Planted tank hitch hiking snail good or bad?

[wetfarticus]

Been working on this 55 gallon tank for what seems like 2 lifetimes. Finally got all the gear and filled it. Got a bunch of various plants from a local aquarium specialist store. After filling and running the filter for a day i noticed a snail attached to the front pane. It is the same sort that the aquarist store kept in their plant tanks to keep algae at bay.

I know nothing about snails. I know certain species are invasive and can be a serious nuisance. I was toying with the idea of snails in my tank. Should i get him out of there or just leave him be? If anything, maybe he becomes a snack for one of my fish once the nitrogen cycle is complete.

Would post a pic, but i cant get a good angle on it. It has a black shell and is around 1/2 inch.

Any thoughts?

 

[DreaminginBlue]

Try googling "pond snail" or "bladder snail" and see if that's what your little hitchhiker is. That's what it sounds like to me, I found one of those buggers in my tank, too, after he came in on a plant.
It's up to you if you keep him or feed him to a fish; I chose to remove the snail as soon as I saw him and rehome him.
Lots of people have different opinions on snails, but personally the only snails I want in my tank are the ones I put in there. Just added some lovely nerite snails, if you're looking for good snails that would be my suggestion. They can't reproduce in freshwater, love snacking on algae, and best of all, they're gorgeous.

 

[brothergc]

Been working on this 55 gallon tank for what seems like 2 lifetimes. Finally got all the gear and filled it. Got a bunch of various plants from a local aquarium specialist store. After filling and running the filter for a day i noticed a snail attached to the front pane. It is the same sort that the aquarist store kept in their plant tanks to keep algae at bay.

I know nothing about snails. I know certain species are invasive and can be a serious nuisance. I was toying with the idea of snails in my tank. Should i get him out of there or just leave him be? If anything, maybe he becomes a snack for one of my fish once the nitrogen cycle is complete.

Would post a pic, but i cant get a good angle on it. It has a black shell and is around 1/2 inch.

Any thoughts?

get on this ASAP ! A few most likley these are the snails you do not want . They can reproduce to the point that their unsightly , and put a strain on the bioload . I would start by taking all the plants out and dipping them in a water and bleach soulition . Put two capfull of bleach per gallon , and dip the plant in for a 15 second could THEN have another container ready with plain water , dip the plant injto that . I garentee the snails and their eggs will die . I have used this method on all my plants with no ill effects . AND I do it with all new plants .
Once your tank has cycled a few clown loaches will take care of any snails .
keep us updated !

 

[BBradbury]

wet...

Snails, under control, are an important part of the health of the tank. They're an indicator of how well you're feeding the fish. Too many snails mean you're feeding too much and need to feed a little less. Too few snails means you need to feed a little more. Snails help keep the tank clean and when they die, their shells dissolve in the tank water and replace trace elements the fish and plants need for good health.

B

 

[wetfarticus]

Excellent info. Thanks! Snail is gone. Will definitely take more time to inspect and wash any plants in the future. I like the bleach water idea.

 

[Reykur]

Small pond snails (even micro ramshorns) breed like crazy, both with mates and asexually. They lay massive clutches of eggs and can do so many time a day per snail given the right condition. If you find yourself having an issue with them and you can't prune them yourself to control their population, you can try using fenbendazole which will kill a lot of kinds of snails, and hydra and some other pests. Supposedly pretty easy on fish and inverts, completely safe for plants (according to reviews)

 

[Fresh2o]

I've used fenben for planaria elimination. Very effective. No problem for the plants, shrimp, and snails (MTS, ramshorn, pond).

 

[Reykur]

Fresh2o, I don't doubt you at all, I'm just making sure. But have you tried using fenben for detritus? I got some because I've got some detritus that came in from a plant and I've heard fenben kills planeria, hydra and snails? I'm basically trying to kill all teh pests.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

Best Betta Tank Kit?

Ignore title, accidentally didn't change it.
Glad you were able to deal with the snail! Hope all goes well.

 

[Reykur]

Hey Blue,
I got the Marina 5 gallon LED kit and was very pleased. Although the fluval chi is another great option. For low cost go tetra, but the Marina s10 filter the 5 gallon kit comes with is adjustable and comes with an intake sponge. The chi is a bit nicer to look at though so she might fall in love with her new tank.

 

[Fresh2o]

Fresh2o, I don't doubt you at all, I'm just making sure. But have you tried using fenben for detritus? I got some because I've got some detritus that came in from a plant and I've heard fenben kills planeria, hydra and snails? I'm basically trying to kill all teh pests.

You may want to investigate the procedure for dips in diluted bleach or hydrogen peroxide if general pest removal is what you are trying to accomplish.
My shrimp tank has had at one time or another: ramshorn snails, pond snails, MTS, copepods, seed shrimp, limpets, hydra, various flukes/flatworms, and planaria. Several of the above went away on their own. It's the planaria that we're the worst so I treated the tank with fenben. Shrimp and snails were fine.