Snails Advice Please

[Nicky1968]

Hi,

So I have 13 tetras and 2 African dwarf frogs.

54L 2 foot tank

I know that snails are great for aquariums BUT I don't want a bloody zillion of them.

Any advice on what type and can I have just 1?

Thanks

 

[Essjay]

Nerites can't breed in fresh water as they need brackish water for the larvae to survive. But females will lay eggs, they look like sesame seeds stuck on the decor. They don't hatch, and mine finally fell off the wood several years later. If you can cope with that, nerites are the way to go. There are several species in different colours and sizes.

The only other snail which won't overpopulate the tank are apple snails, now that we can buy them in the UK again after Brexit. These snails lay egg clusters above the water line, so if you are vigilant and remove every egg cluster, you won't have lots of baby snails.

 

[Nicky1968]

Nerites can't breed in fresh water as they need brackish water for the larvae to survive. But females will lay eggs, they look like sesame seeds stuck on the decor. They don't hatch, and mine finally fell off the wood several years later. If you can cope with that, nerites are the way to go. There are several species in different colours and sizes.

The only other snail which won't overpopulate the tank are apple snails, now that we can buy them in the UK again after Brexit. These snails lay egg clusters above the water line, so if you are vigilant and remove every egg cluster, you won't have lots of baby snails.

Thanks, very useful. How many would you suggest? I'm thinking 2

 

[10 Tanks]

Hi,

So I have 13 tetras and 2 African dwarf frogs.

54L 2 foot tank

I know that snails are great for aquariums BUT I don't want a bloody zillion of them.

Any advice on what type and can I have just 1?

Thanks

Hello. Too many snails are a sign that you're feeding too much. The easiest way to remove them is to drop iceberg lettuce leaves into the the tank. Snails can't resist it. Leave the lettuce leaf in the tank over night and the snails will attach themselves to the leaf. Next, day just remove it and throw it out in your garden.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[Essjay]

10 tanks raises a good point. Fish don't need nearly as much food as you'd think. We, like all mammals, use a lot of our food just to keep our bodies at the right temperature. Fish don't do this, they get their temperature from the water.

But if you like the snails we pay good money for, go for it. It's the pest snails which arrive on plants which are more of a problem and their numbers can get out of control with overfeeding - and this includes leaving bits of dead plant in the tank for them to eat.
Apple snails - just one in 54 litres as they are bigger than nerites.
Nerites - maybe two of the larger species, but two or three of the small Clithon species. Here are examples of nerites, bear in mind that two of the same species could easily be a male and female.

Aquarium Snails - Pro Shrimp

www.pro-shrimp.co.uk