So, I ordered some plants from Live Aquaria for my 20 gallon tank. I wanted it all planted and beautiful, so I could get a school of tetras and then attempt to let my girls live in there, as well. (I have a backup plan if the girls are bad).
I've been cyber stalking these plants on the Fedex website for 2 days. Today, they finally arrived, and I was so excited. I rinsed them off in the sink, halfheartedly... I figured that since they were coming from a company like Drs. Foster and Smith, I didn't really have anything to worry about.
Got the tank all planted, moved things around 50 times, and finally, decided to take a picture of it, just so I could compare in a few weeks, to see how the plants are progressing.
Well. I spotted a microscopic thing on the glass, that looked like a bug - it had antennae. Some sort of beetle, perhaps? Wait, there's another one... OMG They're everywhere I found a slightly bigger one on the back of the tank, and could identify him as a snail.
They are sort of clear/yellow looking, and tiny. I mean, really, really tiny. I'm not sure if it's possible to figure out what kind of snails they are, but if anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.
Also, I was thinking about getting a (solitary) snail, anyway, so I don't really mind them being in there (I don't mind, yet, anyway). However, are they going to a) eat my plants like salad, b) pollute my water, or c) cause any problems for the fishes?
And, since I know nothing about snails (would have researched before getting one), is it okay that my substrate is sand? Will this clog up their snail ducts, etc?
One last thing - how do I keep these snails from having more snails?
Thanks guys
Here's the tank in question.
Last edited by toad; 08-01-2012 at 07:24 PM.
Reason: add photo
Also, I was thinking about getting a (solitary) snail, anyway, so I don't really mind them being in there (I don't mind, yet, anyway). However, are they going to a) eat my plants like salad, b) pollute my water, or c) cause any problems for the fishes?
And, since I know nothing about snails (would have researched before getting one), is it okay that my substrate is sand? Will this clog up their snail ducts, etc?
One last thing - how do I keep these snails from having more snails?
Thanks guys
The only time that they would ever eat your plants is if the plants were dying.
Pond/Pest snails (which is what you probably have) have a fairly large bio-load for their small size.
No they won't cause any issues, hopefully one or two of them will like snail
Sand is fine for snails.
There's no stopping them from breeding! They'll breed, and breed, and breed, and breed. There are two ways to deal with this: let them be or kill them!!!
You can keep the population under control by taking out all dead/dying plants and not over feeding them.
To kill them, you could put a piece of lettuce or cucumber at the bottom of the tank for a night, let them get on it, take it out and throw it away. Keep doing this until they're all gone. Since this is a 20g you could get some kuhli loaches for the bottom of the tank and they'll eat them. Or get an assassin snail and 2-3 of those will eat them all!
There's always my favorite solution: get a 5g tank, buy a dwarf puffer, feed
It depends on what kind of snails they are. Mine only eat dead or decaying plant matter. How they reproduce also depends on the kind they are. Mine need a male and a female and they are live bearing snails. However most lay hundreds of eggs at a time
it you describe the shell, someone can tell you what you have.
There are nerites, apple/mystery snails, rashorms, malaysian trumpet snails, rabbit snails, pond snails, japanese trapdoor snails...and assasin snails
The only time that they would ever eat your plants is if the plants were dying.
Pond/Pest snails (which is what you have) have a fairly large bio-load for their small size.
No they won't cause any issues, hopefully one or two of them will like snail
Sand is fine for snails.
There's no stopping them from breeding! They'll breed, and breed, and breed, and breed. There are two ways to deal with this: let them be or kill them!!!
You can keep the population under control by taking out all dead/dying plants and not over feeding them.
To kill them, you could put a piece of lettuce or cucumber at the bottom of the tank for a night, let them get on it, take it out and throw it away. Keep doing this until they're all gone. Since this is a 20g you could get some kuhli loaches for the bottom of the tank and they'll eat them. Or get an assassin snail and 2-3 of those will eat them all!
There's always my favorite solution: get a 5g tank, buy a dwarf puffer, feed
LOL thank you for your answer :)
Being a vegetarian, who can't even kill a fly without feeling like I've wronged the universe, I really don't want to kill them. I want the fish to eat them instead How bad would it be if I caught them on the cuccumber and set them free at the local park? HAHAHA....
Yeah this happens to most people getting plants. I got some plants but thank goodness I let them soak in a bowl filled with tank water I had from doing water changes because I was afraid snails might be on them and sure enough in a couple of days I started to see what your seeing just tiny specks and then a couple of days they got large enough I could tell they were snails. I took out most of my plants and left just a small piece for the babies cause like you I thought when they get bigger I would put them in my tank. I again soaked the plants to be sure no more snails were on them and I got lucky there wasnt so I put them in my tank.
So I was excited about watching the little snails grow and got some Algae Wafers to feed them. They get bigger each day it seems and they are still in their own bowl and just a fews day ago I saw on the side of the bowl snail eggs, its clear looking like small globs of jelly which I keep wiping out with a paper towel cause I dont need or want anymore snails and I have heard if you feed them well they will start laying eggs. These are Pond Snails and have gold looking shells that come to a point on the end. Lucky I have pond not far from me so they are going into the pond in a couple of weeks when I think they are big enough to live on their own, I have around 9 or ten of them.
All this being said I dont really know how to help you with your snails or what kind they might be. They may eat your plants these sure seem to like to munch on them. I guess I am feeding them to good...lol Anyway I wish you good luck with getting yours under control, maybe just dont put any food in your tank.
It depends on what kind of snails they are. Mine only eat dead or decaying plant matter. How they reproduce also depends on the kind they are. Mine need a male and a female and they are live bearing snails.
it you describe the shell, someone can tell you what you have.
LOL They're so tiny, they just look like blobs that crawl around. The shells are clear, and I can kind of make out the little bodies inside.
Also, I just found a worm thing creeping in the substrate Tempted to get my gravel siphon and do some vaccuming!
Being a vegetarian, who can't even kill a fly without feeling like I've wronged the universe, I really don't want to kill them. I want the fish to eat them instead How bad would it be if I caught them on the cuccumber and set them free at the local park? HAHAHA....
Ohh I love your sig btw.
I was that way too, until a certain little Dwarf Puffer came into my life... Now I'm ok with the feeding of snails. But my YBS will probably never get feeder fish...
The population will be fine if you don't over feed. That's when people get over ran by them.
I was that way too, until a certain little Dwarf Puffer came into my life... Now I'm ok with the feeding of snails. But my YBS will probably never get feeder fish...
The population will be fine if you don't over feed. That's when people get over ran by them.
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
Similar Threads
I figured that since they were coming from a company like Drs. Foster and Smith, I didn't really have anything to worry about.
I found a slightly bigger one on the back of the tank, and could identify him as a snail.
!!!
thank you for your answer :)
Tempted to get my gravel siphon and do some vaccuming!
