Good Snails?

Get Ready! 🐠 It's time for the....
FishForums.net Fish of the Month
🏆 Click to enter! 🏆

Geoff1991

AKA "Sparky"
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Messages
1,439
Reaction score
0
Location
Wolverhampton, UK
I was thinking about putting a few snails that are commonly know as pest snails in my tank on purpose.

Like MTS snails or ramshorn or pond snails, anyone purposely add these snails? I can see the benefits, eating algae and dead plant leaves etc

What snails do you have and why?

I was thinking about MTS as apparently they eat algae and leftover fish food (also dead fish and fish eggs),dead plant material and they will usually leave live plants alone
 
I was thinking about putting a few snails that are commonly know as pest snails in my tank on purpose.

Like MTS snails or ramshorn or pond snails, anyone purposely add these snails? I can see the benefits, eating algae and dead plant leaves etc

What snails do you have and why?


trumpet snails are fine to add, as you say they'll eat algae and dead plant matter. i wouldnt add pond snails tho' as they'll eat the plants, i think ramshorn snails also will in some cases too.
 
I was thinking about putting a few snails that are commonly know as pest snails in my tank on purpose.

Like MTS snails or ramshorn or pond snails, anyone purposely add these snails? I can see the benefits, eating algae and dead plant leaves etc

What snails do you have and why?

I was thinking about MTS as apparently they eat algae and leftover fish food (also dead fish and fish eggs),dead plant material and they will usually leave live plants alone
^^^^^^^^

I keep MTSs because they dig into the substrate and eat debris. I believe thatthey may be escpecially valuable in my 92 gallon corner tank, which has a pure play sand substrate that they tend to dige into. In thge tank, I also keep appple stripped spixi snails because they can handle the higher temperatures (I originally intented this to be a discus tanks). I have MTSs and two kinds of netires in my llushly planted 55 gall. Nerites are the nicest, most useful alage eating snails you could have IMO. I would have put them in my other tank, but 84 degrees may be two high for them. Thye trumpets just keep multiplying, and I throw the onse I locate in the 55 into the 92 gallon. Between snails, ancistrus, shrimp, and SAEs, I have formed a pretty good algae and rotting matter eating crew. Just remeber to add calcium if you keep snails. MTSs have the toughest shell, so I think they could handle softer water, they'd just turn white. For Netires, however, you must add calcium. I do this weekly, and, because I use 100 percent RO water, I use equilibrium and add the calcium right after the water changes.
 
I prefer ranshorn as they don't multiply too quickly, and when they do, they spend most of their time in the substrate, which also turn's the substrate over nicely too preventing any stagnent spots.
 
I prefer ranshorn as they don't multiply too quickly, and when they do, they spend most of their time in the substrate, which also turn's the substrate over nicely too preventing any stagnent spots.
You mean MTS?

I have MTS, tadpole snails, ramshorns, nerites, apple snails and pond snails in my planted tank.
 
I prefer ranshorn as they don't multiply too quickly, and when they do, they spend most of their time in the substrate, which also turn's the substrate over nicely too preventing any stagnent spots.
You mean MTS?

I have MTS, tadpole snails, ramshorns, nerites, apple snails and pond snails in my planted tank.

Yes I do mean MTS, thankyou. I hate acronyms I don't understand!
 
I don't think I have any snails in my new set-up yet, but had loads of MTS in my cichlid tank, they never really did any harm, they are supposed to aerate and turn over the substrate which is good for the plants.

They burrow throughout the day so you rarely see them and they come out at night to wipe up all the mess, could you ask for anymore.

Also they happen to be a brilliant indicator of overfeeding, I always new when my parents had been adding to much food while I was at uni by the amount of snails in the tank, they also love to colonise the filter I've found, at least in the fluval 304, where they hid in the useless primer. Doubt there is any safe havens for them in the Eheim though.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top