I now have snails for the first time

[Fish24907]

So I bought some plants from a guy a month ago and today i noticed a snail in my tank...and then i started searching more thoroughly and saw two more.

A few questions:

1. What kind are they...they are basically pea sized and are brown/reddish color with black spots and black patches on them. See the pics in my post right below this post.



2. What can I do to get rid of them?



3. I have a big phobia of spiders and things crawling on me, is there a chance that the snails can crawl out of my tank and crawl around my house (or do they die if they are outside of the water for a small period of time like a fish would)?

 

[Fish24907]

Here's a pic of the three of them next to some of my gravel stones. As you can see they are about the same size as one of my average gravel stones.

 

[Alkane]

Those look like ramshorn snails.

One assassin snail will keep your tank clear and it will not reproduce.

If you don't want to get an assassin snail I would just remove them from your tank as you see them.

No, they won't crawl out of your tank.

 

[Fishy Aston]

You could get a loach or a assassin snail

If you dont remove them they will just keep breeding and they will take over the the tank you can never remove them all by hand.

 

[OBEYtheFISH]

You could get a loach or a assassin snail

If you dont remove them they will just keep breeding and they will take over the the tank you can never remove them all by hand.

You can't just recommend a loach to get rid of a snail problem

 

[maestromad]

If you don't want them in the tank and there is room I would recommend assassin snails. I hate snails too but my assassins are so cute!

 

[LyndaB]

If there are only a few, just hand pick them out. For every one you see, there are at least 5-10 more hiding somewhere in the tank. If you overfeed, they will overbreed.

There is no need to purchase an additional species for the tank to do a job like this, when the job is very small and easily remedied.

 

[OBEYtheFISH]

You can add a piece of lettuce or cucumber for a couple of hours
Then you'll see a bunch of snails on it
& you can just pull the whole piece out
Simple

 

[Fishy Aston]

You can add a piece of lettuce or cucumber for a couple of hours
Then you'll see a bunch of snails on it
& you can just pull the whole piece out
Simple

Yes that does get some out.

Not all of them and then they still breed ...

 

[OBEYtheFISH]

Yes that does get some out.

Not all of them and then they still breed ...

That's a better alternative then what you advised

 

[MABJ]

That's a better alternative then what you advised

+1 adding another fish, which has its own requirements, is never a solution.

Did the poster ever say what size tank he is using?

Loaches need long tanks and other loaches to be happy.

Assassin snails are decent, but again they have requirements.

Introducing species isn't usually the solution. If you feed and clean properly you won't get more than you can handle. There's the advice to spread.

 

[Alkane]

I personally prefer to select tank mates that serve a purpose. Many may disagree, but IMO it makes for a more balanced system. To me these are the more interesting critters anyway. Plus I'd rather have something be food for something else rather than having to kill it just for esthetic purposes. As with adding new species always do your research and don't overstock. So If it were me I would use an assassin snail.

Although as I said earlier and what seems to be the general consensus light feeding and picking the snails out as you see them should do the trick depending on how many eggs have been laid in your tank.

Good Luck

 

[MABJ]

I personally prefer to select tank mates that serve a purpose. Many may disagree, but IMO it makes for a more balanced system. To me these are the more interesting critters anyway. Plus I'd rather have something be food for something else rather than having to kill it just for esthetic purposes. As with adding new species always do your research and don't overstock. So If it were me I would use an assassin snail.

Although as I said earlier and what seems to be the general consensus light feeding and picking the snails out as you see them should do the trick depending on how many eggs have been laid in your tank.

Good Luck

I agree with you ^^ I'm just saying, if your tank is balanced and you have/had no desire to own an assassin snail, don't just put one in to control snail populations. When they're gone, the poor snail will die if you don't know what you're doing.

I'm trying to create a natural cycle of life kind of tank right now, and I'm considering my snail options, too.

 

[Alkane]

I agree with you ^^ I'm just saying, if your tank is balanced and you have/had no desire to own an assassin snail, don't just put one in to control snail populations. When they're gone, the poor snail will die if you don't know what you're doing.

I'm trying to create a natural cycle of life kind of tank right now, and I'm considering my snail options, too.

You're right. Advice to buy new animals to attempt to solve a problem that isn't fully understood in the first place usually leads to more problems. I wasn't disagreeing with you just putting my opinion out there.

What'cha got in in your natural tank? I sometimes am more interested in my live food cultures than my fish tanks

 

[MABJ]

You're right. Advice to buy new animals to attempt to solve a problem that isn't fully understood in the first place usually leads to more problems. I wasn't disagreeing with you just putting my opinion out there.

What'cha got in in your natural tank? I sometimes am more interested in my live food cultures than my fish tanks

I know!

Lol! I can't make my own foods, but I'm more interested in my plants and inverts than fish these days.

My tank, when officially ready, will house 6 Chili Rasboras, 1 Horned Nerite, a RCS colony and 2 Thai Micro Crabs. Check out the thread in my signature. Comment or criticize there! I love the help.

Sry to jack the thread.

 

[Fish24907]

Cool guys. I think I'll research assassin snails and if My tank can handle them (which it should ... I have a 20 gallon long with the only Inhabitants being my six zebra danios) and their requirements dont look too harsh, then u can just pick one or two of them up.

 

[damman6]

Do assassin snails need other snails to eat to survive? Or would they be able to live without. Also can you have a few othem without them breeding and mass populating a tank?

 

[MABJ]

Do assassin snails need other snails to eat to survive? Or would they be able to live without. Also can you have a few othem without them breeding and mass populating a tank?

Well they can live on a vegetable/leftover mix, so I was told. But their optimum diet is other snails :/

 

[Biosfear]

So I bought some plants from a guy a month ago and today i noticed a snail in my tank...and then i started searching more thoroughly and saw two more.

A few questions:

1. What kind are they...they are basically pea sized and are brown/reddish color with black spots and black patches on them. See the pics in my post right below this post.

2. What can I do to get rid of them?

3. I have a big phobia of spiders and things crawling on me, is there a chance that the snails can crawl out of my tank and crawl around my house (or do they die if they are outside of the water for a small period of time like a fish would)?

Lucky!

 

[LyndaB]

Do assassin snails need other snails to eat to survive? Or would they be able to live without. Also can you have a few othem without them breeding and mass populating a tank?

Assassins prefer live food but will also consume algae wafers and anything else that lands on the bottom of the tank. They will also consume eggs, I've seen mine climb the walls of the tank specifically to go after cory eggs.

I started off with 7 in my 16 gallon a few years ago and now, I probably have 25 or so. They spawn slowly, not like most other snails. The young hide beneath the substrate for their first few months. There are so many people that want them that even if you ended up with too many, you could easily give them away.

For your situation, I would advise maybe 3-4 of them.