what kind of snail is this?

[ghettorigged]

I just discovered this snail in my tank today. What kind is it and is it going to multiply itself? What are the pros and cons of having this snail in my tank? thanks for your help!

 

[ghettorigged]

oh yeah, it's a freshwater tank and that snail is smaller than the tip of my pinky finger.

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

Looks like either a black mystery snail or a maybie (i think its called) colombian rams head snail. Snails have pros and cons. They leave a little bit of slime on the walls ocationally and when they die it is normally a big mess. I doubt you would have any problems with this little snail though. Snails can multiply bigtime and most can also reproduce asexually (without a mate) They help reduce the algae which is good, and it adds more of a community. I really like my little golden mystery snail. I'd keep it unless there are any noticable problems. It probably got in your tank from a live plant or some other decoration you bought form a petstore.

 

[mansiz]

I got that mysterious snail in my fresh water tank too. It was crawling on an ornament, it was not there when I bought the plants, and the ornament don't have any snails on it too. The tank was new too, but the snail just came out, don't know from where. I washed the aquarium plants with fast flowing water from the tap before placing them in the tank, so it could'nt have came out from the plants. Then where does it come from??????? :?

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

When they come on the plants they were probably too small to tell. In my experience, little snails hanging on to plants are a lot like head-lice hanging on to a kids hair. They stick on tight, spread a lot, and it takes a lot of work to get rid of them once a bunch have instituted themsleves in your tank.

 

[d9hp]

It looks like a simple pond snail, I have tons and tons of them, never asked, but hey. They dont really cause me problems and cant even keep up with my algae problems

 

[mansiz]

Will they attack the fishes? ( Neons, swordtails ). That means if I get rid of the plants, they are rid off too? I only found 1 of them so far.

 

[Somethingfishy]

No they are harmless to fish. They won't just disappear if you take out the plants it depends on our much food watse and other things that will determine whether the snails come and go.

Personnaly I have found only good things from snails inmy tank, others might disagree.

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

If you do want to get rid of your snails, one or two clown loaches will do the trick, or you can bait the snails and remove them when theyve collected around the bait.

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Bait with what? They have infested a small tank of mine.

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

Snails love to eat dead fish matter. Other ways are to get the clown loaches, manual removal, snail killing chemicals(more of a last resort, can be harmful to plants and fish), or a complete cleaning. Reduce how much you feed your fish and that can help keep the snail population at bay.

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

OH i got it! I was experimenting in my small aquarium and found somthing that should work. Use a small glass or bottle, that your fish can get into or get stuck in(if they can get in, make sure all the fish can easily manage their way in or out, so they wont drown). Then use a bait (i used a piece of shrimp and some dead plant matter) Then, after a bunch of snails are in the bottle just take it out.

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

*make sure they cant get into out out of it

 

[felipe]

i don't know much about snails, but i do know that it will not harm your plants or your fish. Nature has them their in the wild for a reason. Good Luck!

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Actually, they do harm plants. There is no algea in my tank so they go to work. I regularly see the large ones break off pieces and float off with them as they munch. These are the common pond snails.

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

Keep them occupied with algae, or those sinking algae wafers might work, never tried it though.

 

[ghettorigged]

thanks for the help!

I moved the snail to a piece of driftwood that was starting to look too overrun with algae. So far, the snail has remained on the driftwood, just making his way around and around. Hopefully it won't mutiply beyond control.

 

[d9hp]

Well, some snails are not hermaphidites, therefore they need an a sexual mate. I think corvus knows them

 

[yv1]

i have those damn snails too, they are everywhere