Cycling Tank = Infestation Of Snails?!

[Zeoth]

Hi guys!,

So im in the last stage of my fishless cycle, Actually im fairly certain the cycle is done. Got used filters from a friend of mine, and threw in a shrimp 2 weeks ago. My test kit is unfortunately in the mail but Ill be picking it up tomorrow. Just a background: my tank's substrate is crushed coral, with ~100 pounds of Lava Rock.
The problem is that a few minuitse ago, I noticed 8 baby snails on my glass. One of them looked abit bigger, still a baby though. This was a fishless cycle and the only thing i added was the filter from my friend(which i placed in my over hanging filter) and one single raw shrimp in a nylon cloth. That is all. no fish as of yet. Where are these snails coming from!? and are they harmful to my cichlids and synodontis that i plan to add next week?

 

[Blondielovesfish]

The snails should do no harm
If you're bothered about them then feel free to remove them. 
If you don't remove them then when you get your cichlids, they would probably enjoy a crushed snail

 

[Jamowens]

Clown Loaches love snails best snail remover you can buy !!

 

[Iiriva]

^ False. Clown loaches are schooling fish that are strong swimmers, grow big and need a tank AT LEAST 2 meters long to do well. 
If one wants to get rid of snails, assassin snails can do in any size of a tank. 
 
Edit: and yes, clown loaches eat snails, but still I wouldn't buy them just to get rid of snails because then the fish suffer.

 

[Zeoth]

The snails should do no harm

If you're bothered about them then feel free to remove them. 
If you don't remove them then when you get your cichlids, they would probably enjoy a crushed snail

 
Ah thank you so much! I was worried they may harm my future fish. I think ill leave them to be for now.  Thanks alot for your help mate!

 

[baker360360]

I've put snails in my tank and only nerite and mts survived my cichlids. So once you get your cichlids you probably won't see any snails after a week.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

The snails likely came in as very tiny or else as eggs on what you put in from the friend's tank. I am not sure if it is the same for snails, but fish eggs are generally ammonia hardy. it is not until they become free swimming fry that they are very susceptible to ammonia. Because you have seeded the tank with bacteria and time passed, the ammonia levels have likley gotten low enough not to kill the snails if they did not hatch out for  bit. of course maybe they are more ammonia hardy than fish. I don't know for sure re that.

 

[Ch4rlie]

The snails likely came in as very tiny or else as eggs on what you put in from the friend's tank. I am not sure if it is the same for snails, but fish eggs are generally ammonia hardy. it is not until they become free swimming fry that they are very susceptible to ammonia. Because you have seeded the tank with bacteria and time passed, the ammonia levels have likley gotten low enough not to kill the snails if they did not hatch out for  bit. of course maybe they are more ammonia hardy than fish. I don't know for sure re that.

 
I had pond snails that came into my nano tank via plants, saw had 1 small snail, missed it when was cleaning the plants, anyway this was before started fishless cycling, so just left them in there as thought they would be fine and I don't mind them.
 
Fast forward just under 4 weeks later, fishless cycle finished and successful, and the snail still alive and kicking!
The snail did disappear for lengths of time, presumably under substrate and this may have protected snail a bit during the heaviest ammonia and nitrite peaks perhaps.
 
Just goes to show snails really are pretty tough if they could withstand 3ppm ammonia dosings and sky high nitrites during the cycle process. 
 
Then I moved the snail to my main tank as food for my assassin snails 

 No more pond snail in nano tank. 

 

[Jamowens]

I was overrun with snails that came off live palnts , I took everything out , sterilized the tank boiled the gravel the snails went but came back again when I bought new plants , so tried Esha Gastropex & other water treatments & never totally removed the problem . Tried assassin snails but just replaced one snail problem with another !! if its a Community Tank I always have loaches Clown or Yoyo & have no snails & no worry about introducing new plants ( watching the loaches pick the snails out is entertaining )  . http/youtu.be/sMnOGn2shHg

 

[eaglesaquarium]

When buying "Snail Free" plants, generally speaking, what that really means is "There's no charge for the snails that will come along with the plants".
 
Normally, they are not a big deal at all... They can get unmanageable if you are an overfeeder and there's lots of extra food around... but normally, they aren't noticeable, will clean up bits of algae here and there, (and most times leave healthy plants alone). 
 
 
If you decide to add an animal to get rid of the snails, ironically the best solution is a snail.  Assassin snails, unlike specific fish, do not require large numbers, don't grow ridiculously big, have a small bioload, are compatible with nearly all fish, and will eat other food if snails are not present.  But, overfeeding your tank will mean that the assassins will take the easy meal, rather than hunting down its prey.
 
 
Personally, I found the best way to manage snails was to remove their food source.  Keep excess food out of the tank, remove algae and they will just disappear... that or my BN pleco ate them and/or their eggs.