# why keep snails in shrimp tank?



## brook39 (Aug 12, 2016)

What benefit is from keeping snails in shrimp tank? I've never have snails in my shrimp tanks, but every tank I see on pic is with snails. Are they help to remove food waste? Add nutrients for plants from their waste? Extra CO2? While most shrimp tank don't have fish?


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## Opare (Sep 9, 2015)

Most people have snails because they hitchhike there way into a tank, not because they intentionally put them in there. That being said there isn't really any drawbacks, besides some people not liking how they look, and their population can explode if you overfeed. They can help deal with algae and and excess food, but that means they'll compete with the shrimp for food.
Shrimp specific tanks usually don't have fish because most fish will eat baby shrimp, and that is not something you want if you are breeding expensive shrimp. You can have fish but it depends what your goals are. Are you trying to breed a huge colony of really beautiful shrimp, or do you just want shrimp to be part of the community and you are not too concerned with their population growth.


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## natemcnutty (May 26, 2016)

Snails can be beneficial for shrimp - many of them produce infusoria which shrimp enjoy eating. Some types complement shrimp by eating types of algae the shrimp won't eat, and then you'll see the shrimp tear through the snail poop for whatever the heck they can get from it...


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## Matuva (Jun 8, 2015)

natemcnutty said:


> ... then you'll see the shrimp tear through the snail poop for whatever the heck they can get from it...


Yuk! :confused1:


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## Cloudwarrior (Mar 1, 2017)

I crush them for the shrimp to eat whenever I see that their numbers are getting too big. Shrimp go crazy for them 

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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I like nerites but have assassin snails in my main tank. So I kept them with my shrimp since the bio load was so small, I knew I wouldn't have to worry about a pest snail infestation.


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## Nlewis (Dec 1, 2015)

Cloudwarrior said:


> I crush them for the shrimp to eat whenever I see that their numbers are getting too big. Shrimp go crazy for them
> 
> Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk


I do the same and they do love them.


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