snail sucking atahualpa

[cootwarm]

I was just checking out my atahualpa tank and saw the largest female trying to suck a snail out of it's shell. She worked on it for at least 15 minutes and I think in the she finally managed it. I don't know if this was part of her diet or if she was trying something new. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

There are more empty snail shells in her 'territory' as compared to the rest of the tank bottom, but I don't notice any reduction of the snail population. Perhaps she keeps the population from getting out of control. I don't usually crush the snails because I worry about them rotting before they get eaten, but perhaps I might try it for awhile in my atahualpa tank and see what happens.

Anybody else seen any apistos eating snails?

Michael

 

[P.W.]

I have never seen apistos eating snails.
But when I leave my keyholes without food for a couple of days, they start to feed on the malayan snails. Usually when I´m back home from a trip, there´s always empty snailshells all over the bottom of the tank.
But it seems that they prefer frozen mysis before the snails, so normally they just leave them.

Best regards/ Per

 

[Peter Lovett1]

Strange you should say this I have seen cacatuoides and laetacara sp. do this on quite a phew occasions. They really seem to get very excited and shake the shell like a dog with a rag.

So I would say for some dwarf it is part of there diet.

 

[cootwarm]

These are just ordinary small pond snails.

They really seem to get very excited and shake the shell like a dog with a rag.

This is exactly what mine was doing.

Michael

 

[Peter Lovett1]

Though I suppose it could just be an adaptation to tank life.