Who are these jerky snails eating my plants and what do I do?

[sbcameron]

Hi all.

Have found the forums super helpful. Found them after I started my 8.5 gallon planted tank, wish I would have read them before hand so I could have ensured the plants from LFS were snail free by cleaning them.

Here's the problem. I week ago added a new short plant, into the tank (rest of the plants were in there for a month and doing great). Broke it up a bit and spread it around ( it's the small short leaf in the picture.

2 days ago notice that it has bite marks in the middle as does some of the new growth on my other plants.

Found a small snail very colorful gold shell about 2-3mm in length. Took it out and crushed it. Now today found another one- same thing.

My questions:

1) what species of snail is this? I have 3 large apple snails in the tank and they leave the plants alone. These small invading snails however are ravenous plant eating monsters.

2) any chance there is only a couple of these jerks in the tank and I can pick em out one at a time? ( small 8.5 gallon tank)

3) how big doe these guys have to be to reproduce? Could they be laying new eggs or do they need to be bigger first?

4) if this was your tank what would you do to clean/ salvage the tank to prevent the plants from getting destroyed/ prevent snail invasion?


Thanks

Scott

 

[TMaier]

Looks like a pond snail. I thought they just eat damaged/decaying plant material.

 

[sbcameron]

These guys were very colorful. Gold and black. 3/32 of an inch in length. Eating ends of fresh growth- put hole in center of healthy leaf.

 

[Fresh2o]

1) Those are pond snails.
2) Maybe. That's might be your most effective way of removing them. Then again, there may be eggs and baby snails already present in your tank. Your just not seeing them yet.
3) They only need to be 1/4-1/3" the start laying eggs.
4) You could get assassin snails but they may be a problem for your larger snails.
I've been keeping/growing plants for a few years and during that time there have been generous numbers of snails present, including pond snails, ramshorn snails, and Malaysian trumpet snails and I have never observed them eating any plants. They might dine on dying vegetation but never on healthy plants.

 

[Bert2oo1]

To remove snails you can put in a small bottle with a few bits of lettuce in it weighed down with a few rocks. This will bring the snails into the bottle and simply just empty the bottle and reset it each day untill they are all gone. (Make sure the tops smaller than the apple snails you want to keep.)

However as everyone is saying they will only feed on dying plants and in the pictures your plant looks like it is struggling abit.

Do you dose any ferts etc?

 

[sbcameron]

Great suggestion on the Snail trap! Haven't seen another one yet- will try the trap if I do. Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

As for the plants- your right. Now that I look the only leaves that were eaten weren't healthy to begin with.

My plants are in Fluval plant and shrimp stratum and some colored pebbles (kids idea for colors, but mixed with the fluval product so we could plant tank).

Have not been using any additives for the plants to the water- worried it will make the algae go crazy. Was thinking of using fert sticks, but plants are all sprouting lots of new healthy looking leaves.

What do you suggest for fertilizer/additives? My tank lumens put it right at the very low end of a medium light tank. I don't want to use CO2.

Thanks.

Scott

 

[evil Nick]

ive found almost all my fish will eat pond snails. They never last in my tank. I personally think its because they are so soft, shell and all.
MTS on the other hand... get a puffer.

Snail traps have never worked for me.