Do snails make shrimp food?

[fishmosy]

Just reading the latest PFK magazine, specifically an article on a fish/shrimp breeder from Hungary.

He keeps Ramshorn snails in with his shrimplets because "the shrimplets feed on their mucus trails".

Has anybody seen this? Marine molluscs (snails and their relatives) like abalone leave mucus trails so there could be some truth to this.

[Hyzenthlay]

It's possible the snail mucous could feed baby shrimp but I'm not sure. I have however seen groups of my native shrimp riding my mystery snail and cleaning it's shell and eating its poop even though they had other food available. :-S

i keep the bigger snails because they seem to deal with any large waste or uneaten food in the tank before it can foul the water.

[fishmosy]

I like having snails for the same reasons, no messy left over food. Better still if the snails make food too!

[clipper]

I squash the black snails often for the fats the snails are full off which is excellent for energy reserves for females and shrimp that need extra energy during moulting. I'd be curious as to the actual nutrition value of the shrimplets eating the mucus trails as I doubt there would be much if any benefit for them.

[shrimpstan]

i dont know about the mucus trail but the other night i saw about 5 shrimps hacking at an empty snails shell.. i think they ate it?!

[ineke]

I have also read that shrimplets like to graze on the snail trail. I haven't seen it myself though.