Small oscar & BIG apple snail... ok together?

[JamesBenjamin]

We have an apple snail thats a little bigger than a golf ball, in a 10 gallon tank. (so that he doesn't eat ALL the plants in our larger ones)

We just got a small (2 1/2") oscar that we were going to toss in the 10g with the snail for now, will they get along ok? I guess the real question is will an oscar eat a snail thats as big as he is?

And don't worry about the oscar outgrowing his tank, we have a 30g for him that now houses some 1 month old swordtail fry, in another month or so they'll be big enough to go in our 'big' tank and he'll get the 30g before he's too big for the 10g.

Thanks! :)

[Huyzel]

i'm afraid the oscar will outgrow the 30gal eventually.

[JamesBenjamin]

*shakes head*

I know this, but it will take him YEARS to do that. Thanks for you input, but does anyone know if this setup will be SAFE FOR THE SNAIL for the time being.

Thanks.

[Darkangel]

It will not take him years to outgrow the 30 I am afraid. If he is well fed and cared for he will easily outgrow it by the end of the year. Till the oscar is big enough to fit the snail into his mouth you will be okay. Even then I doubt he will bother the snail.

[Hootchieman]

I used to have 4 - 11" to 12" Oscars in a 135 gallon tank and they loved garden snails that I fed them. Some of the snails got to be about 1" in diameter which the Oscars had no problem cracking open. Your larger snail might be okay but might also get picked at even by a small oscar. I find that small oscars are very curious and explore "everything" in the tank.

[Argento13]

I had the same situation years ago. They were fine together for quite sometime, then one day the snail shell was empty. And i agree that the fish will be to large for a 30gal in a very short time. Its always good to do a little checking before purchasing a new fish. Im sure many Oscars have been mistreated due to non-informed people buying the "pretty little fish".