Pond Snails

[fish_4_all]

I have a few of them and their numbers isn't the issue, I have loaches in another tank for that. The question is, how big do these guys get? I have one that is about 1/2 inch right now. I don't mind because they do a fair job eating the fuzzy algae but I don't want it to get so big it starts liking to eat my plants. Is there any worry about this or do they just grow and never eat healthy plants?

What is their scientific name so I can look up some more information about them?

 

[Guest]

found this;

Physidae
Physa acuta

source;
http://aquamaniacs.net/forum/cms_view_article.php?aid=140

 

[Pleco]

I know in California they have pretty much banned the sale of all pond snails. There is a notice in both my LFS around town. Something to do with West Nile i believe, but i dont know all the details.

 

[hc8719]

i know some can carry rat-lung, but you'd have to be living in thailand or vietnam for that. i dunno about size, ive seen some at least and inch, mystery/apple/brig snails are sometimes mistaken for common snails, and mystery/apple/brig, will get up to the size of your fist, (or 5 inches)

 

[plecoperson]

i know some can carry rat-lung, but you'd have to be living in thailand or vietnam for that. i dunno about size, ive seen some at least and inch, mystery/apple/brig snails are sometimes mistaken for common snails, and mystery/apple/brig, will get up to the size of your fist, (or 5 inches)

Lil' physa snails won't eat your plants, but they do reproduce very quickly. If they are physa snails they get to be about 1/2" long maxiumum.

P. bridgesii-"Mystery"-snails get to be about 2.5 inches in diameter. They don't eat plants in the aquarium. A permit is required to ship interstate and to sell these snails, but they are still legal to ship and sell.

P. canaliculata-"Cana"-snails are the ones that get really large. They eat plants like mad and are considered a threat to rice crops in states where that is grown. They're illegal to ship interstate.

Both the above are types of apple snails.