My clown loaches love to hunt down snails - as most other clowns probably do too. It was a lot of fun to watch, especially when they were small and it took a while for them to finish a snail. Of course they always wanted the same snail and were fighting over it even with others to choose from (they are clowns after all). My bala sharks did not bother the snails at first, but lately aquired a taste for them - they eat them whole, shell and all. Usually when I feed snails 2 or 3 don't even make it to the bottom of the tank - snatched up by balas. If I don't throw them in at once they grab even more.
I am worried about getting sick snails from the store that will make my fish sick. Also not sure if it would be better to stop feeding snails for the balas sake - I never knew they liked snails, eating them whole does not sound right either.
But if I stop feeding the occasional snail snack (about once a month), am I depriving my clowns of a favourite thing to eat? They do love their frozen brine shrimp that they get about 3 times a week - but that takes different skills to eat as they snatch them out of the water. The only other fun food they play with are algae wafers - I am not actually sure if they eat them or just hide them for the algae eaters to have to search for them later. I tried banana and cucumber, but my clowns won't touch them. Regular daily diet is shrimp pellets and possibly flakes (for other fish) that make it to the bottom.
(Mental note to self: let the frozen brine shrimp dissolve in a cup before pouring in tank, otherwise one of the balas will grab the cube as soon as it starts to sink. The one time I seen him do it, there was about 3/4 of the cube still clumped together and disappeared in one gulp.
)
I am worried about getting sick snails from the store that will make my fish sick. Also not sure if it would be better to stop feeding snails for the balas sake - I never knew they liked snails, eating them whole does not sound right either.
But if I stop feeding the occasional snail snack (about once a month), am I depriving my clowns of a favourite thing to eat? They do love their frozen brine shrimp that they get about 3 times a week - but that takes different skills to eat as they snatch them out of the water. The only other fun food they play with are algae wafers - I am not actually sure if they eat them or just hide them for the algae eaters to have to search for them later. I tried banana and cucumber, but my clowns won't touch them. Regular daily diet is shrimp pellets and possibly flakes (for other fish) that make it to the bottom.
(Mental note to self: let the frozen brine shrimp dissolve in a cup before pouring in tank, otherwise one of the balas will grab the cube as soon as it starts to sink. The one time I seen him do it, there was about 3/4 of the cube still clumped together and disappeared in one gulp.
)
