Mmmmm...Snails

[CjRager89]

I have a planted tank, and have been thinking about getting a few snails to help clean it up a bit. My dilema is I DO NOT want my tank to be over ran with them, and I dont want any that get big (over an 1"). Do you guys have any ideas on this???

[FuulieQ]

Hmm, good luck... most of the smaller snails reproduce like rabbits. Worse than rabbits.

I introduced some ramshorn snails to my tank, since they get big (a little under an inch) I thought that they'd be big enough that they wouldn't do that. Boy was I wrong.... :l

[CjRager89]

anyone know how to keep these buggers under control then?

[betta99]

there's not really much of a way to stop them. you could get one big snail to clean it up a bit

[Drift]

I have some snails in my divided 10 gallon that hitched a ride with the plants. I don't have excessive amounts of them like I had once in a community tank. My Betta's usually nom or kill the smaller ones. I have maybe 6 or 8 that have survived past said size. I usually grab them with tweezers, throw them in a plastic bottle, and dump them in my goldfish pond as needed. Some say putting a piece of lettuce in the tank at lights off time and picking it up first think in the morning is a good way to collect them and just toss them away or if you have a goldfish pond like me. (My goldfish seem to snack on them too the fatties.)

[Chicklet]

I find a slice of cooked carrot works best for me in getting rid of the excess Ramshorn snails.
It sinks which i prefer, Put it in the tank in the late evening, first thing in the morning use a fish net to quickly scoop it and all it's acquired occupants up .

I Have found with Ramshorns (at least mine) they tend to drop off real quickly as soon as they feel you coming,
So a quick scoop of the net works best.

Over feeding causes an over abundance of snails.

[ReyesBetta]

Also, apple snails can't reproduce by themselves. They aren't asexual they need both a male and female. But then they get so big..
http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=mysterysnails

[Chicklet]

Applesnails can reproduce without a mate present with them,
If they were with a male on or before the time you got it then their eggs can be fertile.

[JKfish]

female apple snails are able to store multiple sperm packets in them for many... many.... many months (i should know :P ), so if you buy one from say a tank with at least one more, chances are eventually you will wake up to a buch of eggs on the side of your aquarium, but you should be able to scoop the egg bunches up and toss them before they hatch.