My hillstream loach is apparently doing a good job cleaning the tank, but I'd like to add something that will eat the various decaying leaves, etc. that come from having live plants in the tank. I know that snails are the best candidate, but what kind and how many can I add and still avoid becoming overrun with snails?
Adding snails?
- Thread starter JenNewbie
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foxtrot1027
Aquarium Advice Regular
The most common and most likely to find at the lfs is the Pomacea bridgesii- Apple snail. This snail is sold under various names Gold Mystery Snail, Black Mystery snail, Apple Snail, etc. Ive had two in my Goldfish tank for over a year. One is gold and about the size of a golfball and the other is black and slightly smaller. They do an excellent job cruising around the tank eating dead leaves, algae and such. They will nibble on live plants but so do my goldfish. Im amazed to find them hanging on my red ludwigia and not bending it over. The only real problem is that they will plow into some of the plants and occasionally uproot them. As far as eggs, they like to lay them just above the water line so all you gotta do is scrape em of if you dont want any new additions. Here is an excellent link to answer your questions better. http://www.applesnail.net/
The loach may eat yuor snails before they really get a good chance at eating any plants. It is a good idea to remove any deacying plant leaves as soon as possible so your nitrates don't climb too high and lead to algae problems. I do my tank once a week during water changes.
Bearfan
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have Ramshorn snails also (lots of em).
PlatyLady
Aquarium Advice Freak
I accidently got myself one common snail back in September. Mr Snail has since proliferated and I got rid of probably my 250th snail this morning. There don't seem to be many more (knock on wood). I've been trying to get rid of them for about a week.
Bearfan
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have more snails than gravel stones I believe sometimes.
G
Guest
Guest
Snails galore, but now that I have a puffer tank, (malabar puffers, the mini ones) I just put excess snails in their tank and watch them munch!
In my 90 gallon, I don't have very many snails, I have seen the anglefish hunting and eating the eggs. Good for them!
In my 90 gallon, I don't have very many snails, I have seen the anglefish hunting and eating the eggs. Good for them!
captainGregor
Aquarium Advice Activist
Man, my clown loaches would eat any snail that would dare to get into the tank. Amazingly my rozy barbs got a taste for them too! They just suck them right out of the shell. My South American cichlids Acaras love them too, I bought a large mystery snail and put the poor thing into the tank thinking it'll do what JenNewbie
wanted it to do, but my Acaras started first to closely watch it for hours. Once the snail started to get out they would attack. Then female Acara would grab the horn of the snail's shell and turn it over or lift it while the male attack from the bottom. That was cool. Finally I had to setup a spare 7 gallon acrylic for that poor thing. Now I got $1.50 snail sitting with $30 worth of equipment.
wanted it to do, but my Acaras started first to closely watch it for hours. Once the snail started to get out they would attack. Then female Acara would grab the horn of the snail's shell and turn it over or lift it while the male attack from the bottom. That was cool. Finally I had to setup a spare 7 gallon acrylic for that poor thing. Now I got $1.50 snail sitting with $30 worth of equipment.
Hello
I had 3 snails and now am down to two. 1 apple snail, 1 golden snail, and 1 black snail. My yellow one was the largest- almost 3 inches- and used to surf in the bubbles coming out of my bubble bar. people used to just stare at how it would move around the tank so fast. my gray snail is a bit smaller and usually sticks to the top or corners. both of these snails never laid any eggs or had any babies. My black snail however is in my 10 gal tank. soon afterward we had about 30 little baby snails all over ( my son thought they were cool). BUT, I had to temporarily move one of our goldfish into the tank while we were waiting to give it to a friend the next day and when I came back an hour later all the babies were gone. Whoops!! Now I have noticed that there are more egg sacks on the decor when I clean them but I have not noticed any little snails yet.
Sometimes I have had some kids like my snails more than my fish so we enjoy them in the tank! The hardest part for us was that I have to literally take my son around to about 5 pet stores until we find one that carries healthy looking snails. It takes us about a week to find one that looks good and is still alive.
Stacie
I had 3 snails and now am down to two. 1 apple snail, 1 golden snail, and 1 black snail. My yellow one was the largest- almost 3 inches- and used to surf in the bubbles coming out of my bubble bar. people used to just stare at how it would move around the tank so fast. my gray snail is a bit smaller and usually sticks to the top or corners. both of these snails never laid any eggs or had any babies. My black snail however is in my 10 gal tank. soon afterward we had about 30 little baby snails all over ( my son thought they were cool). BUT, I had to temporarily move one of our goldfish into the tank while we were waiting to give it to a friend the next day and when I came back an hour later all the babies were gone. Whoops!! Now I have noticed that there are more egg sacks on the decor when I clean them but I have not noticed any little snails yet.
Sometimes I have had some kids like my snails more than my fish so we enjoy them in the tank! The hardest part for us was that I have to literally take my son around to about 5 pet stores until we find one that carries healthy looking snails. It takes us about a week to find one that looks good and is still alive.
Stacie
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