Black Snails Appearing

[Hmongol]

I searched google and the website here but I didn't find a good answer.

I have a 5 gallon fish tank with a beta in side. I just bought some java moss from petco a month ago and today I saw a tiny little black snail swimming.

Now my main point is should I worry? Are these snails different from the snails you buy singlely at the store like apple snail or mystery snail?

Should I start to eradicate them now out are they fine to be left alone? Thanks.

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

They are probably hijackers from the java moss. They aren't harmful to fish, just plants, and you can become over run by them very quickly. You could try the old cucumber trick.

Put a slice of cucumber in the tank at night, and hopefully there will be quite a few on it in the morning, then just remove the cucumber

 

[Inchworm]

I wouldn't go out of my way to feed snails that you do not want to raise. They will eat and then hide in the plants or substrate again and it's quite likely that they will just increase in numbers. Your best bet, unless you know you have an established colony, is to simply pick them out whenever you see them. It's possible that there is just that one the tank.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

you will only become over run if you over feed, i have in 75g at any one time i count maybe 10 or less of them. There are good for the tank if you dont overfeed you wont get a boom

 

[Hmongol]

I took my betta out into a new tank. I really dont feel like killing them myself, now there is a bunch of them. If I stop using the tank wel they eventually die off? Otherwise should I just clean the tank our and flush it down the toilet?

 

[the_lock_man]

I took my betta out into a new tank. I really dont feel like killing them myself, now there is a bunch of them. If I stop using the tank wel they eventually die off? Otherwise should I just clean the tank our and flush it down the toilet?

I would suggest not flushing them down the toilet, that's a bad idea.

I started off crushing the shells, and allowing my fish to eat the snails - but I was obviously overfeeding the tank, and ended up with too many to cope with. Assassin snails solved the problem for me.

 

[Mowbz]

I would suggest not flushing them down the toilet, that's a bad idea.

I started off crushing the shells, and allowing my fish to eat the snails - but I was obviously overfeeding the tank, and ended up with too many to cope with. Assassin snails solved the problem for me.

As above, i would check out your feeding. In small number they;re not a problem, but can start to over run the tank if you are well over feeding the fish. If there is nothing on the bottom for them to eat, they'll die out.

The above will work, obtaining an assassin snail to take them out, but its advised/ general practice not to use one creature to control another. Its the keepers job to erradicate unwated things from the tank. Yes assassin snails will eat those smaller than themselves, but thats not the reason they are sold in your LFS. They're a pet like the fish, not a pest controller.

Put some cucumber or blanched lettuce in the tank, turn all the lights off, and check in the morning. You'll likely find most of the smails on the salad. Just lift it out and bin it.

 

[Louiseness]

.If I stop using the tank wel they eventually die off?

Not in my experience. I emptied out an old tank and just left the gravel, no water. All the snails that were stuck to the glass died but when I reused a few handfuls of the gravel in a brand new tank with no live plants, hey presto, they were back!

 

[Hmongol]

Thank you all for the great advice, and you're right flushing them isn't that great of an idea now that you think about it. They could survive and even ruin some kind of ecco system.

I really don't like killing any creatures but I guess the best thing to do is to bait them with cucumber and toss em in the trash.

 

[the_lock_man]

Thank you all for the great advice, and you're right flushing them isn't that great of an idea now that you think about it. They could survive and even ruin some kind of ecco system.

I really don't like killing any creatures but I guess the best thing to do is to bait them with cucumber and toss em in the trash.

Fair enough, but I would suggest that you put them in a sealed bag. That's another lesson I've learnt........

 

[CrazyAirborne]

when i first read someone say "squish them" i thought it would be horrible, but in fact when i do it, its not a big deal. and the fish do love to eat them. i dont feel bad about it. i try to squish as many as i can see when im cleaning the tank. my population hasnt really boomed at all.

 

[Hmongol]

Will my fish eat the small ones alive or do I need to kill it before they wan tb to eat it?

Will my fish eat the small ones alive or do I need to kill it before they wan tb to eat it?

 

[the_lock_man]

Will my fish eat the small ones alive or do I need to kill it before they wan tb to eat it?

Will my fish eat the small ones alive or do I need to kill it before they wan tb to eat it?

The fish won't want to eat the shell, so squash the shell and the "meaty" part will become detached - drop that into the tank, and watch the fish zzzooooommmmm in.