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Just curious, are snails a viable meal for these cats?

Shelled, maybe. Live, I think not.

Dinyar

I'll let you guys know what works, I'll try both ways when I get the Raphaels.

Iv heard that they will eat snails as long as they are a reasonable size. I think it was Dorad who told me so it should be true, im not sure if it was him or not so dont hold me to i though good luck.

Many Dorads eat snails or at least baby snails; but few go at them like Pseudodoras, Pterodoras or the TRUE snailTerminator Megalodoras.

But I've seen adult Platydoras tackle tiny Ramshorn snails, and baby Burrowers. In time they might control the snailpopulation by eliminating the newborn ones.
Mind, I'm talking adult Dorads here, not 2" Platydoras fresh from the LFS, but 7" monsters.

Pseudodoras is tame enough to be hand-fed live snails, if you're into that kind of sadistic pleasure.

I handfeed my Axolotl live earthworms.....
It wouldn't be a problem at all to feed a Pseudodoras, just fun!

I once had two fairly big Pterodoras, wich really liked peas and stuff, but unfortunately they were WAY too skittish to be handfed. They refused to show up, unless the hood of the tank was closed!

I have a single adult Amblydoras Hancocki that didn't make a dent in a population of small pond snails.Of course,I also introduced alot of food into the tank,which may have been tastier.I wanted to eliminate the snails so I broke the tank down and did successive dilute bleach and Lime-It dips.The snails are gone...I think.

I was more interesed in knowing if say the spotted raphael would go for snails. I have a goldfish bowl set up as a snail farm in case they do.

As far as I can tell, my larger Orinocodoras and Platydoras are eating their share of small ramshorn and MTS....I believe that the Agamyxis may also be doing so.

When keeping Raphaels in small groups they do eventually keep snail populations under control, even in my own experience to the point where the original snail population is eliminated. If you are only able to keep single specimens then the snails will continue to breed faster than your poor dorad can eat them! I have had most success when keeping at least six specimens together, but in my opinion you can never have enough dorads!

Hope this helps.

Dorad

Heh heh
Now I know why PECTORALE hasn't got any snailproblem....
he's got a HUGE pair of adult Platydoras costatus (are these Raphaels? I'm not into foreign common names....) that'll probably mop up anything remotely snaillike in his biggest tank....


Maybe I can borrow them? hmmmmm, he'll probably won't fall for this one, as he well knows the nasty fish I keep...

Uhm Sid, I think my nine Botia sidthimuntki are at least partly responsible for that, I give them the baby snails I collect in my filter now and again.

Pectorale