Ahhh Snail!

[bjtaylor]

I brought some plants last week, washed them really good and added then to my tank. Was thinking yea all is going good until today when I look at the tank and see a small little snail just cruising around the tank glass

So I have a few questions, I removed him from the tank but am wondering what sort of snail he is.

He is kinda gold looking on his shell. Is it possible there is still more to find or after a week I probably would have found them now? And I'm assuming they would eat my plants? Thanks for any answers

[animalzrok2]

did you get the plant from petco?

[bjtaylor]

Nope living downunder in Australia do have to say iv never been to a petco

[Ausfish]

Originally Posted by bjtaylor

Nope living downunder in Australia do have to say iv never been to a petco

Same here! I had millions of snails in my Malawi tank. I got some clown loaches who took care of them but every time I clean my canister I find at least 20-30

[nedge85]

I know the feeling, i got a load of Immagrant snails (pond and ramshorn) on my plants in my shrimp tank, cant find the ramshorns any more but pond have multiplied well into double figures already. Im contenplating picking up an Assassin this afternoon

[fishnewbe420]

I love assassins but they will wipe out your snail problem and then u have to add some for them

[Critterlvrok]

I have that exact same baby snail! Anyone have any ideas on what it is? It has been over 6 weeks since I added new plants but I do have 2 MTS in the tank it showed up in. Thanks!

[Vircomore]

Those are the common pond snail. Much, much more of a nuisance than any other type of freshwater-reproductive snail, as even a slight amount of overfeeding will cause their numbers to explode.

I suggest keeping an eye out for any more and unless you want them to become a permanent fixture in your tank - begin smashing them with a vengeance.

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

to remove it you can re-rinse the plants, and leave some lettuce in the tank over night. when u see the lettuce next morn it should have most of the snails on, so just remove the lettuce and a lot of the population is gone. repeat. x

[CatmanDru]

Originally Posted by bjtaylor

I brought some plants last week, washed them really good and added then to my tank. Was thinking yea all is going good until today when I look at the tank and see a small little snail just cruising around the tank glass

So I have a few questions, I removed him from the tank but am wondering what sort of snail he is.

You have a Pond Snail. It's in the family Physidae which has some different varieties with slightly different appearances, colors and names.

Originally Posted by bjtaylor

He is kinda gold looking on his shell.

Bladder Snails are lighter colored and kind of goldish on their shell. They are in that same Physidae family and otherwise look just like Pond Snails.

Originally Posted by bjtaylor

Is it possible there is still more to find or after a week I probably would have found them now?

I'd be willing to bet that even if there aren't any more snails that there are eggs on the plants and now there are eggs elswhere in your tank that are waiting to hatch. These snails reproduce like crazy, and, in my experience, even in the most adverse conditions.

Originally Posted by bjtaylor

And I'm assuming they would eat my plants?

Generally they eat only plants that are dead, dying, and rotting. It seems that their mouths aren't strong enough to eat most plants. They are omnivores and scavengers and eat algea, biofilm, fish food, algea wafers, vegetables, and rotting fish food. Although some people like them and say they limit their pond snail populations by feeding their fish very small amounts, most people seem to hate them and go to great lengths to get rid of them.

[CatmanDru]

Rinsing or "washing" plants is not sufficient to remove snails and their eggs. A powerfull stream of water or a strong spray of water like you'd get from the hand held sprayer hose some kitchen sinks have will remove the snails and some of the egg sacs but not all of the egg sacs.

To eliminate all the eggs from the plants the plants need to be "treated" with salt, chlorine, or hydrogen peroxide. Treatment with potassium permanganate is sometimes mentioned by people, but it seems very few people have actually used it or can specify how to use it, at what concentration and for how long. Plus, potassium permanganate is not something most people have handily available around the home or at a nearby store.

The directions I read for hydrogen peroxide were to use full strength out of the bottle like you buy from the drugstore. Pour it in a bowl, and dip the plant for 30 seconds, then rinse in tap water.

I used 1.5 liters of chlorinated tap water plus a few drops of bleach (chlorine/sodium hypochloride), enough to smell distinctly 'bleachy" but not enough to feel slippery and I let it soak for three days, pushing it around once in a while to make sure it all got exposed. It worked. A few hours of soaking would probably work.

[Critterlvrok]

Thank you all for the GREAT news. *Sarcasm* Really though thank you. I'm just not happy about this new addition. I will start with the lettuce tonight but I have a question, will my Nerite snails and mystery snails be drawn to the lettuce also?

[CatmanDru]

Sorry for the bad news, but you're not alone: it happens to many people.

Blanch, microwave, or freeze the lettuce before you place it into the tank. The Pond Snails need it to be soft to eat.

An additional tip about the lettuce trick is to put it in a small glass like a shot glass so that if the Pond Snails feel the movement of your touch and 'release and drop' in an effort to escape, they will drop into the glass and still be trapped for removal.

Yes, your Nerite snails and Mystery snails will be drawn to the lettuce also. But they are big enough you can pick them off before disposal. You can also put the lettuce in a small bottle with a mouth too small for your Nerites and Mysteries to get in.

[Critterlvrok]

Thank you so much. I truly appreciate the help, this forum rocks! I love my mystery and Nerite snails but do not want to deal with a population explosion. Overfeeding is not a problem but there seems to be a consensus on here that they will multiply regardless. Ugh!