mystery snail

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flitabout

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Aug 4, 2013
Messages
1,933
Location
Pipestone, Minnesota
So I just noticed that I have a snail hitchiker. Not sure if I should keep it or get rid of it. It's still really tiny. I have a planted tank so I know where is came from I just don't know if I leave it there am I just setting myself up for years of picking snails out of the tank?
 
If you leave it , they're going to breed and spread everywhere so just get rid of it. Last time I left a snail in the tank couple month and there was a whole bunch in my filter. After cleaning it more come again so if I was you just get rid of the snail. It's probley a pond snail
 
That's what I was thinking. It went running down the side of the tank and I couldn't get him out. But i did smush it trying to get it out at the very least its dead
 
If it is a pond snail, bladder snail or ramshorn, it is likely to be reproducing fast. They are all hermphrodites that can lay eggs, and do, without a mate being needed. You may well see more if it laid eggs, suddenly a bunch of tiny ones will show up.

They are good clean up crew. But I usually pick out bladder snails I see, to keep their numbers down, as they can kind of take over if food is plentiful and conditions favour them. I don't think I've ever seen an actual pond snail in my tanks, but the small dark coloured bladder snails show up regularly.

I toss some of them into my critter culture tank where I am trying to grow sufficient numbers of ostracods, daphnia and other small life to use for fish food, as they seem to help keep the cultures going.
 
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