snails

[fishybusiness]

We have snails in our tank. They're small (3-5mm across, up 2mm thick), flat spiral shell, and almost transparent. They don't seem to be a problem, but I'd appreciate a heads-up if we need to get rid of them.

Thanks in advance,

Alex.

 

[charmd2]

depends on your opinion of snails. I rather like them. When they begin to be a problem and over producing I pick them out of the tanks and put them in my oscar tank. Free food for Oscar and they help out cleaning up any over feeding and small amounts of algae.

Some people who don't have an option to use them as a food source hate them because they multiply quickly and can take over a tank in a short amount of time. There are a lot of options to get rid of them, the only truely effective one is to nuke your tank and start over though.

 

[gale]

I like my round snails but right now we're looking at 3 MORE egg clutches and I know by spring my snail population is going to be pretty high. When it does we might pick them out and throw them in a pond where my husband farms. I don't know if they'll live in there or if the fish will eat them.

 

[yvez9]

you shouldn't throw pest snails in a natural pond!

They could take over all the food sources and kill off an existing population of snails or other scavenger in your area. Plus, youir pond will be full of pest snails!

 

[BobK]

There are laws against doing that. The environmental consequences could be quite serious. Look at Zebra Mussels in the Great Lakes or those Asian Snakehead fish the can travel on land (short distances) to other rivers/streams. If they are not native to where you're introducing them they may have no predators and can cause problems rather quickly. Maybe you could donate them to an lfs with Oscars.

 

[gale]

OMG! Thanks for the heads up! The pond belongs to my fil and I would hate to mess it up because some of the nephews fish in there. I'll take them to the lfs then. The funny thing is the lfs has a huge oscar tank and a puffer tank, yet they don't put the snails in there. I might mention it to them if I take some over there.

Wow I almost messed up.

 

[Webbie48]

Alex
Snails are ok if you like them, I personally don't.
I had some snails arrive via some new plants. I tried to get rid of them but they just kept returning, then I made my best purchase 3 Clown loaches never seen another snail so if you don't like them you know the answer, your love the Clown Loaches

 

[Nuttygal! :0)]

Yeah I bought 2 clowns to chomp on the snails in my tank because they were mullering every new plant I put in. They ate the first lot, but they keep popping back up again. Now I just suck them up the gravel-vac when I'm doing water changes. Te he he....

 

[Jezah]

I like my snails! I have a bunch of ramshorns, that sounds like what you have too. They are GREAT tank cleaners...

 

[platyperson]

An advantage over water dwelling snails over land snail are that they dont leave slime everywhere they go :lol