alternative to malayasian trumpet snails

[itsuki]

my lfs doesnt have them, are there any other snails that also live in and help aerate substrate??

[pittipuppylove]

Hm... None that I know of (not that that means they don't exist). If you don't want to introduce snails, you can poke the sand on occasion using a chopstick or something of the like.
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[tekkguy]

If there is a local forum for your area, chances are someone will just give you some MTS. They are pests in many tanks, and often used for feeding puffers, etc.

[sarahspins]

Thiara Winteri is a snail that is *very* similar... they don't get quite as big as MTS and (supposedly) reproduce slower, plus they have a nifty texture to their shells. I have a ton of them if you want some - all I'd ask is that you pay shipping.

That said, you won't *ever* be able to get rid of them once you have them. I don't find them to be a problem (they only come out at night or when there is food around) and since I have sand in all of my tanks I consider them to be a good thing.

I started with 20 that I got on ebay.. I probably have thousands now between 5 tanks.

[Oldfishlady]

Assassin snail also burrow to help aerate the soil layer but not as good as the MTS. Plus they will eat other common snails in the tank.

[TeteRouge]

lol, I wish you were close by. I could give you dozens! I put a couple in my Nuvo 8 planted shrimp tank and they proliferated! They do keep the substrate well aerated, tho. Except the HC keeps floating away...;)