Avoiding Snails?

[Winterlily]

Forgive the totally ignorant question, please, I've never had a live plant in an aquarium before. I'm just getting back into the hobby and currently have a couple of male Bettas (housed separately, of course). I have silk plants in with them now. They continue, both, to get tears in their fins and I think it's partly because these silk plants have some hard plastic areas (pretend shoots, pretend buds, etc) that are catching them. I'm fed up with it and am thinking strongly of trashing the silk plants and adding live ones. My very big hesitation is that I've always heard that live plants ALWAYS bring snails with them, and you'll wind up with a snail problem quickly in your tank. Is this right? Is there a way to buy live plants that are definitely snail- and pest-free? I sure don't want to add any problems to my tanks.

I'm completely clueless here, so if this was a really stupid question, I apologize ahead of time.

Samantha

 

[Phage]

Snails aren't always a problem. Trumpet snails burrow in the substrate (which is good) during the day (mostly) and come out at night and eat left over food and stuff. They don't eat plants. One way to avoid a huge snail problem is to only feed what is needed, otherwise left overs fall to the bottom and snails have their food supply. If there is no food for them, they will starve. Just pick snails out if you don't want them.

Some plants may come with snails. Generally I have only come across snails, nothing else you deem nasty. Your fish may eat those if they do come with any. Snail free? I'm not sure. You can try placing the plants in a tub and leaving them over night, the snails might come off, if any.

Plants for bettas can be marimo balls, its a type of algae but not the nasty type. You can leave it as a ball or cut it open and lay it flat on the bottom sort of like a carpet.

As for other plants, what size tank is it, what kind of substrate, and what type of lighting?

 

[Winterlily]

Hi Phage - thanks for the response! Yeah, I've been reading about snails and keep reading that trumpet snails are okay, but ones like Ramshorns are not.

As for other plants, what size tank is it, what kind of substrate, and what type of lighting?

Well, I have four 5.5 gallon tanks (for one male betta each). If I do okay with live plants (never done this before!), I'll do my whole 55 gallon that way, too. Right now, I'm just looking at doing the small tanks. Substrate is sand. Lighting, not great I think. Just a regular light strip over a glass canopy - regular ol' fluorescent (14W I believe?), single. I can change that to a full-spectrum or whatever if it's better.

I love the look of Wisteria (saw it in the LPS yesterday) - that a doable thing with this light?

 

[three-fingers]

Ramshorn snails are fine too. In fact, so are the pest bladder/tadpole snails.

Points about 'pest snails':

• Only breed as much as you feed them (they eat left over food and dead plants).
• Don't eat healthy live plants.
• Good for the tank ecosystem.
• Only count as a 'pest' if you don't like the look of them - I find them very interesting.

They will all eat algae to an extent too.

I wouldn't have a planted tank without nails in it tbh, there's some very pretty ones. I love my red ramshorns, nerite snails and even pest pond snails.

Here's one of my 'pest' pond snails in my planted tank :

 

[saltynay]

True but ponds and ramshorns can eat certain plants like elodea...... So research before introducing as with all additions. I agree with 3 fingers in that pest snails are not actually a problem more a solution to possible problems becoming established.

 

[Winterlily]

Ahhh! Okay - so good to know about snails and that they aren't always the pests they're made out to be. So those stories about them multiplying like crazy and "taking over" a tank are true only if you're overfeeding, basically?

I'll be getting a bunch of live plants tomorrow - and not worrying so much about snails. Thanks guys, so much!

 

[three-fingers]

So those stories about them multiplying like crazy and "taking over" a tank are true only if you're overfeeding, basically?

Yep . Especially in new tanks.

True but ponds and ramshorns can eat certain plants like elodea...... So research before introducing as with all additions. I agree with 3 fingers in that pest snails are not actually a problem more a solution to possible problems becoming established.

I've never experienced them eating the plants after years of having them in planted tanks, only dead/dying plants. Look at the mouths of the snails eat algae when they are on the glass, even let one crawl over your hand and rasp away cleaning your hand. Their mouths aren't strong enough to eat healthy 'elodea'. Trapdoor snails and a lot of apple snails are, but they aren't typically pests. I think the whole "pest snails eat plants" thing is largely a myth based on peoples plants dying then attributing it to the snails.

 

[Winterlily]

Well, you'll be happy to know that after this thead, I was actually disappointed when I didn't immediately see snails on the plants I bought for my small tank - then rather pleased when I did see one. Only seen one so far, though - no idea what kind he is. I thought he'd only be under the sand, but I will often see him climbing up the glass. No fish in this tank yet (later today my betta moves in), so maybe he's hungry.

I also got some teeny freshwater shrimp-type things. Not on purpose. I didn't know they were there until I went to empty the bag the plants came in (water at the bottom) and there were these teensy things swimming around. I assume my betta will feast when he finds them - not sure about these guys at all. They must live in the plants because I don't see them in the water. ??

I'll also post a pic later of the tank with the plants. For the most part, I don't even know what they are yet (sorry - I will learn all this stuff). I just picked from the "low-light" tank.

 

[three-fingers]

The shrimp things are most likely a Cyclops sp. . Another harmless critter, you probably wont see much of them after you introduce the betta .

Wish you luck with the plants, they aren't too hard, usually there's only issues when unsuitable species are sold by the LFS. The fact that yours has a "low-light" section is promising however. Looking forward to seeing the tank.

 

[Winterlily]

Thanks three-fingers! Good to know.

Roo (the betta) is just about to be released into the new tank. He'll be happy with his new digs, I think. Particularly the new menu (live shrimp and all ).

Pics to come once I get the bag out (net bag with bio-wheel from old tank, floating)!

Thanks again!