will a mandarin eat baby snails?

awholelota · 08/28/2008, 12:51 PM

my 50g is sick with baby snails. i've always wanted a mandarin but was afraid that my young (1 year old) tank doesn't produce enough pods for it. i have about 100lbs of rock, and a fudge that does have pods. i see pods all the time. i also have a 90g in my garage that will be up in a month or two with another 50lbs of rock that's cooking right now. i know most of you will say that a mandarin needs at least a million gallons to be happy, but does anyone think it'd be safe? will it help with the snails, or will he just ignore them and die if my rocks and fudge doesn't make enough pods?

tanker · 08/28/2008, 12:58 PM

I do not think it will eat snails. You can always buy some PODS online.

awholelota · 08/28/2008, 01:06 PM

hum.. but the snails are tiny.. smaller than most pods are.

Amazon4 · 08/28/2008, 01:10 PM

it's the little tiny copepods they eat, not the larger amphipods.

I don't think they'd eat the snails.

awholelota · 08/28/2008, 01:16 PM

oh. i though they would also eat the bigger trigger pods.

Akaash · 08/28/2008, 01:25 PM

Tigger pods, yes they will eat them, also.

rivoth · 08/28/2008, 02:01 PM

My Mandarin definitely eats Amphipods. They used to be crawling all over before my Mandarin joined the tank, now the Amphipods play hide and seek, and there are a lot more empty amphipod shells floating around the water column. He also decimated my live mysid population in a hurry.

I think you are out of luck on baby snails though. My recommendation would be to hold off on the Madarin until you have the 90 gallon running, and you see pods crawling over the rocks wherever you look.

A 50 gallon might work, but only if you have really learned how to cultivate your pod population, or know how to train the Mandarin to eat pellets or frozen foods.

jubjub · 08/28/2008, 02:42 PM

i can say no...i have a mandarin, and honestly they havent gotten any less so i would say no

awholelota · 08/28/2008, 08:35 PM

thanks for the help everyone. i'll hold off on the madarin until my 90 is a year old or so...

what will happen with all of the baby snails? there are at least... 300+ maybe 500. they're everywhere at night.

Sk8r · 08/28/2008, 09:24 PM

Sell them. Some species are 1.00 a pop.

seapug · 08/28/2008, 10:46 PM

Anybody want 10,000 Collonista snails? I'll give you a deal at 50 cents each.

wiscsaltwater · 08/29/2008, 05:19 AM

people might not like this but with your live rock and being a year old and the fact that your seeing pods everywhere i think your ready for a mandarin now, people are generally scared of them but in all reality they arent THAT difficult to care for a year old with pods is plenty.

08/28/2008, 12:51 PM	#1
awholelota Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 149	will a mandarin eat baby snails? my 50g is sick with baby snails. i've always wanted a mandarin but was afraid that my young (1 year old) tank doesn't produce enough pods for it. i have about 100lbs of rock, and a fudge that does have pods. i see pods all the time. i also have a 90g in my garage that will be up in a month or two with another 50lbs of rock that's cooking right now. i know most of you will say that a mandarin needs at least a million gallons to be happy, but does anyone think it'd be safe? will it help with the snails, or will he just ignore them and die if my rocks and fudge doesn't make enough pods?

08/28/2008, 01:25 PM	#6
Akaash Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Lancaster PA Posts: 135	Tigger pods, yes they will eat them, also. __________________ -Mike Current Tank Info: 3g Pico Full Mixed Reef - 90g tech light reef

08/28/2008, 02:42 PM	#8
jubjub Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: vacaville, cali Posts: 2,698	i can say no...i have a mandarin, and honestly they havent gotten any less so i would say no __________________ "The world holds two classes of men - intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence." - Abu Ala Al-Maari

08/28/2008, 09:24 PM	#10
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Sell them. Some species are 1.00 a pop. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/29/2008, 05:19 AM	#12
wiscsaltwater Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 429	people might not like this but with your live rock and being a year old and the fact that your seeing pods everywhere i think your ready for a mandarin now, people are generally scared of them but in all reality they arent THAT difficult to care for a year old with pods is plenty. __________________ I have a 10g tank, how many tangs can i keep in it? Current Tank Info: 550g salt, 55g salt, 29g salt

08/28/2008, 12:58 PM	#2
tanker Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: sf bay area Posts: 3,522	I do not think it will eat snails. You can always buy some PODS online.

08/28/2008, 01:06 PM	#3
awholelota Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 149	hum.. but the snails are tiny.. smaller than most pods are.

08/28/2008, 01:10 PM	#4
Amazon4 Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Arlington, MA Posts: 690	it's the little tiny copepods they eat, not the larger amphipods. I don't think they'd eat the snails.

08/28/2008, 01:16 PM	#5
awholelota Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 149	oh. i though they would also eat the bigger trigger pods.

08/28/2008, 02:01 PM	#7
rivoth Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 267	My Mandarin definitely eats Amphipods. They used to be crawling all over before my Mandarin joined the tank, now the Amphipods play hide and seek, and there are a lot more empty amphipod shells floating around the water column. He also decimated my live mysid population in a hurry. I think you are out of luck on baby snails though. My recommendation would be to hold off on the Madarin until you have the 90 gallon running, and you see pods crawling over the rocks wherever you look. A 50 gallon might work, but only if you have really learned how to cultivate your pod population, or know how to train the Mandarin to eat pellets or frozen foods.

08/28/2008, 08:35 PM	#9
awholelota Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 149	thanks for the help everyone. i'll hold off on the madarin until my 90 is a year old or so... what will happen with all of the baby snails? there are at least... 300+ maybe 500. they're everywhere at night.

08/28/2008, 10:46 PM	#11
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	Anybody want 10,000 Collonista snails? I'll give you a deal at 50 cents each.