Freshwater limpet??

[Rach88]

I've just found this guy in my tank climbing on one of my plants so pulled it out to see what it is. I think it's a freshwater limpet that probably came in on a moss ball I recently purchased. Am I right in my assumption? Will it/they (there are probably more) be harmful to my tank and fish?

 

[MABJ]

Looks like a limpet to me! Theyre really not too different from any other mollusk. They clean up the tank and eat fungus/bacteria.

I don't know for 100% fact that they're not bad for your tank, but I'm pretty sure they're good.

If you want to be rid of them, the best way is manual removal as you see adults

 

[Rach88]

Looks like a limpet to me! Theyre really not too different from any other mollusk. They clean up the tank and eat fungus/bacteria.

I don't know for 100% fact that they're not bad for your tank, but I'm pretty sure they're good.

If you want to be rid of them, the best way is manual removal as you see adults

Thanks I prefer these to the annoying pond snails I have in my tank (also came in on plants). If I find that they won't take over my tank like the snails and they definitely aren't going to harm anything then I'm fine with them staying tbh. I just freaked when I first saw it, don't like finding foreign creatures in my tank that I know nothing about lol

 

[MABJ]

I agree. I've got lots of little critters in my tank. I don't love them all.

With any snail, it will reproduce as much as you allow it. You're probably feeding a little too much if the pond snail population is exploding

 

[Rach88]

I agree. I've got lots of little critters in my tank. I don't love them all.

With any snail, it will reproduce as much as you allow it. You're probably feeding a little too much if the pond snail population is exploding

Very true. The population isn't exploding as such, I had 6 quite large ones which at the time i didn't mind being there, and they all just decided to lay eggs recently after i added new fish. I generally only feed as much as my fish can eat within 3 minutes, but when i first added my new fish i may have over done the feeding a bit at first which would explain the eggs being laid just after this. I've removed all the eggs and snails that I can see right now and I'm going to pick them out as I see them. Will probably do the same with the limpets if there's any more too

 

[MABJ]

Good plan!

 

[GodFan]

I wish I was lucky enough to have them as hitchhikers.