Cheeseball Posted October 10, 2018 Report Share Posted October 10, 2018 I have a small 10g aquarium with some (~10, with one berried) Yellow Neocaridina shrimps. They seem to be fine, but all of their waste, bits of plants, and other miscellaneous debris settle on top of the sand. I don't think it is harmful, but it isn't very good looking. I was thinking that maybe some snails would help turn the soil a bit, covering up the waste and letting it decompose away from view. So, I bought two Nerite snails to see how they would do before I bought more. The snails seem fine and healthy so far, but they are not really serving their purpose. They mostly stay on the glass, and they contribute a lot of waste to the layer. So, I was thinking of using Ramshorn snails instead. So, my question is this: should I use Nerite snails or Ramshorn snails to turn the sand? Or, alternatively, should I go without snails? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlakeWiles Posted October 11, 2018 Report Share Posted October 11, 2018 Well not to sure about if they would flip gravel because I’m new to the hobby as well but the waste they make is very beneficial to most shrimp I read. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlakeWiles Posted October 11, 2018 Report Share Posted October 11, 2018 Maybe if you wanted you could grab one of those small sand diggers and grab the chunks of waste out almost as a cat scooper. I think it’s called a sand sifter. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcrafted Posted October 11, 2018 Report Share Posted October 11, 2018 If shrimp waste is settling on top of the sand, then your sand is most likely too fine. With a coarse sand, like pool filter sand, waste should work it's way down into the sand to decompose eventually, as well as provide nutrition for your plants. With fine sand, anaerobic pockets become a worry, especially if it's over 1" deep. Regardless, what you want is Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS)... not to be confused with "multple tank syndrome". MTS will burrow into sand and feed off of debris during the daytime... which will be churning your soil in return. Shrimporama 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeseball Posted October 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 On 10/11/2018 at 2:56 PM, madcrafted said: If shrimp waste is settling on top of the sand, then your sand is most likely too fine. With a coarse sand, like pool filter sand, waste should work it's way down into the sand to decompose eventually, as well as provide nutrition for your plants. With fine sand, anaerobic pockets become a worry, especially if it's over 1" deep. Regardless, what you want is Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS)... not to be confused with "multple tank syndrome". MTS will burrow into sand and feed off of debris during the daytime... which will be churning your soil in return. Thanks for the help, I will look in to Malaysian Trumpet Snails. Also, I am growing a grass carpet, will the snails cause problems for the plants/grass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlakeWiles Posted October 15, 2018 Report Share Posted October 15, 2018 Thanks for the help, I will look in to Malaysian Trumpet Snails. Also, I am growing a grass carpet, will the snails cause problems for the plants/grass?No they will not for MTS do not eat live plants as they only eat decaying plant matter. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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