Surprise Snail

[barb-e]

Today when I got home I discovered a tiny little snail on the wall of my tank. The only way I can think of it getting in there is the plants that I bought two weeks ago. I don't want to kill it or anything and I hope my fish leave it alone. Will it cause any problems and is there anything special I should do to care for it? I only see one so I hope there aren't anymore because it would be horrible if they took over the tank.

 

[modaz]

if its a pest snail that usually comes with new plants, then you will end up with loads....trust me on that one

 

[barb-e]

I don't see it anymore. I think my fish ate it. They eat anything, even eachother.

 

[demonmagus]

I think the snails probably just hiding, you should be worried because they eat plants e.t.c.

 

[stang1]

I agree. I had a couple in my guppy tank and thought they'd be fine, before I knew it they were everywhere!
I'd let them spread and the eggs were everywhere, ended up having to strip the tank down completely. They'd laid eggs on the bogwood, filter, thermometer etc. and I spent ages scrubbing everything down.
You're best catching it now before it gets too bad and remove any that you find straight away.

 

[PlecMama]

is there anything special I should do to care for it?

I think that's lovely

Remember, a lot of people pay good money for snails, apple snails and MTS are always on someones request list, it might be a problem child but then again it could be a nice snail. You might get a billion of them, but then again, you might not.

I'm not personally in favour of killing things in case they cause a problem, it just never seemed very fair.

If it turns into a snail factory, pick em out and take them back to the shop. If it eats your plant, take it back to the shop. If it grows to the size of a football, take it back to the shop - if it just spends it's time sliding about adventuring and waving it's horns around, enjoy it.

 

[demonmagus]

I wouldn't do that, they come up at night, and leave you with no plants, why not set up a small tank for it?

 

[vancouver]

I haven't found the snails the typically come in on plants to eat them... maybe dying plant material, but not healthy lives plants.

I have tons in one of my tanks.. I like em.

 

[demonmagus]

do you mean trumpet snails? They are fine, they eat the dead leaves (so good) but the pests are awful

 

[modaz]

apple snails are great....heard they eat pest snails,is that true?? if it is then that could be an option of stopping the spread and having some really cool snails instead....dont pest snails increase nitrates when they take over a tank?

 

[demonmagus]

apple snails eat pest snails, never heard of that one

 

[mezrie]

I started out with one little cute snail a month or so ago, i named him and everything hoping that he may just be a one off. Unfortunately was not the case and to date i now have loads and loads. All i do to control them is now, I pop some veg matter in and let them flock to it, once i have a fair few on there i pop them in the garden and their in nature's hands. I'm really not in to killing things at all, i killed one when i was at the peak of my frustration the other day and i've regretted it ever since. God damn conscience of mine. One good thing is that i have no algae anymore!

apple snails eat pest snails, never heard of that one

 

[dee dee]

Where do they come from if one has not added any live plants?

I moved my angels to another tank a few days ago, turned off
the light in the old tank and when I turned it back on I have little snails on the sides.

I haven't fed anything that wasn't frozen or dried. do not have
any live plants, old, new or otherwise.

None of my other tanks show infestation.

 

[Teelie]

Sometimes I wonder myself. I have a barren tank that only had Apple Snails in it and still somehow ended up with a few pest snails. The Apples came from a good, reliable source and shouldn't have had any hitchhikers. Same thing happened in one of my 29g tanks. Only a few MTS in my 55 though. I've got Clown Loaches and Yo-yo's there.

 

[vancouver]

Apples shouldn't eat pest snails.. Mine totally ignore them.

When they're tiny they're probably barely noticable and float around the water when fish are trying to be caught.. so I could see how they show up in tanks..

I started with a couple a few months ago, and now I probably have around 50.. I still like them.