Fire Belly Newts and Pond Snails

[DanTheTingler]

So I recently just picked up a few free pond snails, and I was wondering if my Chinese Fire Belly Newts would eat their eggs and/or baby pond snails. I personally think this would be a cool treat for them and a great way for my newts to receive some different types of food, and it would help keep my snail population under control. Thoughts?

 

[Asevernnnn]

I had some snails sneak in with live plants and my H. orientalis completely ignored them and the eggs, I'm finally at the point where you can't look at an area and not see at least one snail.

 

[DanTheTingler]

Aww, I was really hoping that my pond snails could be an additional source of food for them. Anyone else know if their newts have taken any interest in pond snails?

 

[Chinadog]

I have snails in all my tanks, I think they do a great job of cleaning up by eating algae, dead leaves and uneaten food. Your newts may eat one or two, but firebellies in general rarely seem to bother with them. My T. verrucosus on the other hand love eating snails, I saw one of their droppings on the bottom of their tank the other day and counted thirteen semi-digested snail shells in it!

 

[DanTheTingler]

So when they eat the snails, do they eat the shells harm their digestive system, or does it get digested/passed through without a problem?

 

[Chinadog]

I've never known snails cause harm to their digestive system. I can't say it definitely wont with all species, but it hasn't with my Japanese firebellies or T. verrucosus.