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Will Apple Snails eat Convict Chichlid Eggs? Thanks.

Chris

I would think so, but there is a slim chance of them getting near the eggs if the parents are in the tank with them.

Applesnails love fish eggs but chances are the convicts will kill the snails even when they aren't breeding. Cichlids rarely get along with applesnails even the more peaceful ones.

What kind of snails would not bother the eggs?

Chris

None. Snails are often added to tanks because they make good scavengers. They will eat most anything that ends up in the tank. Some are more likely to eat algae than others but all will eat any meaty foods they can get including fish eggs. The cichlids will probably kill anything but trumpet snails and maybe pest snails anyway.

How should i keep my tank clean naturally then if i cant use snails?

Chris

Snails and such do not eat fish waste and they produce alot of waste compared to how much they eat. They will not keep your tank clean anyway but only eat any leftover food and use a very small amount of it into growing. The rest will just turn into snail poop instead of fish poop. If you want to keep your tank clean do gravel vacs. A tank is not a natural body of water and what you put into it has to be taken back out again in some form. You can plant your tank and the plant will use some of the fish waste to grow but then you have to trim the plants to remove what you put into the system. You'd also have to plant the tank very heavily to make much difference and usually put in even more work to maintain it than if you just did gravel vacs. Fish tanks are not self sufficient you have to put in some work.

I know, I was planning on getting Plants...

Chris

You'll probely get some common snails on the plants you buy. The conc shouldn't go after the snails but they will if the snails get close enough.

Even if you have plants you still must do regular waterchanges w/ gravelpump, otherwise your water willl turn green, or will get rather stinky. Like mentioned before, most bottom feeders are big waste producers and can be a hassle. In a breeder tank, its best to not have any other fish/inverts other than the parents and the fry.

Inky