Bladder snails: pets or pest?

[confusedman]

Hello everyone.

I have a few Bladder Snails in my tank that came by surprise with some plants. So far I think i have identified at least 3 different individual.
I have read that there are mixed opinions in this forum, from "they are adorable, super useful" to "kill them, they are evil".

Even though the issue has been already discussed I have two questions:

1. when you say that they will reproduce "a lot" what does this mean? I can't picture in my head if all the walls will be covered with them, if I will have a few here and there...
when will they stop multiplying and how does the tank look like when it is infested?

2. If I decided to take them our of the tank, what do you do with them? kill them? the idea gives me the creeps...

Thanks

 

[noodlesuk]

1. I have learned to live with the bladder snails I have in my tank. They don't seem to eat the plants and are more interested in uneaten food, flake and shrimp wafers. The only time I've had problems with their population is when I was over feeding. If they do suddenly explode in numbers, drop in some algae wafers, in a small container and then fish it out when it's covered in snails.

2. People do actually sell these on EBay! Maybe create a separate eco system type setup, in a smaller tank/bowl, for the unwanted snails and let them do their own population control. Like a bladder snail retirement home.

So in summary, Pets.