Snails

[chishnfips]

Hello folks,

I had some snails in my tank, There were rams horn snails and apple snails/ pond snails.

They had come in off some plants that I got from the LFS. I wasn't to bothered about them infact I thought I would keep them in there to service the tank, but just lately I have noticed them less and less, where a before I could just look in the tank and spot them straioght away.

So where have they gone, do they just die off eventually? I have barbs in the tank but I dont remember them eating snails, neither do my tetras.

And I haven't seen any snails making a run for it across the living room floor. I am not bothered aout it, just curious as to where they might have gone.

 

[Dubby]

Hello folks,

I had some snails in my tank, There were rams horn snails and apple snails/ pond snails.

They had come in off some plants that I got from the LFS. I wasn't to bothered about them infact I thought I would keep them in there to service the tank, but just lately I have noticed them less and less, where a before I could just look in the tank and spot them straioght away.

So where have they gone, do they just die off eventually? I have barbs in the tank but I dont remember them eating snails, neither do my tetras.

And I haven't seen any snails making a run for it across the living room floor. I am not bothered aout it, just curious as to where they might have gone.

They have most likely settled in your filter. Their population grows and declines with food availibility.

 

[Bloo]

From the little I have read about applesnails (and would assume same applies to most other snails) they require quite "hard" water, calcium and such like - and I think you are blessed with the opposite.

Actually, quote fromApplesnail.net :

Apple snails that are found in the aquarium trade don't make high demands when it comes to water quality: they can live very well in clear, streaming, oxygen-rich water as well in still water, with rotting organic waste, containing almost no oxygen.
In general one should apply the same rules for water quality as with fish (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate etc) and the pH should be kept between 7 and 8.
Except one thing: Like most snails, apple snails prefer calcium rich water. If the calcium concentration in the water isn't high enough (soft water), they aren't able to build a strong shell and become susceptible to shell damage, but even in good conditions, some snails still get little holes in the shell surface, especially in the older parts of their shell.

So it might be that they just died off though surely you should still see the shells lying around ?
Otherwise they had some sort of mass exodus no doubt

 

[chishnfips]

the highlands does have really soft water, which is good, I am due a filter clean and water change so I will check that, cheers guys. B)

 

[fish_face]

Do you have any clown loach, they love snails!