Do plecos eat snails?

[Sawyer]

A couple months or so ago my common plecos ate part of my snail's body. I think because the snail was either sick or old because it hadn't been moving at all for days (but wasn't dead, because it didn't smell). It died like a week later after I'd already put it in another tank. I wanted to get more snails but wanted to make sure that plecos won't eat healthy snails?

 

[Lupin]

My BN plecos and whiptail pleco never ate snails of all stages even from newborn brigs. I can understand if the snail has been weakened and incapable of defending itself but healthy snails, I don't think the plecos we often buy would eat them.

 

[Wycco]

I think there is a large difference in the diets of different species of Pleco... most are herbivorous and/pr eat algae/biofilm. I think some are more carnivorous. Whether any species will actively hunt down snails I don't know. I've never kept any of the species often sold as "common" Pleco.

My own bulldog is strictly an algae/biofilm gal- I've never witnessed her eat anything else, besides driftwood.

 

[Sawyer]

Alright, well I don't think I'll take a chance putting more snails with these two,even though they likely only ate part of the snail because it was dying.

Other bottom dwellers should be alright though? Like shrimp, cories, otos, loaches?

 

[benzjamin13]

I don't think so. It's been awhile since I've had snails and plecos together, but I don't remember ever having a problem with it.

 

[Lycanthropic]

I heard loaches eat snails.... correct me if im wrong.

 

[Sawyer]

Yeah, some loaches do. Like clowns.