Where did this snail come from?

[Squareheads]

okay so its going to be like my 3rd or 4th week of having my aquarium and i learned alot of things... and this is through observation... but what I observed today was something unusual for me as a newbie... and that was this very small rock that didn't look like the gravel I use.... when i looked closer, it looked like those trumpet shaped shells... and then I assumed it is a
very very very small snail ><.... So how did this get into my tank? I didn't buy any snails...

 

[mgamer20o0]

what did you buy? its easy to get slipped in there.

 

[Squareheads]

What do you mean what did I buy? well for a start... I bought everything new...

the only thing that isnt spick and spam that i bought was the malaysian drift wood... but im pretty sure it had no snails when I bought it....

can these guys just suddenly grow out of no where?

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okay now i spotted 2 small snails ><

and its for sure cause they are moving.... gaah...

 

[mgamer20o0]

there you go prob that. they give live birth and are very small. could be on one of the cracks or something. just took some time to grow. if it is mts they borrow under the gravel so it could be very hard to find.

 

[Squareheads]

are they going to be a nuisance and will they grow fast? and is there a FW fish I can buy with my current setup that can stop these guys from over populating?

I personally don't enjoy snails... as much as i like looking at them I get really disgusted

 

[mgamer20o0]

good indicator that you are over feeding or not. whats your current set up?

 

[Squareheads]

20 gal
4 swordtail 1 bushynose pleco 2 flower tail shrimp
18" light soo my tank is wide but not tall
not sure about water parameters... bought test strips( i should get the other one next time i know) test strips only indicate nitrate and stuff and its in a safe level. not sure bout ammonia levels but I put seachem prime just to be safe...

but yeh.... is there any way i get control these guys population wise?

 

[mgamer20o0]

best way is to pull them out when you find them. you could also use lettuce to bait them then pull them out.

 

[Squareheads]

how big do they grow?

and would u recommend keeping them?

can they eat my shrimp's shedded skin?

 

[mgamer20o0]

1 inch or so. i see no reason not to keep them they are a great indicator of over feeding or not. they might.

 

[FishEggs]

they eat dead plant and organic matter and left over food. easy way to control them would be not to over feed the fish and remove any dieing plant leaves. Also as mgamer2000 suggested grab and remove them when you see them.
It only takes one to reproduce so it will be an uphill battle if they get established.
personally i wouldn't worry about them since they stir up the gravel/substrate and keep it from getting any toxic gas pockets.

 

[Squareheads]

do they eat poop as well? and how long will it take for them to reach their full size

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spotted 3 now ><

 

[mgamer20o0]

no not really.

 

[FishEggs]

it depends on how much food they get but it would probably take around 10 months to reach an inch long.

 

[shawnryan1977]

If you just bought some new fish they could be the way they got into your tank. The fish eats a baby mts and the snail is able to withstand everything in the stomach and gets pooped out. That is the only way I can explain how my father-law got them in his tank, he has no plants.

 

[mom2reds]

more than likely they came in on any plants you put in your tank.

 

[ezy33]

I can see where a small snail might make the transfer from the LFS to your tank. Small enough not to see, Large enough to get trapped in a net.
I know Clown loaches will eat snails, other loches may too.

 

[kangster]

i bought 4 of these $1 a piece from a LFS
they do more good than harm so why not keep them
they only come out at nights when the lights are off and keep the sand stirred and clean
but if you absolutely are disgusted by it...well

 

[Squareheads]

im just worried about whether or not they will over populate and become like an annoyance to me.

 

[kangster]

not as long as you dont overfeed...
i once went by not seeing them for a couple of weeks and i was worried that i did something stupid and killed all the snails