Cabomba Plants & Mystery Snails

[jasurf21]

I am thinking of getting some mystery snails for my 30 gallon tank. I have some Cabomba plants in it too though so I don't want to get the snails if they are going to eat all of my plants.

Anyone have any experience with Cabomba plants and mystery snails? Thanks!

 

[dkpate]

My mystery snail has never eaten plants.

 

[meegosh]

The snails will not bother your plants at all. If anything, they will help by eating any algae off the leaves. I'd say go for it!

 

[HN1]

I agree, the only plants I've seen them eat are dead or dying.

 

[jasurf21]

You guys are awesome thanks so much... so if I get two mystery snails will there be a lot of offspring and will be hard to maintain?

 

[HN1]

No. Even IF you get a male & female any egg clutches won't be laid if the water level is maintained high enough. They are easily enough removed too so no big deal. If you want to avoid snail reproduction altogether, check out nerite snails. Their eggs will only hatch in brackish water and they are great algae forragers. They will leave eggs on the glass to be scraped off though.

 

[dkpate]

+1, the eggs are easy to get rid of, if you can even get them to hatch in the first place LOL. My snail laid around 17 clutches, and NONE hatched. I was/am so sad.

 

[jsoong]

Make sure the "mystery snail" you get are bridgesii, or the Japanese trapdoor snail. Those 2 are definitely plant safe.

I once got a bunch of canniliculata, and those are voracious plant eaters.

Most lfs can't ID the snails, that is why they dump multiple species together & call them mystery snails. <It is a mystery to them what snail they have!> Go to applesnail.net to learn about all the different snails & how to ID them.