but their small size means that they are masters of their tank. They can get in through the tiniest holes, and they love to eat snails. Their small mouths make it easy for them to fit into most shells too, so you will probably lose more snails to your gourami than anything else!
Common Snail-Eating Tropical Fish
Other types of fish that are known to be snail predators include the following:
- Angelfish
- Some types of cichlids
- Barbs
- Certain loaches
- Catfish
- Plecos
While there are many other types of fish out there, these are some of the more common ones. Many people who have kept tanks for a while will have a story about one of these types of fish that have snailed their tank. If you have snails, then many of the fish on this list will be suitable for your tank.
Be Careful of Loaches and Some Barbs
There are some types of fish out there that prey on snails but should not be kept with dwarf gouramis.
For example, many types of loaches are snail eaters. Some barbs are also known to prey on snails. Both of these should be avoided if you want your snails to stay safe and live long lives!
You can check with the pet shop or do some research online before you go shopping for fish.
What About Other Pets?
Many other types of pets also love to eat snails.
For example, some frogs and turtles will happily snack on your little shelled friends whenever they find them. If you want to keep your snails safe, then you need to make sure that any pets in your house are not snail predators!
Dwarf gouramis and other snail predators are certainly not the only pets that eat them.
If you want to keep your snails around, be sure to do some research before introducing new pets into the home!
Best Types of Fish For a Tank With Snails
Now that you know what types of fish prey on snails, you may be wondering which ones work best for tanks with snails.
If you want to keep snail numbers high and still have lots of happy fish that prey on them, then there are a few good options:
Guppies:
These friendly fish are perfect for a tank with snails, and they will even eat any eggs that the snails lay too!
Livebearers (Mollies, Platies, etc.):
While most livebearers will happily snack on snail eggs or hatchlings, they tend to leave adults alone. They also have lots of babies, and those babies will snack on snails too! This means that the adults and babies can keep snail numbers down without wiping them out completely.
Goldfish:
These fish are very messy eaters, which means they produce a lot of waste. Lots of waste in the water often leads to lots of food for your snails, which can keep snail numbers high.
Gourami:
Gouramis are snail lovers, but they do not eat adult snails. This means that there will always be adults around, and the babies can take care of the eggs! The best part is that gouramis are mostly herbivores, so they don’t usually require extra food . Just avoid adding them to your tank if you already have snails, because they will make quick work of the babies!
There are lots of good options for fish that can keep snail numbers high while eating some or all of them. As long as you know what types of fish prey on snails and which ones do not, then you will be able to keep your tanks full of happy fish and your snails safe from harm!
One Final Note…
In some cases, you may have a type of snail that is too big for its predators to eat. If this is the case then you can absolutely keep dwarf gourami or another predator with those types of snails without any problems.
Some types of snail simply grow too big to be eaten by fish, and these snails can usually thrive in a tank with any type of fish.
Just because some fish eat certain types of snails does not mean that they will do so all the time or even at all! If your snails get too big for the fish to eat them, then you can absolutely keep those types of snails in your tank with any fish.
Fish will snack on snails when the snail is small enough for them to fit in their mouth! As long as your snails are not too big for the fish to eat, then they should be perfectly safe in a tank with any type of fish.