Snail Identification/Removal?

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crimsonpython24

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Can anyone tell me what types of snails are these? Suspect that they hitchhiked into my tank through the plants.


I have no problems with them. However, there has been a recent ammonia spike. I suspect that the snails (I had no clues if they are still alive or not) have something to do with it since they're the only new "additions" to the tank.

I haven't gotten an ammonia test kit but everything points towards that. FIsh staying on the bottom of the tank + red fins + somewhat a loss of appetite and the water just smells odored. Other parameters:

  • 26-28 degC
  • pH 6.3-6.5
  • nitrate ~15 mg/L; nitrite ~0.2 mg/L
  • carbonate hardness ~40 mg/L
  • general hardness ~100 mg/L
  • water change: 50% per week*
*I was away for six weeks and my neighbor only did around 30%. I only started to change 50% two weeks ago. The snails arrived before that but it's after I came home where the population rose.

Loaches don't really do well in my tanks since it's pretty small (10 gals) and I couldn't keep the desired population.

Can anyone please propose solutions to remove ammonia and/or the snails? Thanks in advance.
 
For the ammonia, water changes until it reads zero. Adding quick growing plants will help long term, but in the short water changes are best.

As far as the snails go, I see mostly ram shorn snails, and I thought I spotted one Malaysian trumpet snail. You can get rid of the snails manually by picking out any you see, or using vegetables as bait. You can put a piece of cucumber or lettuce in there and when you see some on there, throw the veggie away. You can also buy snail traps. They breed when there is excess food in the tank. If you are not over feeding, you shouldn't see a huge population increase. Ammonia spikes can be caused by uneaten food left in the tank.
 
The snails are not the issue behind the ammonia (and nitrite it seems). From the photos it looks like you have some sort of soil or plant substrate under the larger "gravel?" If yes, that is your ammonia problem. I won't go into all that unless you confirm the substrate.

Edit. In case anyone wonders, if you click on the photo it will open with a second lower photo that shows the two substrates clearly.
 

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