snails and live plants?

[Guest]

SO when I got my plants I guess there were snails on them. I've had the plants for3-4 weeks now. I noted 2 TINY snails at first. Now they are about this big already!!!! : ( ). There are two that size. NOW I see TINY TINY TINY TINY TINY TINY TINY snails ALLLLLL over and I have not gotten ANY new plants. I did not see any eggs either. They are about thsi big: ()..ok..about half that size. Will these snails hurt my plants? They seem to be doing well so far. I've bought snails before and they didn't live long. Do they need special feeding requirements?

I figured I would keep them because they are $4 each at all my LFS. I got them for free!!!

 

[gfink]

search for pond snails, malaysian trumpet snails, and ramshorn snails. Some could be bad, but nothing terrible. Loaches eat them.

If you have a smaller tank (like 29 gal) you can get yo-yo loaches to eat pond snails) other loaches get bigger and need bigger tanks. I have 2 yo-yos in my 29.

 

[Guest]

they are all black snails.

 

[gfink]

Give this a read.

Oops..edited to add the link: http://www.plantgeek.net/article_viewer.php?id=14

 

[Guest]

I just looked at my tank and BOTH my bigger snails are on the filter tube. They have been on there before and have been fine. NOW it looks like their bodies are sucked into the tube.....it's nasty and I don't wanna get them out. I'll wait a few more hours and see if they move!!! I have a million other baby snails so if these two don't make it then Its ok..I kinda grew attached to them though

How will I keep them from going up the filter?


Thanks for the link. I didn't see one that looked EXACTLY like my snails but the apple snail looked close. Mine are black though. The Ramshorn snail looked sort of like them too. Can apple snails be black?

I also had a CLEAR snail too...it's dead on the filter too..I have 4 dead snails...I really need to get them cleaned off.

 

[PsiPro]

Don't worry about them getting sucked in. If you had snails before and managed to kill them... please tell us how! It is impossibly for many people to get rid of snails.

Snail shells tend to turn white then clear when the snail dies.

 

[Guest]

One of my snails on the filter is white. Another small one that has been in the same spot for DAYS is black.

Their insides can't get sucked in? it sure looks like it to me!

 

[PsiPro]

I'm sure they can, but I also immagine they are fairly strong.

 

[Mikebaker]

A good way to prevent this ( I don't know the effect on very delicate plants) is a quick saltwater bath of about 5 minutes, it may cause some enitial browning, but IMO it's worth not ending up with an infestation of snails in your tank.

 

[Guest]

I was looking for snails the yesterday and I found some different kinds. I have quite a few black ones but I found one that is yellow with clearish spots on it. I also saw one that is long and skinny shelled. I like that one. Of the two snails that were stuck yesterday, one got off!!! The other is still on it looking like it did yesterday so I think it's stuck.

thanks for the link gfink!!!

 

[Viperboy]

besides adding loaches to eat the snails ... i think ive read that you can add a piece of cucumber to the tank overnight and take it out in the morning and the snails will be all over it ... HTH

Ray

 

[Guest]

ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL my snails seem to be gathering on the filter tube!!! What is wrong? it makes no sense. Has anyone else had these problems?

 

[Purrbox]

Perhaps that's where all the fish food is going and the algae is growing?