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Mystery snails are a cool addition to any tank, coming with bright colors and unique patterns. They’re fairly easy to keep in a tank, getting along with lots of different fish species. The one thing that tank owners may need to get adjusted to is their diet.
Among all the things that mystery snails eat, they can eat fish eggs, though they’re not their favorite. In most cases, as long as you feed your mystery snail enough to keep them full, they won’t eat fish eggs, avoiding them during their time scavenging the corners of your tank.
To keep your mystery snail full and prevent them from eating fish eggs, you have to know what to feed them. I’ll go into detail about their favorite meals and how much to feed them below.
A snail’s natural instinct is to scavenge for food. When they go long periods of time without food, they will start to make their way around their tank, picking up everything along the way. This can include crumbs, algae, and fish eggs.
If you’re worried about your mystery snail eating fish eggs, be sure to feed them properly.
Before we get into the amount you should be feeding your mystery snail, here’s a peek at a few things they love.
What Do Mystery Snails Eat in the Wild?
The wild can be a difficult place to live for any creature. Feeding is much less mechanical, so many underwater species take what they can get.
Mystery snails tend to not be picky in the wild, picking up any little thing that they can get ahold of.
If they were able to choose, they’d likely go for algae and some other organic matter, leaving anything fish alone.
What To Feed Mystery Snails in Your Tank?
Observing how mystery snails behave in the wild vs. in your tank, you won’t see much difference. They will still carry on exploring each corner, picking up scraps along the way if they are hungry.
To control your snail’s diet and decrease their chances of eating fish eggs, here are some things you can feed them.
Fish Food
Snails are not too picky when it comes to food, taking a bit of whatever comes their way.
Part of that could be fish food, which they can either pick up off the ground or find floating during feeding time.
Fish food is a great source of nutrients your snails need and works well when you have a diverse tank.
Fresh Veggies
Veggies are a treat for mystery snails. They are tasty and packed full of vitamins and minerals that help keep them full and satisfied.
You can go for things like broccoli, carrots, and peas, all of which your mystery snails will gobble up.
When going for veggies, you want to make sure to give your snails a good mix and not too much of one veggie.
Keep their diet varied to keep them healthy.
Get Creative
Snail owners have gotten creative and made homemade snail foods. Among the most popular is snail jello, which is made from a mixture of baby food and fish food.
Your snail’s ability to eat a wide range of foods allows you to get creative, though you do need to limit the amount you give them to avoid overfeeding.
How Often Should You Feed Your Mystery Snail?
Snails tend to scavenge most of the day, eating a bit here and there. This is just part of their nature, though you can control what they eat by feeding them a balanced diet.
Snails will not usually eat if they are not hungry, so it’s best to feed them little by little and see just how much they eat.
If snails do not get enough food, that’s when they start to scavenge and pick up whatever they can.
So, it’s best to start off with a small amount, see how much they eat, and then increase little by little if you feel that they are still hungry.
Once they start to leave leftovers, take the food out of the tank so other fish won’t pick at it and overeat it.
You can start off feeding your snail once a day and increase if you think it’s necessary. Do not feed them more than twice a day, leaving that as your cutoff point.
A varied diet is the healthiest for snails. So, when it comes to planning their meals, make sure to change it up.
Give them a veggie or a homemade snail jello in alternating doses, changing the veggies each time. If they still want to snack, they can pick up some fish food along the way.
Tip #2. Observation is Key
If your snail is new, you likely don’t know their eating habits.
Spend time observing them when you feed them, seeing how much they eat. This will help you gauge how much food you should be feeding them and prevent them from scavenging around the tank eating fresh plants and fish eggs.
Tip #3. Choose Their Mates Wisely
Because mystery snails like to scavenge, choosing tank mates with similar eating habits is a good idea. This will prevent them from eating too much of something that isn’t good for them and give them extra things to eat in case you don’t feed them enough the first time around.
Mystery snails are a fun addition to any tank, though their eating habits can take some getting used to. When choosing what to feed them, be creative and always keep an eye on how they respond.
See if they like what they’re eating and how much of it they’re eating, using that as a way to find the perfect amount.
Once they’re used to their new tank and their yummy veggies, they’ll be happy and make their way all-around their new tank exploring and searching for new adventures.
Hi! I’m Praveen Ghoshal, the founder of eFishkeeping.com. Inspired by my Dad, I got interested in fishkeeping when I was a kid. Since then, I have been involved with this hobby. Currently, I have 3 fish tanks at our home, and I enjoy this hobby with my full family. Read more about me here.
