Nassarius snails eating all the fish food

[Lyss]

This situation is kinda nuts, but I have been using Easy Masstick for over a year now -- I roll a piece into a ball and stick it towards the top of the tank for the fish. Sometimes the cleaner shrimp climbs up and takes some but otherwise nbd. I must have a very fresh new batch that I just opened or something b/c suddenly as soon as I stick it on the glass, every single nassarius in the tank is climbing the wall after it. I am on constant Nass patrol to knock them off the glass before they get to it, but eventually I have to start working for my job and while I'm at my desk w/my back to the tank one or more make it to the food and just ruin it all, eating it and snotting it up. The fish seem timid and don't push them away. So feel like I'm essentially feeding Nassaruius snails every morning now, and I'm pretty upset about it.

Any ideas on what I might be able to do to stop this? I'd like my fish to be getting their food w/o me having to police it every morning (which can also scare the fish off b/c I'm hovering).

 

[mermaid_life]

Can you put it in multiple places maybe?

 

[Lyss]

Can you put it in multiple places maybe?

Or like one decoy spot away from the main spot. That's a good idea.

I still would rather not be feeding the snails and putting extra food into the tank -- so annoying.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Depending on your lid setup, you might be able to hang the food on some sort of holder in the open water so the snails can't climb to it.

For example, a lot of people will press masstick into a coral skeleton or rock to help entice butterflies and other picky eaters into eating it (it imitates their tendency in the wild to pick food off of rocks/to eat corals) - maybe press the masstick into a rock or something and hang the rock in the water where the snails physically can't get to it.

 

[Lyss]

Depending on your lid setup, you might be able to hang the food on some sort of holder in the open water so the snails can't climb to it.

For example, a lot of people will press masstick into a coral skeleton or rock to help entice butterflies and other picky eaters into eating it (it imitates their tendency in the wild to pick food off of rocks/to eat corals) - maybe press the masstick into a rock or something and hang the rock in the water where the snails physically can't get to it.

I did a simpler version of this and it worked. Thank you!

I have a worm cone that suctions onto the glass that I use when I feed Rod's Food -- the snails can never figure out how to get to the cone. So I've been sticking the Masstick to the bottom flat tip of the cone. Took a day for the fish to understand but they get it now and swim up to take it off the cone in the middle of the water.

 

[sfin52]

Are your snails starving. If they are low on food they will seek it out. They are a great cuc that need food as well.

 

[Mark Goode]

I feed my CUC, in case my tank's too clean. A piece of fish, a frozen shrimp, nori. Placed in an algae clip and dropped onto the sand. After maybe 30 minutes I remove what's left.

 

[Lyss]

Are your snails starving. If they are low on food they will seek it out. They are a great cuc that need food as well.

lol no, they're not starving. This was not an issue until the latest batch that smells very fresh -- they smell it and pop up from the sand.

 

[Lyss]

I feed my CUC, in case my tank's too clean. A piece of fish, a frozen shrimp, nori. Placed in an algae clip and dropped onto the sand. After maybe 30 minutes I remove what's left.

I wish my tank was too clean lol