Fish fry and snails, help!

[nevermore52]

I'm having some issues with my 30g hex (6 months old)....I just noticed today that I have some fry hanging out in the java moss floating at the top of my tank (not sure if its the mollies or platies) and Im not sure what to do with them. Right now I see 2 of them but there could be more, as there is java moss throughout the tank.

Also....I bought some live plants a few weeks ago and there was a snail or two....which has now turned into 15-20 snails....is this anything to worry about or should I just let it go?

Thanks for any help you can give

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

For the fry, I would just leave them be and let nature take it's course, unless you want to keep them. If you want to keep them I suggest cover the intake of your filter with some kind of filter sock so the fry don't get sucked up. Unless you have a spare tank to put them in, then you wouldn't have to cover the intake. Just remove them and put them in your other tank.

Snails that you get with aquarium plants are normally just the algae eating snails. They won't do anything bad to your tank. You can remove them if you want, but you don't have to.

 

[nevermore52]

I have a 10g tank with some Harlequin Rasboras and a Albino Cat (still tiny, changing tanks at some point)...should I move the fry to that tank if I can catch them?

I dont mind the snails but will they at some point overrun the tank?

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Well those fry will get eaten in either tank, the parents will eat them, and those rasboras and a. cat will aswell. Unless you have a tank you can leave the fry in alone, I don't suggest trying to move them.

Snails can't really over run a tank, since they stay very very very small, plus the bioload on the filter they give is close to nothing. Only problem they would cause is just being eye-sores if you get too many. Like 10-15 on the front of the tank might look a little bad.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

...Snails that you get with aquarium plants are normally just the algae eating snails. They won't do anything bad to your tank. You can remove them if you want, but you don't have to.

I thought the most likely snails to get with aquarium plants are common pond snails... and since these things eat plants, they are very BAD for a planted aquarium.

Now if they are the trumpet snails (MTS), then they are just algae (and dead plant) eaters and will leave plants alone. As I understand it, MTS won't over-run your tank... IF YOU ARE NOT OVERFEEDING. As I understand it, there are many who want MTS in their tank as they make a good cleanup crew, and their numbers will be kept in check if you don't over-feed. If you are overfeeding the tank (or if it is becoming overrun with alage), then the MTS can seem to over-run the tank so long as the food source can out pace the MTS population.