Do Snails Eat Fish Poop (Are They the Secret to a Clean Tank)

Snails are interesting additions to any home aquarium. They are not the most “engaging” creatures to put in your tank but they serve a very useful purpose. That purpose for most people is that they help to keep your tank clean.

Yes, snails can have a good impact on your tank. As Aqueon states, they help keep your tank clean by eating algae, dead vegetation, uneaten food, and other organic matter that would usually decay and affect water quality.

While snails appear to eat anything of organic matter, does that mean that they will also eat fish poop?

See Also:

• Do Shrimp Eat Fish Poop (The Unsurprising Truth)

What Do Aquarium Snails Eat

There is a lot of misinformation floating about when it comes to aquarium snails. There are certain fish that you can get and add to your tank that will help keep it clean by eating organic and decaying matter (mostly algae).

These fish are often referred to as the tank clean-up crew (cool name, right?). The usual types of fish that are included in this category are snails, shrimps, and catfish.

If you want a more comprehensive list of these tank workers, Nualgi Aquarium has created a useful list that covers many of the most popular clean-up crew creatures. With this reputation though, I’ve seen a lot of people becoming confused and even wondering whether these types of fish can replace traditional cleaning methods.

Therefore, before we get into the main topic of whether or not snails will eat fish poop, I first want to cover what aquarium snails will typically eat. According to research done by Fishkeeping World, aquarium snails eat the following:

• Algae (by far the most common food source)
• Vegetation (plants, vegetables)
• Slow sinking fish food
• Organic matter built upon rocks, plants, and other aquarium items.
• Algae tablets
• Brine shrimp or feeder snails (for carnivorous breeds of snail)

The list is a bit more extensive than this but you get the idea. If there is any organic matter or vegetation in your tank, there is a good chance that your snails will try to eat it.

You may notice though, that there is something very specific in regards to this list and it’s not so much what the snails do eat, but rather what is missing from this list…

Do Snails Eat Fish Poop

We know that snails enjoy organic matter, they will move everywhere within a tank to find it. When I say everywhere it’s true. They will get into the filter, climb the sides of the tank, get onto other fish, and basically end up in areas you wouldn’t expect just to eat.

With such an obvious and seemingly non-fussy appetite, does this mean that snails will also do the unthinkable and eat fish poop as well?

Snails will eat a lot of organic matter in a fish tank and help to keep the water clean but snails do not eat fish poop. It’s a misconception that snails will eat fish poop as fish waste is devoid of nutrients and is not something that snails will consume as part of their diet.

The truth is that snails do not eat fish poop and there are not actually any fish (or living creature) that will actively search out and eat fish poop, despite what some fishkeepers might lead you to believe!

Fish waste, for the most part, is exactly that, waste.

Fish will eat food sources to gain nourishment and while some sources might not seem like it would be something that provides nutritional value, most fish have evolved to consume it.

Algae and decaying vegetation might not seem like it’s a good source of food but for the clean-up crew, it provides all (or the majority) of the nutrition they need to stay alive and healthy. It just so happens that consuming this has the additional benefit of helping to keep your tank clean and reduce ammonia.

Fish poop does not provide any nutritional value for a snail. If you wanted to get some snails to eliminate your task of cleaning out fish poop on a regular basis, then unfortunately they won’t do this. A gravel vac will still be needed alongside regular water changes and other tank maintenance tasks.

Why You Shouldn’t Get Snails to Eat Fish Poop

Ok, so we know that snails are good at reducing a tank’s bio-load and will eat a lot of organic matter that affects water quality but does this mean they are essential for keeping a tank clean?

We know they don’t eat fish poop but there is a further factor to take into consideration if you wanted to get a snail(s) for the purpose of eating fish poop. That small factor is the snails themselves will still create waste.

Trying to get snails to clean a tank by eating fish poop might not be a thought process that factors in the snail poop as well (something people often forget to take into consideration). To prove this point, I tried to find a good visual example and came across a video to perfectly demonstrate this.

If you watch the video below, you’ll see just how much waste the snails themselves can make.

If you thought snails would be your answer to never having to clean fish poop again, unfortunately, it’s quite the opposite. Not only will the snails not eat the fish poop but they will create waste themselves meaning you have even more to clean up!

Final Thoughts

Snails can be a great addition to your home aquarium. Many fish keepers have come to find that these small creatures not only help to keep your tank clean as part of a tank clean-up crew but they can also come in a range of colors and designs to add something extra to your aquarium.

What they can’t/will not do, however, is eat fish poop. If you were considering getting a snail for this very reason then, unfortunately, they will not be your answer to never having to clean up fish poop again!