Snails and Water Sprite....uh oh...

[Jill]

I bought some water sprite at the LFS tonight. LOVE IT!! Brought it home, looked it up (yeah, I know...should've done that before purchase...lol) and found out that snails like to eat it. I have weird little hitch-hiker snails in my tank that have never bothered me. I kind of like them actually. Will they eat my water sprite? Are there safe snails for water sprite? Assassin snails maybe??

 

[Austin.b]

They could be ramshorn, pond snails, or MTS(malasian trumpet snails). IMO all have their goods and bads. Some strictly good snails are nerites. They eat algea and do not harm anything. As for the assassin snails, I would wait until you have alot of snails or put some lettuce in you tank and leave it in overnight. When all the snails are eating it the next morning, simply take it out an throw it in the trash! hope this helps!!

 

[Jill]

Thanks!! Do they like romaine?? lol That's all I have on hand.

Is there a safe snail for water sprite? I like snails AND I like the water sprite.

 

[Austin.b]

Thanks!! Do they like romaine?? lol That's all I have on hand.

Is there a safe snail for water sprite? I like snails AND I like the water sprite.

Nerites are probably your best bet I'm sure the lettuce would be fine! you might have to boil it first too get It soft, but not falling apart soft

 

[KaylNeko]

Pond snails are fine if you watch you're feeding regime--they eat algae and dead plant matter but not live, just like nerites. Ramshorns are reported to eat live plants, but I get just as many reports that they don't. MTS's are neat little snails--they'll eat some algae and detritus, and they burrow so they keep the substrate turned and aerated. You don't usually see them much--I have 130 in my 55 gallon, and may see somewhere between 1 and 10 at the most at a time. All 3 of them are rather prolific when there's plenty of food. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Austin.b]

Pond snails are fine if you watch you're feeding regime--they eat algae and dead plant matter but not live, just like nerites. Ramshorns are reported to eat live plants, but I get just as many reports that they don't. MTS's are neat little snails--they'll eat some algae and detritus, and they burrow so they keep the substrate turned and aerated. You don't usually see them much--I have 130 in my 55 gallon, and may see somewhere between 1 and 10 at the most at a time. All 3 of them are rather prolific when there's plenty of food. Just something to keep in mind.

Thanks for explaining! I wasn't too sure of all their attributes my self

 

[Jill]

Pond snails are fine if you watch you're feeding regime--they eat algae and dead plant matter but not live, just like nerites. Ramshorns are reported to eat live plants, but I get just as many reports that they don't. MTS's are neat little snails--they'll eat some algae and detritus, and they burrow so they keep the substrate turned and aerated. You don't usually see them much--I have 130 in my 55 gallon, and may see somewhere between 1 and 10 at the most at a time. All 3 of them are rather prolific when there's plenty of food. Just something to keep in mind.

Thanks for your help. So far my snails are showing zero interest in my water sprite.

 

[siva]

Snails aren't going to bother your water sprite. I have it in many tanks, all of which have snails in them, never is it damaged by them. One of my angels does eat bits of it though.

 

[Jill]

I swear one can go insane reading all of the info on the web! I was convinced my plant was doomed....lol.

Thanks.