looking for some squishy's to add to my tank

[Krilorn]

So i currently have a 40 gallon light to medium fake planted. There are 6 tiger barbs, 3 cory cats, and 3 bloodfin tetras. Was wanting to get some small snail/crab/shrimp to add to the diversity of my lil aquatic house. Any suggestions as to what would mix well with what i currently have? I do plan on 3-4 more, barbs prolly a couple ablino tigers and a odessa barb or two. Thx in advance for any help!

note: i dont currently have any top on the tank other then the light if that makes a difference.

[snoopy65]

I would go with ramshorn snails or MTS if you get any. Tiger barbs are notorious nippers and would nip the antenna of something like Bridgessi. Any form of Dwarf shrimp would become lunch and I would imagine, although I have never had a crab, that they are like crayfish and are opportunistic hunters. Some of your fish would occasionally come up missing.

[kyryah]

"I shall call him Squishy, and he shall be mine, and he shall be, my Squishy."

I agree with snoopy :D

Kristina

[Krilorn]

ok so im still a newbie to all this, what exactly is a MTS? :perv:

[kyryah]

Malaysian trumpet snail... they live mainly in the substrate. They are long and conical, live bearers, and I love 'em, lol.

Kristina

[msjinkzd]

Nerites might be ok as well since they don't have very visible "faces"

[BettaFishMommy]

you could go with apple snails (briggs). i would keep the water level an inch or two below the top of the tank if you have no lid, to help prevent snail escapes. my planted 55 has no lid or cover other than the two fluorescent lights angled across it and my shellkids don't escape at all. not to say this guarantees they won't try to leave the tank, but it works for me. i have barbs with briggs and there are no nipping issues.

if you do go with briggs, keep an eye on your barbs to see if they are bothering the snails at all by nipping at their antennae (antennae sometimes look like yummy worms to fish!).

[The Zigman]

Ya know... I gotta take a stand for my barbed friends..
I have had tiger barbs for a long time, and I have to say that if they were is groups of maybe 5-6 or more, I never had a problem with nipping...

I have never had barbs with bridgesii, and I am not saying that they will not nip their antennae.
but barbs arent the terrors everyoe wants us to believe.
Anyway, thats all I got.

Later.

[msjinkzd]

I really wouldn't put bridgesii with barbs, just too tempting of antennaes. If you decide to try it, make sur eyou have a back up plan for the snails. I really think nerites or any common snails (rams, mts, etc) would be fine.

[Krilorn]

Hmmm went looking around a few places today for some of the suggestions you guys threw out but none of the stores i hit today had anything but mystery snails...i was so upset that i had to buy my first LIVE PLANT, lol cant ever leave wanting to pick something up and come home empty handed. Oh well the hunt continues tomarrow for some mts.

[kyryah]

Hmmm went looking around a few places today for some of the suggestions you guys threw out but none of the stores i hit today had anything but mystery snails...i was so upset that i had to buy my first LIVE PLANT, lol cant ever leave wanting to pick something up and come home empty handed. Oh well the hunt continues tomarrow for some mts.


Check the classifieds here, you can get mts for free with just shipping usually.

Kristina

[kyryah]

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=193658

[Krilorn]

thx for all the advice. Im gonna be goin on vaca in the next couple days but when i get back i will definatly check out all the lovely squishy critters for sale in the classifieds.