Pond Snails

[PinkBetta264]

Need some advice, I just purchased 2 bunches of hornwort for my soon to be spawning tank. After getting them home and in water I noticed they are infested with pond snails. I dont like the idea of using chemicals, and I've read that if you put plants in water with salt for 10 min this will kill them off but not sure on how much salt b/c I also read that some are immune to this and I also don't want to kill the plants, any thoughts or experience??? Thank you.

[Oldfishlady]

Since you plan to breed your Bettas...use the snails to help you create infusoria for fry food and to help with clean up in the fry tank-snail poo is safer than the bacteria created by uneaten food....common or pond snail can reproduce pretty fast and the best way IMO to keep them under control is by manual removal and then placing them in newspaper to smash them and toss in the trash...also crush the snail and feed the meat to your Bettas and fry...they love it......

[PinkBetta264]

OFL..thanks...well I also had bought some zebra neirites as well for that purpose, but I guess I could leave them out and put them in other tanks for clean up. I've been hand picking them little rascals out since I've been home...they are teeny tiny babies.

[Oldfishlady]

The easiest way I have found to keep them in check is by baiting them....I use a small glass jar and put an algae wafer or some other food like a piece of lettuce in it at lights out and first thing in the AM remove it and the snails....usually have to do this for several nights and look for the egg sac and smash them on a regular basis...little bugger can get out of control really fast....lol.....I remove 100's of these and ramshors, trumpet snail at least weekly...lol.....but with planted tanks and all the spawning I do...they have a job...not just cleanup and infusoria production...but cleaning up dead plant material and a little algae control.....

[Shimizoki]

Thats an excellent idea OFL, if only I could get past the idea of smashing hundreds of snails...

[PinkBetta264]

Originally Posted by Shimizoki

Thats an excellent idea OFL, if only I could get past the idea of smashing hundreds of snails...

but think of it as yummy free food for your betta

OFL...thank you again, I guess the ones I miss can stay in the spawning tank, those hornwort plants were too good of a deal to pass up even with the snails.

[Pitluvs]

Ive had a few snails in my tank that came in with my new plants, and it's been 2 weeks. No reproduction. I have read that snails only reproduce when there is over feeding going on, and we don't do that.

Snails are not the worst thing going guys :) It's free help! Although mine are starving here haha

All else fails, get Assassin Snails, they kill other snails.

[Shimizoki]

Ohhhh good to know, thanks.

[dramaqueen]

Originally Posted by Oldfishlady

Since you plan to breed your Bettas...use the snails to help you create infusoria for fry food and to help with clean up in the fry tank-snail poo is safer than the bacteria created by uneaten food....common or pond snail can reproduce pretty fast and the best way IMO to keep them under control is by manual removal and then placing them in newspaper to smash them and toss in the trash...also crush the snail and feed the meat to your Bettas and fry...they love it......

Nothing like a little escargot for your fish. lol

[Littlebittyfish]

I've never thought about feeding snail to my betta...hmmm..

I always have a few pond snails in my tank...I usually just squish the eggs when I see them...This keeps them at a reasonable number..I don't mind having a few snails though..as long as they're not out of control..haha