As I mentioned in the past, I have had a bit of a snail infestation in my tropical tank. I have not yet tried chemicals or hand removal, but I would like to try using the snails as food.

As I understand it, Loaches will eat snails. A coworker suggested I try Clown Loaches, but I have read they can get quite large. My tank is only ten gallons. Are there any fish or loaches that can survive in a tropical ten gallon tank that will eat snails?

I have also read that goldfish will eat snails. I have five Comets and a Shubunkin in a seperate, larger tank. Should I try feeding some of the snails to these goldfish? Or will this end up in another tank full of snails?

Whatcha think?

Goldfish sometimes can manage to eat live snails if they're crafty or desperate enough but for the most part, if you want goldfish to eat snails, you have to smush them first (which of course, kills them). As for small fish that would eat intact live snails, here are some possibilites: freshwater puffer (nasty to other fish), smaller loaches like the skunk loach, some African cichlids (again, often nasty), paradise fish (although mine leave a few trumpet snails alone but used to eat them), and bettas.