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Snails in my tank?

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  • 16-01-2013 3:06pm
    #1
    HungryFish
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭


    I have recently noticed a couple of snails on the glass of my freshwater aquarium. A couple of months ago I experimented with some live plants and I think the snails must have come from there. These snails are growing rather quickly and I'm worried that they're not good for my fish but I don't want to hurt them either. Does anyone know if snails in freshwater tanks are harmful and if they're not, how do I care for them?


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    #2
    lynchie
    Registered Users Posts: 1,994 ✭✭✭lynchie


    They more than likely were hitchhikers on your plants. They generally are not harmful to fish but are just an annoyance more than anything. I had an explosion of them when I introduced some plants but I just crush them when I see them at the side of the tank and my harlequins will happily devour them! Overfeeding fish will cause them to explode in number.


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    #3
    HungryFish
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭HungryFish


    lynchie wrote: »
    They more than likely were hitchhikers on your plants. They generally are not harmful to fish but are just an annoyance more than anything. I had an explosion of them when I introduced some plants but I just crush them when I see them at the side of the tank and my harlequins will happily devour them! Overfeeding fish will cause them to explode in number.

    Do you know if there's any benefit to having them in there?


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    #4
    horsemaster
    Registered Users Posts: 123 ✭✭horsemaster


    Snails are actually sold in stores because they are known for eating the algae on the glass/ acrylic panels on the aquarium. They are popularly known as as clean up crews. They also add to the variety of lifestock in your tank. I have kept them with no problem. They are not harmful in any way except if they get hold of your life plants, they can eat them. I kind of like them as they add visual excitement to the tank.


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    #5
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    The only bad thing about snails is the waste they contribute, and even that is only bad if their numbers get out of control. You can crush them against the glass when you see them, and your fish will eat the fleshy bit, or you can get assassin snails which will hunt them down and take care of them for you.


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    #6
    soap1978
    Registered Users Posts: 723 ✭✭✭soap1978


    i can give u a few assassin snails if u like?


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    #7
    CruelCoin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    HungryFish wrote: »
    Do you know if there's any benefit to having them in there?

    One benefit is that they will consume debris, fish waste, excess food etc.

    Downside is they can explode in numbers....

    Once these snails get into a tank, it is almost impossible to 100% fully rid yourself of them.

    If you want to control them:
    1: reduce your feeding levels
    2: Get some Assasin snails (these hunt and kill pest snails)
    3: Get some loaches (type of fish that eat snails.) Beware, as many loaches sold as "snails eaters" don't actually do it. Research before you buy.


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    #8
    baron von something
    Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭baron von something


    get a few assassin snails for ur tank.
    i found a couple of snails in my tank recently and assumed that they came in the plants i got.after a week there was a population explosion and they were everywhere..very annoying.i got a couple of assassin snails that are doing a good job but the snails are breeding too fast for my assassins to properly get the population down.gonna have to get a few more assassins.the assassins are pretty to look at but i see the other snails as pests


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    #9
    CruelCoin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    baron von something wrote: »
    get a few assassin snails for ur tank.
    i found a couple of snails in my tank recently and assumed that they came in the plants i got.after a week there was a population explosion and they were everywhere..very annoying.i got a couple of assassin snails that are doing a good job but the snails are breeding too fast for my assassins to properly get the population down.gonna have to get a few more assassins.the assassins are pretty to look at but i see the other snails as pests

    I have been recommended in a few different places to have 1 assassin snail per 5-6 litres of water to properly control pest snails.


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    #10
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    Really? I got 2 for my 120L and the snails were gone in a couple of weeks.


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    #11
    CruelCoin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    kylith wrote: »
    Really? I got 2 for my 120L and the snails were gone in a couple of weeks.

    A fully grown adult Assassin can eat around 3-4 pest snails in a day.

    With a large pest snail population in a 120lt, the pest snails would repopulate faster than 2 assassins could hope to eat to keep up with!

    More likely is you have improved your water quality, reduced excess nutrients, so the pests can't repopulate as easily.


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    #12
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    CruelCoin wrote: »
    A fully grown adult Assassin can eat around 3-4 pest snails in a day.

    With a large pest snail population in a 120lt, the pest snails would repopulate faster than 2 assassins could hope to eat to keep up with!

    More likely is you have improved your water quality, reduced excess nutrients, so the pests can't repopulate as easily.

    Could be, alright. I didn't have a mad infestation, but they vanished within a couple of days of me adding a bunch of Rainbowfish, so there may well have been less food around. My queries on another site as to whether rainbowfish eat snail were dismissed as 'daft'.


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    #13
    CruelCoin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    kylith wrote: »
    Could be, alright. I didn't have a mad infestation, but they vanished within a couple of days of me adding a bunch of Rainbowfish, so there may well have been less food around. My queries on another site as to whether rainbowfish eat snail were dismissed as 'daft'.

    What other site was this?

    The forums at Irish tropical fishkeepers are dead, and not so well informed.

    The lads over at the Practical fishkeeping forums are much better, and its vastly more active.


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    #14
    CruelCoin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    kylith wrote: »
    Could be, alright.

