Which Snail?

[DepotFish]

I'm thinking of a snail for in with my goldfish. I don't know much about them though so I've got a ton of questions. How much extra waste would I expect? I think a ramshorn snail would be fun, I know they reproduce on their own and if possible I could save a egg or two from the goldfish to hatch into babies. How often do they reproduce? Do they do good living mostly on flake food and possibly any other food that sinks should the snail get it before the fish? Would the undergravel filter compete with it too much for food waste? Are they ok with a marble bottom?

 

[Guest]

that's just trouble waiting to explode right there...

 

[Jchillin]

I would look for an apple snail (P. Bridgessi) rather than ramshorns. The apple snail is more fun to watch...is more active and will not reproduce in the same manner that the ramshorns will.

"From one ramshorn comes many...and many more...and more".

 

[Fluff]

that's just trouble waiting to explode right there...

why?


DepotFish,
Ramshorns are nice snails but harder to control population wise since they lay their eggs under water. Don't depend on your goldfish to eat the eggs and control them. Most snails lay eggs in masses. It's not gonna be easy to just single out one or two eggs for hatching and in my opinion, that would be an unrealistic endeavor. What size tank is this? Personally, I'd go with mystery snails. They lay above the water line so the eggs are easier to get rid of and you won't be overrun with snails. I would just buy one or two if that's what you want (depending on tank size) instead of trying to hatch one or two. Snails will live ok off flake fish food but I would add an algae wafer or some fresh veggie to supplement their diet from time to time for variety. I don't believe the undergravel filter will be a problem but supplemental feedings will ensure they get enough. The marbles are fine as well.

 

[DepotFish]

Ok so marbles are ok and algae wafers are a must for my particular tank. My goldfish gets to all of her own eggs before I get a chance to clean them out so I'd be willing to bet she'd get to the snail's. Its a ten gallon. I still think it'd be fun to hatch a few babies, my mom's tank could surely use a handful of snails, but you are probably right about singling out eggs. Also, how much extra space does a snail need above the water line? I heard two inches is good but I'm not sure.

 

[Fluff]

If it's a ten gallon, I would only get one snail. These snails get a pretty good size. I no longer breed them and I'll tell you why next. I always left 2-3" of dead space above the water line for them to lay. That worked well but they would still try to leave the tank (need a secure top or they will crawl out) or they layed upside down on the hood. I quit breeding them because they are so prolific, everyone does. They lay batches of eggs that can range from 60-100+ eggs each. That's alot of snails, even dividing them between two tanks. Chances are they will starve themselves out over time in a ten gallon or even in two tanks.
Your goldfish won't eat the eggs due to them being above the waterline. If you are referring to the ramshorn eggs... I've never kept them except for the hitchhiker type but a friend of mine does. She put them in her pond because she ran out of room and thought the same thing. The goldfish and koi would control them. They took over her pond. The fish didn't care one way or another. Your goldy may eat some, but I wouldn't count on it as a control method, just in case. So, let them hatch, at your own risk. LFS's in my area won't take snails of any type since they are so available and easy to breed. Just some things to think about while you make up your mind. Ramshorns can be controlled by removing the eggs as well, it's just not as easy. They lay them in jelly like masses that can be washed off.

 

[DepotFish]

If they are layed in a jelly-like mass, then it'd be pretty easy to use the turkey baster I use to clean the gravel an suck them out? It will be a while before I get to the lfs in my hometown, they've got tons of species of snials so I guess I'll have time to do more research and decide before then.

 

[crazycat]

i'd be worried about the undergravel filter with baby snails--they're really tiny and tend to get sucked into the filter. you may end up with a whole colony of snails living below your substrate. i once put a bunch of tiny ramshorns into my tank, and after a while wondered where they all went. when i finally opened my fluval canister filter to clean it, i found hundreds of snails happily munching away and breeding IN the cannister. i now have sponge filters on all of my intakes to prevent this

apple snails get big and won't get sucked into the filter. but fluff is right, they are real escape artists!. i really like red ramshorns personally--i have some that are about the size of a dime so far, and they don't eat plants. they also don't lay their eggs above the water line like apple snails. but their numbers become constrained by your tank size. they slow down breeding when they become overcrowded. however, it takes a LOT of snails to feel overcrowded

 

[Fluff]

crazycat brought up a good point. I don't use undergravel filters so never gave it a thought that the baby snails might get trapped in there. Also, I forgot to mention, if your interested in the large columbian ramshorn snails, they are plant eaters so you want to consider that if you have plants. The smaller ones like the black/brown or reds ones that hitchhike on plants don't. Mystery snails don't normally eat plants either. Here are some sites for you to check out.

http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Bug, Snails, Colombian Ramshorns.htm

http://www.applesnail.net/

http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1093

 

[DepotFish]

That's another thing I was worried about, eggs hatching in the undergravel. I've been cleaning it every two weeks though. I think if I vacuumed the eggs out while they are all together it might be ok. I don't have real plants. Thanks for the sites.

 

[crazycat]

i don;t really think you'd be able to vacuum them all oout. the good thing is that they'd probably stay under there, and just eat all the goop that get down there. you probably wouldn't even see them. although i don't know how happy they'd be. my red ramshorns seemed quite content living in my filter...but who really knows?

 

[Guest]

i had the small variety of ramshorns.. and the eggs they laid i never saw.... maybe the bigger ones are easier to see, i don't know. but i know every once in a while i will find 2 or 3 of the small ramshorns and i crush them for my clown loaches.

I also have Apple snails that i think you would enjoy much more than the ramshorns. I've only seen one batch of eggs and i broke them off the top and let it fall to the bottom and it got eaten. But it was like a huge hard mass of eggs... i'd never seen anything like it... sort of like a nest.

 

[DepotFish]

I guess I'll get a snail for my betta tank and some other companion for the goldfish. The bettas have more food waste in their tank and they don't have a filter or anything for eggs or baby snails to hide in. I'm really overprotective of the goldfish too so it will take a long quarentine before I add any tankmate.