# Are my Cherry Shrimp eating pest snails?



## Shrimp&Snails

Since introducing eight cherry shrimp in my snail tank i've noticed several empty physid and planorbid (the tiny ones, not ramshorn) shells. I noticed a planorbid shell today balanced on a cabomba leaf.

I guess my shrimp ate them as I only have other snails and pygmy corydoras in the tank. I also have apple snail hatchlings but I haven't seen any empty shells....maybe because they have an operculum.

Has anyone else noticed this with their cherry shrimp?


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## milalic

I have not notice it...but i have not looked at my tank to see if I find empty snail shells either...

Cheers,
Pedro


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## John N.

Never noticed it, snails are running while in all the shrimp tanks...

Maybe in your case, the shrimp are eating all the algae before the little snails get a chance to snack on it? 

-John N.


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## trenac

I've never seen my Cherry's eat snails but I have seen my Amano's doing so.


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## bkrstmuse

I usually crush my pond snails and let my amanos and cherries snack on them. I think they've grown accustomed to the taste because now I see them going after the snails on their own. 

BTW my neons also love to eat crushed snails.


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## Cap'n Slappy

They'll eat dead snails out of the shell or pick algae of their shells. I have never seen them catching and eating live ones, though.


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## Questin

I have a little Cherry Shrimp tank that I tried very hard to start it out with no pest snails. Well that did not work, they still showed up, but when my population of snails grew, the pest snails started to not catch my eye.

Then I noticed in a dark little area many white specs, when I looked more at it, I could clearly see the many many pest snail shells that were building up in the area.

Yes, your Cherry Shrimps are eating your pest snails.

They do not go hunting for them, but like many scavengers, when the opportunity presents itself, they take it. I still see the snails in the tank and my shrimp population is very large now.


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## James0816

I can say that my Pearls will take on the snails. They have nearly wiped out the snail population in their tank. Not sure about RCS.


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