Just for a different perspective...I love these snails, they are your friends in maintaining a healthy substrate and biological system. Yes, they multiply, but according to the available food. Their numbers only show how much organic matter there is that needs breaking down, and snails do this faster than bacteria so the latter can then do their job. The also browse/graze other surfaces including plant leaves (they do not eat healthy plants, not even fine leaf ones) and eat common algae before you can even see it.
They can suddenly disappear however. Mine did. No idea why, nothing changed in the water parameters, and the fish were certainly not snail eaters. I had them in 8 or 9 tanks, and I noticed after several years than they just began reducing until there was not a single one left. Interestingly, at the same time my common bladder snails did better, though no where near large numbers. I've no idea if the two things were related. The bladder snails never increased to the same extent, but they did manage to hang on in my very soft water. MTS are fine in soft or hard water.
I know some like snails and some don't, that's perfectly all right. But snails are a natural part of every natural freshwater ecosystem and they are there for a reason.
Sand is preferable, for more than just these snails. Some fish must have sand. Plants grow well in sand, it is the closest thing to the natural substrate in nature (no one want mud substrates in an aquarium!). I had small gravel for a couple decades until I discovered the benefits of sand, and never went back.