Snail appears out of Thin Water!

[Scott1980]

Hey folks

I've found a snail guest that was not invited. I took him to a lfs and they said it looked like a trumpet snail. All my friends say get rid of it, they multiply like crazy and kill your fish and you never get rid of it, blah blah. Guy at the lfs says they're great. They do wonders for gravel and you use clown loaches to control the population. I don't know where this thing came from. I haven't bought plants, unless it came in the eco complete which would be wierd. So should I keep this thing or not what's everybodys take?

[Allivymar]

Heh, mystery snails (and not the big ones also known as apple snails) are a PITA. If you don't have plants its hard to figure out where it came from (maybe an egg came in with a new fish?).

There are pros and cons to trumpet snails. They generally don't eat plants like the pond snails do (not an issue for you), aerate the substrate as they move around in it, and eat detritus that could foul a tank.

Flip side is, they add their own detritus (that stuff they eat all comes out in the end *grin*) and breed like crazy - they are hermaphroditic, so all it takes is one. If you don't want a tank full of snails, and don't have room for loaches (remember, loaches need to be in groups of at least 3), I'd just get rid of it. Then again, I hate snails LOL

[Andydg]

I wish I would have gotten rid of my snail when I found it, there's now around 20 pretty good sized ones sliding all over the place. You say clown loaches will take the out though??? I think I'm gonna get a few.

[grimlock3000]

Be aware that Clown Loaches get very large and should be purchased in groups of three or more

[Blatchy]

From what my lfs says clown loaches dont get large too quickly however do over time. I'm not to sure as to how fast they do grow however when they do you will require a large tank at least 55 gallons or more to keep anymore than 3.

I was reading somewhere that these are rare but this doesn't seem to be the case here in Australia. Maybe it is just the large full grown ones? I know the ones over 4 or more inches fetch $25au. You can get small ones for around $5au each though.

I like my Malaysian Trumpet Snails. IME, they cause no problems, and I rarely even see them. They mostly stay in the gravel during the day, and only venture forth at night. I'm betting it came in with the Eco-Complete, but that's just a guess. The burrowing they do in the gravel prevents pockets of hydro sulfide from forming. These are the good guys of the snail world.

I say keep it, and Ally has a weird anti-snail bias!

[Blatchy]

Just thought I would also mention a method I use to reduce the snail numbers in my tank is to place a half piece of carrot cut down the middle about 2 inches long anchored to the substrate. After around 3 or so days a large number of the snails will attach themselves to this and then I simple just remove the carrot from the tank.

Although this does not cure your snail problem entirely it is an easy method to reduce the numbers if you cannot safely accommodate clown loaches. I have a fair number of snails in my tank and they are a nuisance if too many continually reproduce however if the numbers are kept down I dont mind the odd ones.

From what most people have said with the exception of one or two I think it may be in your best interest to keep them however this is personal choice.

Good luck with removing them if that is what you decide I would also try these methods before medicating. I'm one who hates adding chemicals to tanks especially if it is really unnecessary.

[Allivymar]

I do corvu LOL they are NASTY! All slimy and creepy, and the way they ooze around...eewwwww. Snakes are cool tho...

Anyway, clown loaches. They can reach up to a foot or so in home aquaria (I've seen pics of these beasts!), and while they certainly don't grow as fast as say, the common plec, they still grow. My largest clown has put on at least 2 inches in the past 6 months. I do suggest, if one is interested in them, that they are introduced into the tank they will be expected to live their life in. Clowns also don't do well with change, and moving them from tank to tank as they grow isn't a good idea (as I discovered).

One might also want to look into some of the other smaller loaches as well. Yoyo's top out at around 6 inches, and sids around 4-5 inches. Both are just as talented at chowing down on snails.

And yeah Blatchy, its the big clowns that pull in the money. For a number of reasons (one being shipping ease, another money as you can get more small ones in a shipping bag) large clowns are not shipped over from Asia; rather lots of the wee guys are. So large clowns are not frequently seen and their price reflects their rarity.

