How Soon Can You Add Snails?

[PlasticGalaxy]

Currently leaving my 54L tank project aside until the plants begin to grow and I can get all of the equipment sorted, but in the mean time, I've got a question: how soon into starting up a tank can you put snails in? I've got a good amount of MTS in my 170L, and was wondering if (once I can get the lid) I'd be able to put them in right away?
Saw three of them this morning. I love snails so much, can't believe they're so universally hated haha.

 

[Slaphppy7]

You can add pest snails to a cycled tank at any time...heck, probably even an uncycled tank...I bet these things could live in a can of petrol, lol

You may like them now, but when you have hundreds of them shortly, you may change your mind...my 10G is full of them, I curse them at every water change, lol

 

[Essjay]

MTS can be put in a tank during even a fishless cycle with all the added ammonia. They are indestructible. It is said that 2 things will survive a nuclear holocaust - cockroaches and MTS.

OK, they are not quite indestructible, a lot of fish meds will kill them, but putting them into a tank that's not ready for fish yet won't.



Slaphppy posted as I was typing - great minds think alike

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

You can add pest snails to a cycled tank at any time...heck, probably even an uncycled tank...I bet these things could live in a can of petrol, lol

You may like them now, but when you have hundreds of them shortly, you may change your mind...my 10G is full of them, I curse them at every water change, lol

Oh man I've got a lot, seeing them still makes me kind of happy haha. Especially the fully grown ones. I'm reluctant to get rid of them or use a snail killer so I might just... Live with my errors. They're still very sweet, in my opinion.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

MTS can be put in a tank during even a fishless cycle with all the added ammonia. They are indestructible. It is said that 2 things will survive a nuclear holocaust - cockroaches and MTS.

OK, they are not quite indestructible, a lot of fish meds will kill them, but putting them into a tank that's not ready for fish yet won't.



Slaphppy posted as I was typing - great minds think alike

Gotcha! Do you think nerite snails would be alright in there? With or without MTS in there as well. I think they're quite beautiful.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Gotcha! Do you think nerite snails would be alright in there? With or without MTS in there as well. I think they're quite beautiful.

Nerites would be fine, in a cycled tank

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Nerites would be fine, in a cycled tank

Awesome! Maybe I'll look into scouting out for some in my LFS. They'd probably go quite well with the earthy look of my 170L, thinking about it.

 

[Essjay]

I have MTS (black ones) in both my tanks and both also have nerite snails.

Nerites are more sensitive to water quality so as long as there's no ammonia or nitrite they should be OK.

Why is it that that the snails we pay good money for are sensitive little creatures but pest snails will survive anything

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

I have MTS (black ones) in both my tanks and both also have nerite snails.

Nerites are more sensitive to water quality so as long as there's no ammonia or nitrite they should be OK.

Why is it that that the snails we pay good money for are sensitive little creatures but pest snails will survive anything

Believe me, the same goes for getting expensive moth species. You buy £20 worth of one of the most sought after species in the country and the majority die. However, you wind up looking after some common species you found in the garden and it lives some kind of supernatural life and refuses to die.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I have put MTS snails in an uncycled tank before, no issues.

Some may disagree, but snails are extremely hardy. ?

 

[Slaphppy7]

Why is it that that the snails we pay good money for are sensitive little creatures but pest snails will survive anything

One of Life's biggest mysteries....

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Why is it that that the snails we pay good money for are sensitive little creatures but pest snails will survive anything

Never thought of that! ?

 

[Circus]

I have found that I like the MTS in my gravel tanks, but hat them in the sand tanks. Not sure why, but maybe they are just more of a pain in the butt in sand, you never know how many there are.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

I have found that I like the MTS in my gravel tanks, but hat them in the sand tanks. Not sure why, but maybe they are just more of a pain in the butt in sand, you never know how many there are.

Ooh, I didn't think about that actually! Do you know anything about how nerite snails cope in sand tanks, by the way? I'm probably overthinking but I'd be worried that the sand would dig into their bodies.

 

[Circus]

Ooh, I didn't think about that actually! Do you know anything about how nerite snails cope in sand tanks, by the way? I'm probably overthinking but I'd be worried that the sand would dig into their bodies.

My nerites do VERY well in the sand. Their poo is a lot easier to clean up in the sand as well. I have nerites in freshwater with gravel, freshwater with sand, and brackish with sand. They absolutely thrive.