    A good thing to do also, is to get a few more assassins (no idea as to whether there are male/female assassins or not) and let them breed.

    In a tank with pest snails, a small bunch of assassins (5-6) can and generally will breed and produce baby assassins.

    This becomes self regulating after a while, with the assassins breeding at a rate necessary to keep up with the pests.

    I have a 240lt tank, with 5 adults and 10 or so "oh so cute but voracious little bastard babies)


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    #15
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    CruelCoin wrote: »
    What other site was this?

    The forums at Irish tropical fishkeepers are dead, and not so well informed.

    The lads over at the Practical fishkeeping forums are much better, and its vastly more active.
    aquaticcommunity.com It's a US site, fairly well informed, a tendency to jump down people's throats.
    CruelCoin wrote: »
    A good thing to do also, is to get a few more assassins (no idea as to whether there are male/female assassins or not) and let them breed.

    In a tank with pest snails, a small bunch of assassins (5-6) can and generally will breed and produce baby assassins.

    This becomes self regulating after a while, with the assassins breeding at a rate necessary to keep up with the pests.

    I have a 240lt tank, with 5 adults and 10 or so "oh so cute but voracious little bastard babies)

    I haven't seen the pair of assassins I have for about 2 months now, and haven't seen any pest snails either, thankfully.


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    #16
    HungryFish
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭HungryFish


    I think there's only abot 3 snails in my tank. They started out tiny but are now fairly fat. If I get assassin snails do they eat anything else other than other snails. Don't want them to go hungry...


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    #17
    CruelCoin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    HungryFish wrote: »
    I think there's only abot 3 snails in my tank. They started out tiny but are now fairly fat. If I get assassin snails do they eat anything else other than other snails. Don't want them to go hungry...

    They will eat anything they come across.

    Left over food, fish waste, etc.


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    #18
    HungryFish
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭HungryFish


    CruelCoin wrote: »

    They will eat anything they come across.

    Left over food, fish waste, etc.

    When I got home last night I noticed all these little brown sploges on the walls of my tank. On closer inspection they are obviously baby snails. I'm guessing that this is the population explosion everyone's talking about. Do you know if the chain pet shops (maxi-zoo/pet mania) sell assassin snails or would I need to go somewhere more specialised?


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    #19
    CruelCoin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    HungryFish wrote: »
    When I got home last night I noticed all these little brown sploges on the walls of my tank. On closer inspection they are obviously baby snails. I'm guessing that this is the population explosion everyone's talking about. Do you know if the chain pet shops (maxi-zoo/pet mania) sell assassin snails or would I need to go somewhere more specialised?

    Some do, some don't.

    Go here for a list of all the well known aquarium stockists:

    http://www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum/510-sponsor-section

    My two favourites are Arthane aquatics and Seahorse aquariums. Both stiock asassins.

    I tend to avoid chain shops like the plague as the staff haven't got a ****ing iota.


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    #20
    HungryFish
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭HungryFish


    CruelCoin wrote: »

    Some do, some don't.

    Go here for a list of all the well known aquarium stockists:

    http://www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php/forum/510-sponsor-section

    My two favourites are Arthane aquatics and Seahorse aquariums. Both stiock asassins.

    I tend to avoid chain shops like the plague as the staff haven't got a ****ing iota.


    I had a couple of bad experiences with pet mania when I got my tank first but there's a girl in my local maxi zoo who does seem to know her stuff. Thanks for that anyway. I'll check out the site


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    #21
    soap1978
    Registered Users Posts: 723 ✭✭✭soap1978


    where do u live op?


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    #22
    HungryFish
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭HungryFish


    soap1978 wrote: »
    where do u live op?
    Waterford co


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    #23
    APM
    Registered Users Posts: 985 ✭✭✭APM


    I had an explosion of snails after buying some live plants. Bought 2 clown loaches and they destroyed them all (at least 100) without trace in about a week.


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    #24
    soap1978
    Registered Users Posts: 723 ✭✭✭soap1978


    HungryFish wrote: »
    Waterford co
    A bit to far,i could of given u a few but i am in cavan.


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    #25
    HungryFish
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭HungryFish


    soap1978 wrote: »
    A bit to far,i could of given u a few but i am in cavan.
    Yeah that's a bit if a trek alright 😀


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    #26
    Gloomtastic!
    Registered Users Posts: 8,473 ✭✭✭Gloomtastic!


    Went to Kinsealy Pet Store yesterday and they said assassins can't live in cold water tanks. Is this true?


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    #27
    CruelCoin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    Gloomtastic! wrote: »
    Went to Kinsealy Pet Store yesterday and they said assassins can't live in cold water tanks. Is this true?

    Yes.

    These are tropicals snails.

    A temperature of between 18 to 24 celcius is needed.


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    #28
    Bebo stunnah
    Registered Users Posts: 621 ✭✭✭Bebo stunnah


    I'd have regarded 18-24 as more sub tropical than full out tropical, sure my coldwater tank is usually between 16-19.

    You could get a weather (Dojo) Loach, They're a coldwater species and an interesting addition! I've never seen a snail in my tank, even after putting a handful in from a shrimp tank!


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