[Mr Burns]

Originally Posted by Blatchy

From what my lfs says clown loaches dont get large too quickly however do over time. I'm not to sure as to how fast they do grow however when they do you will require a large tank at least 55 gallons or more to keep anymore than 3.

i have three clown loaches that i bought in late september. they were maybe 1.5" long at the most. they're a little over 2.5" now. this is in a 29gal. i expect them to grow a bit more once my 60gal is completed and everybody is moved. however, i got them from a shop that is in our family so i can take them back if i feel they're getting too large. i may consider it once they get around 5-6"...i'll have to wait and see.

[Scott1980]

ok,

I actaully bought a clown loach today. I'm going to try and get a pic of the snail on here so someone can tell me what kind it is. Guy at lfs told me clowns eat both shell and snail. Is that true? How big this thing get's is a concern and I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it. It's only a 20 gallon. Fish Stores in the area are great about taking fish and giving credits. I will investigate about the other smaller loaches that were recommedned. Why is it important to keep these things in groups of 3 or more? By the way i woke up this morning and found 6 more snails, lol Thanks everyone.

[Mr Burns]

it was my understanding that clowns can 'suck' the snail out of the shell...i don't know if they can digest the shell, but i wouldn't think they'd be able to. loaches naturally like to be together. mine are always laying on top of eachother and just generally close together. it's a protection/security thing, kinda like strength in numbers. they also use the other fish as safety gauges. if they see, in my tank for example, the zebras and harlequins oot and aboot (out and about) having fun, they'll feel more comfortable coming out.

yo-yo loaches (pakistani loaches) don't get nearly as big as clowns can...i'm really hoping my loaches don't get to the full size...and i'm dreading the [rare] 14" possibility that i've heard of. 8O

[tabitha]

at the store where you got your fish, was there any tiny snails in the tanks?

i know when i bought my plants like 4 weeks later i noticed snails... but you didnt buy plants so that cant be it...

[TankGirl]

Sometimes when they net the fish they will net a tiny snail, and if you are not careful to net the fish out of the bag you will dump in whatever was in that store tank. There could easily have been some snail eggs in the bag with the fish, too, since they are clear and gelatinous in most cases.

I introduced snails to my African tank accidentally when I used a fake plant that had been in my planted tank (before the plants filled in) and even though it had been sitting in my garage for 3 months, snails appeared in my tank! It was the only thing in the tank that was not brand new, so it had to be that. I still pick out hundreds of baby snails every week, but they don't bother me all that much.

[Scott1980]

I found the culprit. A friend of mind gave me some of his old eco complete and he had snails in his tank. Amazing that stuff sat in a bag for 2 months and still had snails. Nothing says your a great friend like snail infestation. Maybe they won't be so bad and my clown loach will keep some population control.

[fandsw]

Originally Posted by Scott1980

ok,

I actaully bought a clown loach today. I'm going to try and get a pic of the snail on here so someone can tell me what kind it is. Guy at lfs told me clowns eat both shell and snail. Is that true? How big this thing get's is a concern and I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it. It's only a 20 gallon. Fish Stores in the area are great about taking fish and giving credits. I will investigate about the other smaller loaches that were recommedned. Why is it important to keep these things in groups of 3 or more? By the way i woke up this morning and found 6 more snails, lol Thanks everyone.

I've always had single clown loaches in previous tanks (< 20 gal), and they never did well, i.e. last over 2-3 months. They always seemed lethargic. I had always heard they do better with company, but never had a tank large enough. In my new 72g tank I now have 6 1.5" clown loaches and they are having an absolute blast!!! They do nothing but play and eat all day. It's like they are playing a continous game of tag. I have found myself sitting there for 30 minutes at a time just watching them. I'll never have less than 3 again.....

Frank