Should I get snails?

[superpeytonm]

I've been a little wary of getting snails for my 75 gallon for a long time. All my LFS carries are mystery and nerites.

Do snails have anything beneficial to add to a tank?

What are the pros and cons of having them?

 

[Delapool]

Gasp! Snails!!

Actually as a long-term hater of them I find they can be quite interesting to watch. Mystery snails I've found poop a lot and a low ph can result in shell damage.

Sometimes I can pick up the odd Malaysian trumpet snail or ramshorn snail free from the shop.

 

[Fresh2o]

Nerites are usually purchased for their algae eating ability and the interesting shell colorations. They will not breed in FW although they might leave infertile eggs attached to surfaces on the tank. Not harmful but can be distracting, visually.



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[superpeytonm]

Do I feed them anything or do they just eat algae?

Do they have a big bio load?

It's good to know they won't reproduce in freshwater because snail reproduction is what turned me away from them for so long.

How many would be okay for a 75 gallon?

 

[fishliker]

I recently discovered nerite snails and have 5 in my 55 gallon. Why don't you try a couple and see if you like them.


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[ESeck]

Do I feed them anything or do they just eat algae?

Do they have a big bio load?

It's good to know they won't reproduce in freshwater because snail reproduction is what turned me away from them for so long.

How many would be okay for a 75 gallon?

Speaking strictly for nerites, they don't need to be fed anything special, especially if you have plants in the tank. They will live off algae and detritus, but will also pick up what your fish miss. Their bioload is very low. The eggs are a bit annoying but they seem to favor laying them on driftwood, so if you'd like to contain the eggs, put a piece in your tank. 5-8 would be good for a 75, depending on your algae cleaning needs. I like tiger nerites the best.

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