BrianJR
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
About 5 weeks ago, I bought a clump of plants from the LF. When I got home and unwrapped them, I found out I had also got a hitchhiker. The snail was about 3/4 inch and cone shaped. I though to myself 'neat, now I have a snail for my tank' and I put him in.
Then he disappeared. I thought maybe he had died in the gravel and I would eventually find him during my next gravel vacuum. So I was surprised when last week I saw him again! Whew! It's nice to have a bit of variety in my tank, even if I only see him every few weeks.
Well, the other night I was looking at my tank (in the dark) and I thought I saw some specks on my driftwood. So, I went and got a flashlight for a closer inspection. Low and behold, I had 2 baby snails! "Oh how neat!" I thought to myself. Then I inspected the tank more thoroughly. I counted at least 12 snails! 8O Sizes range from little specks to 1/4 inch.
So, I've read that it is normal for snails to multiply rather quickly. My question is...what should I do? Will they (or rather food supply) control their own population, or do I need to thin them out? I've noticed my tank has less algae recently, so I guess that is what they are eating. But if they keep on reproducing at this rate, I'm going to have hundreds of snails, which might start rotting and polluting my water.
Ahhhhh!!!
Then he disappeared. I thought maybe he had died in the gravel and I would eventually find him during my next gravel vacuum. So I was surprised when last week I saw him again! Whew! It's nice to have a bit of variety in my tank, even if I only see him every few weeks.
Well, the other night I was looking at my tank (in the dark) and I thought I saw some specks on my driftwood. So, I went and got a flashlight for a closer inspection. Low and behold, I had 2 baby snails! "Oh how neat!" I thought to myself. Then I inspected the tank more thoroughly. I counted at least 12 snails! 8O Sizes range from little specks to 1/4 inch.
So, I've read that it is normal for snails to multiply rather quickly. My question is...what should I do? Will they (or rather food supply) control their own population, or do I need to thin them out? I've noticed my tank has less algae recently, so I guess that is what they are eating. But if they keep on reproducing at this rate, I'm going to have hundreds of snails, which might start rotting and polluting my water.
Ahhhhh!!!