Snails - Should I Be Worried?

[David J]

Hi

Tonight I have noticed I have 4 snails in my tank. They are very small. I think they might be apple snails but can't be sure. They definately have a copper colour with black markings.

I have live plants, some from ebay, some from maidenhead aquatics. Should I be concerned? If there are 4 all of a sudden, could there be many more?

Also, some of you may have read in my other thread that I've just treated the tank for white spot this evening before I noticed any snails.

David

 

[Chad]

Depending on the species they could become a problem. There are ways to rid yourself of them of course, such as assassin snails which eat other snails. Pond snails are particularly problematic as they breed rapidly.

 

[David J]

Would Assassin snails eat the snails then breed and also become a problem or do they're numbers stay low?

 

[Chad]

Assassin snails do breed in  your tank but they do so quite slowly so they do not become a problem at all. They can also be sold (where local laws allow it) to other aquarists because they are quite sought after.

 

[David J]

Cool. I'll keep an eye on the situation and decide what to do in a few days. Do snails come out of the tank or will they stay inside?

 

[Chad]

Some come out. Most of the time they hang out just above the waterline and then go back in but occasionally you get one that's confused and makes it completely out and away from the tank.