Snail Surprise

[krabby]

Hi All...

I'm new to the forum and hope someone can help me out. I've had my 30 gal tank now for about 6 mo's. Everything is going well. I have a few platys, cardinal tetras, glass catfish and a cory catfish. Today I discovered a snail in my tank. The only way I can think that it got there is I bought a live plant a few weeks ago (all my others are artificial). Could the snail have been on the plant when I brought it home? Is it OK to keep him in the tank or should I remove him? Not sure what to make of it.

 

[roseK]

most likely on the plant. and its probably a pest snail. likely going to reproduce like mad.

i would remove it.

 

[krabby]

most likely on the plant. and its probably a pest snail. likely going to reproduce like mad.

i would remove it.

Thanks for the fast reply. I guess I'll remove him but just out of curiosity, what kind of problems can snails cause (other than mass reproduction)??

 

[Jen_S]

Mass reproduction in and of itself is a problem because they can eat the live plants. I'm personally not so fast to pull them out but I have a loach and a puffer in another tank that would eat them. If the shell is in the shape of a ramshorn, the snail doesn't seem to be as big of a pest (I've had 2 ramshorn come in on plants) but if the shell is "conch" shaped it's the pest variety (and sorry I think it's called a pnd smail but I'm not sure). This second type of snail chows on live plants so is bad in large numbers in a planted aquarium. I will say that I don't think any of the aquatic snails are as big of a pest and the 3 in slugs that I find in my garden LOL Yuk! I am a snail lover though I have 3 gold apple snails and trumpet snails in my tanks but they are the types that aren't pests and will help cleanup excess fish food and the trumpets help loosen the substrate.