Bioload of Snails?

[Silverfang]

mystery is just another term used to describe apple snails. And trust me, apples poo more than nerites. And all snails poo more than my bettas.

[Xaltd1]

Apple snails/mystery snails they are HUGE and poop a lot!!! Also, certain bettas harass them for the feelers (looks like food!).
I've decided to "trade in" my big snails for ramshorns. These snails reproduce easily, so it will add to my betta's diet; the ones too big to eat can clean the tank.
I got 6 teeny ramshorns (for free) when I set up my 5 gal w/ 2 baby girl bettas. After the 1st day, I never saw one of them again. Yum! Crunchy snail!

[Xaltd1]

Originally Posted by Xaltd1

My soon to be betta sorority 29 gal is treated, stocked with corys and 2 snails. I opted for black mystery snails b/c they blend in with the black sand to hide from bully bettas. (Albino corys look great against black sand!)
I noticed my male's 2.5 gal gets dirty quickly; I then realized his blue mystery snail is the bioload culprit. This is a BIG snail. I have a smaller blue mystery in the 5 gal with my 2 girls, and the water is much more stable!
The big blue snail is going in the 29 gallon.
Long way to one question:
What is the bioload of a good-sized snail in compared to a betta or cory? We are all familiar with the "one inch of fish per gallon" rule; what's the snail equivalent?

That was my original post. I tossed M1 (Butch's snail) in the big tank. Over the next day or 2, I noticed that Butch was spending a lot of time under the filter outtake. This morning I pulled the top off the tank- he had, for the first time EVER, built a huge bubble nest!!!! I guess he thought the snail might want to snack on baby bettas! I'm so proud of him! (Behind the filter outtake has absolutely no water movement. Clever fish!)

[Bluewind]

Real Mystery Snails can get up to golfball size. Apple Snails are about Baseball size or more! My friend has one that she has in her tank that it gigantic softball sized monster. I've heard they can cross breed though. About how big is your little one?
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[Xaltd1]

My small blue snail is shooter marble size. The other 3 are about ping-pong ball sized. About 3x bigger than any of my fish!

[Silverfang]

Softball sized ones are likely cana complex. They can be illegal in certain states. Those are voracious plant eaters.

[Xaltd1]

From what I learn on wiki, the apple snail was developed for a cheap source of protein (as Escargot) for rural Chinese people... except the food didn't catch on, but the snail did!!!

[Tikibirds]

I don't even want to know how much bioload my adult trapdoor snails have Nerites seem to poop alot too.Several 3 inch snails all pooping at once....ew

[Bluewind]

That is actually kind of cool. They were too cute to eat!

Oh no! I better call Liz and ask her about that! She just bought it at a pet store and it got HUGE
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[carbonxxkidd]

This is an interesting post. I have MTS in my planted tank, but am debating a different type of snail to keep up on the dropped/decaying plant leaves I can't get to when I do my water changes...the MTS and otos I currently have don't seem to be doing much in that department. I don't want anything to actually eat my healthy plants though...