Baby Snails

[tdalessa01]

Hi Everybody. I have been in the hobby for awhile and this is my first time on this site. In all my years this is the first time I found snails in my tank. I know that they probably hitched a ride in egg form with my plants. After hard work I managed to get all( 8) snails out of my tank and transferred them to a 1.5 gal. hex tank I had lying around. I didn't want to kill them because I appreciate all living things in the water so I left them feeding them pieces of algae pellets. Now I have about 40-50 eggs in the tank on a stem which I expected. SO, what can I do? I live in the northeast. It is cold in the winter. I can't throw them in local pond right? The LFS wont take them?? They appeared in a tank with 6 tiger barbs, 1 catfish, and an algae eater with 3 plants. What can I do, I don't want them, but I don't want to hurt them??

 

[Jchillin]

Welcome to AA

I commend you for doing the right thing in regard to the snails. Depending on the type, you may find that folks would want to have them. When you say the LFS won't take them, do you mean you offerred them and they refused?

If the LFS refused them and you cannot find any takers, you will have to euthanize them. The USDA recently imposed severe restrictions on snails due to their proliferation and causing damage to eco-systems they are not native to.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya, its illegal in most places to put snails and the such in ponds...they overtake them VERY fast. If its a matter of you personnally not being able to kill them (i hate killin all animals too), but you dont mind seeing them eaten, then get a clown loach or 2, or give them to someone w/a clown loach.

 

[mr funktastic]

i dont like doing it but i do. i started out putting them in my betta tank since there wernt any plants in there and eventually there were to many so i kinda had to start "getting rid" of them. i dont like to but if i dont then they will over run my tank which in my mind is an eco system of its own and u need to keep its balance. i am seriously thinking about getting a loach.

 

[shawnryan1977]

Never release anything in the Wild whether it is a snail or a fish all it will do is cause problems for the native creatures. I don’t like killing things but with snails it does not bother me plus all my fish love crushed snails. People who release creatures into the wild with the best intentions do not realize they are hurting the hobby in the long run, States put bans or restrictions on the fish or snails because of this.

 

[tdalessa01]

Wow...You all have been a lot of help. This site is great, I can't believe how many responses I got in a few hours. Anyway, I probably really sound a little stupid about how I feel bad killing the snails. What did you mean about fish love crushed snails? Also clown loaches are not going to work in my tank. I have a 20G Tall with 6 Tiger Barbs, 1 Otto, and 1 Raphael Catfish. I am on the 6th floor of my condo so I severely downgraded tank size. Loaches will get to big. Snails can affect a pond?? I thought I was experienced with keeping fish but thanks to people like you all, I learn more all the time. Can someone please elaborate why I can't put snails in a huge local pond? Thank you for your time! And, if worse comes to worse(no I didn't ask the LFS'S, I will tomorrow) what is the ethical way to dispose of them? Thank you all.

 

[joannde]

Hi - and welcome !

Any non-native species that is released can cause an imbalance in the eco-system. Species evolve side by side, and when a non-native species is introduced, even with the best of intentions things sometimes run amok. One example I can think of is the tilapia. Tilapia are south american and are herbivores. At one time it was thought that introducing them to lakes in north america would help to control "unsightly" plant matter. They did this to the lake behind my house. What they didn't realize was that the tilapia had no natural predators here (as they do in the wild) and would actually eat TOO MUCH plant matter - and now the bass that once were abundant in the lake are becoming hard to find You can find lots of tilapia, but you can't fish them effectively since they don't take bait. Oddly enough, even tho they are now considered a nuisance fish you need a special permit to take them (the laws haven't caught up yet !).

Another example are European Starlings. These birds were introduced accidentally - they have now outcompeted our native american species, so our own native populations are in decline, while the starlings are spreading across the country rapidly.

Introduced snails are now causing similar issues. Depending upon the species they may have no natural predators, which means they can overtake the ponds and lakes, which would throw the eco-system out of balance and reduce the native species.

(Sorry - I'm not lecturing - you just happened to ask a question that I know a bit about because of volunteer work I had done for several years and a topic which I have pretty strong feelings about - LOL, like I had to tell you that).

I don't know how to humanely euthanize snails, but I would imagine that the ice-water method would work on them. Basically you fill a glass with water and ice and then place the animal in it. The shock generally kills them. There's also a "clove oil" method, but I'm not sure if it would work on snails
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanize-a-fish.htm

 

[coolchinchilla]

Do you have freecycle where you are? or Craig's list? There might be someone who will take your snails -- even if it is to feed to their loach or puffer.

 

[mr funktastic]

what the person mean about crushed snails what that when u pull them out of your tank crush them with a figer or something then throw them back in the tank. the tiger babs will probably eat them up. its they dont like them naturally but once then are brocken up they can consume them. HTH

 

[plecoperson]

I don't think you have a choice but to dispose of the eggs. Get pictures of the babies; if they are a "desirable" snail species for aquaria, then you will probably be able to find homes for them, but you gotta know what kind they are first. Can you get pics?

I totally understand about not wanting to kill stuff; I'm about to have a snail overpopulation problem too and am bracing myself for having to get rid of eggs!

 

[newfound77951]

A couple of small loaches would work in your tank, either Botia sidthimunki or Botia striata stay small, and my striatas did an amazing job on my snail problem.

joannde did a great job explaining the dangers of invasive species. I would add that plants should also not be discarded into local waters as well. I think most people would be amazed at the number of species that you see every day that are not native....