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Found snails

Fisher2007

Member
Joined
19 Feb 2018
Messages
430
Location
Warrington
I've just done my first big trim on my 50cm cube (it's getting on for 3 months old) and in doing so I've found snails in the tank. They look like ramshorn snails. About 3-5mm across, spiral shell which is flat and tall

The question is what do I do. Should I panic, chemical treatment (although I have cherry and crystal shrimp in there) or just leave them be?

I don't really want to go the assassin snail route as I've got nerite snails in there and I've had them in other tanks and they bred like crazy and as they bury themselves they would lift plants and I've got a mixed monte carlo and cuba carpet in there

Thanks
 
Personally I would let them be, I've introduced them into my tanks, if you don't mind the look. They don't breed too fast if you're not overfeeding and they do a great job cleaning and feeding off of biofilm and eating waste. Sometimes the shells can be quite attractive, they also seem to avoid the glass in my tank which is a plus for me.
 
I've just done my first big trim on my 50cm cube (it's getting on for 3 months old) and in doing so I've found snails in the tank. They look like ramshorn snails. About 3-5mm across, spiral shell which is flat and tall

The question is what do I do. Should I panic, chemical treatment (although I have cherry and crystal shrimp in there) or just leave them be?

I don't really want to go the assassin snail route as I've got nerite snails in there and I've had them in other tanks and they bred like crazy and as they bury themselves they would lift plants and I've got a mixed monte carlo and cuba carpet in there

Thanks


Just out a piece of cucumber or courgette with a fork in it, in the tank for a few hours, and it will be teeming with them. Easy to lift out.
Though Shrimp Do, Do alot better with ramshorns in the tank, Something about their slime trail and waste
 
Yes I agree. There is no reason to panic! They are safe for plants, they clean up lef over food, they are part of the ecosystem. If you see a sudden increase in their population you are probably overfeeding.
 
Thanks

I've read so many times on here about people trying to avoid snails, snail eggs and trimmings are often sold 'snail and algae free' so I was just a little worried

I'll see how the population goes
 
Hi all,
I've read so many times on here about people trying to avoid snails, snail eggs and trimmings are often sold 'snail and algae free' so I was just a little worried
Hard to completely prevent snails
I see snails as <"generally a good thing">, and you will almost certainly end up with some sooner or later.

If you go anywhere in the world, go to any stream or pond that isn't grossly polluted and net a sample of invertebrates and it will contain snails.

Personally I'm convinced that tanks with snails are <"more resilient, have less algae and are more stable">, but I understand that some people just don't like snails.

It is like a lot of these "problems", the cure is likely to be a lot worse than the problem. I've got a <"jaundiced view of a lot of products sold for aquarium maintenance">, partially because the companies that sell them often use descriptions which obscure what their products actually do and/or contain.

cheers Darrel
 
I will always pay for snails :) Puffers get through 10+ a day each.

Actually wish I could keep them alive long enough, snails are welcome in my tank(s) and I do think they make a noticeable difference to algae, but their waste can be a problem.
 
Hi all,
I do think they make a noticeable difference to algae, but their waste can be a problem.
The waste can definitely be unsightly but it <"isn't very polluting">, so it is mainly a cosmetic issue.

The snails are processing algae and detritus with a relatively high carbon:nitrogen ratio, which means they have to eat a lot of it to extract the meager amount of minerals, sugars and proteins (which they convert into more snail). What is left (the waste) is the pretty inert and mainly structural carbohydrates which are resistant to decay. It is just like exporting nutrients when you remove excess plants, when you remove some snails you've exported the nitrogen, calcium etc.

However if you decide you are going to nuke all the snails in the tank with <"Gastropex"> etc. then you run the risk of all that stored protein being rapidly converted to ammonia, with potentially disastrous results.

A significant proportion of the upper layers of substrate in marl lakes aren't really sand, they are mainly the accumulation of snail shells and snail waste. One of the reasons for the recent increase in Bilharzia in Lake Malawi is that snails have proliferated in near shore areas, probably due to the <"over-fishing of snail eating cichlids">.

cheers Darrel
 
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