# Introducing snails...



## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

Hello i am thinking of purchasing a 'RICCIA' plant/clump. They say it may contain a few snails. Would it be best to make sure they are all out before adding the plant to my tank or will they do no harm if they stay in there?

I know very little about water snails, hence my question. If they are harmless and help in the tank then i shall keep them.

Thanks for any help/advice you offer me. :withstup: :lol:


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## Vinny (Aug 1, 2007)

It is natural to buy plants from the LFS that comes with snails attatched. I started off with maybe two or three plants in my tank, and four snails; since then, the population has at least quadrupled. 

The snails are no danger to your plants, they shall be fine in your tank.


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## Sowilu (Jul 16, 2007)

Be careful though. Some start with one or two snail and end up with a fish tank full of snails and can't get rid of them. Some snails do harm plants and will sometimes kill them. I have read lots of stories on invasive snails. JustOneMore20 will be able to tell you more about this subject.


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2007)

Most of the snails that come in on plants are safe to keep with plants. Pond snails are very common little snails to get on plants. The only bad thing about these harmless snails (pond snails and some ramshorns) is that they can reproduce very fast. Try not to overfeed the tank and do weekly water changes to try to keep the population in control.

Some ramshorns, like the Columbian Ramshorn (notice they have stripes on their shell) will eat plants, so if you find them, get rid of them. Other ramshorn snails, like the red ones should leave your plants alone. I have tons of these in my tanks and wished I had done some population control in the beginning.  Mine could be slightly different, as they aren't quite that red, but they don't have stripes and leave the plants alone.


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## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

ok so if i should find any on my plants, so long as they don't have stripes they should be fine.
I will do my best to keep their populations to a minimum.


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## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

Thanks for all your help!


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2007)

I would personally rinse any new plants before putting them in the tank. Keep in mind that there could be other unwanted hitchhikers on the plants that you would not want in your tank.

Also, you may find that introducing the pond snails is a bad idea. They will take over and can be a huge PITA to get rid of. I would personally try to see to it that they don't make it into the tank.


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## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

hmmm, ok i wil lthink about that.


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## mgamer20o0 (Aug 27, 2007)

just like fish its a good idea to qt plants. i never do though. i think the snails are very helpful so i dont mind tem.


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## rcomeau (Apr 23, 2006)

I once kept a bare-bottom tank and deliberately put snails in it to keep algae under control. I got them from a breeder that kept them in his breeding tanks at just the right quantity. They multiplied in my tank so fast that I killed them all at once. That was easy because it was a bare bottom tank.

I then built a planted tank. I remember the day I looked at a plant I bought and saw a snail on it. I gave it a half second thought and put it in to see what the snail would do. BIG mistake! When I saw that they began multiplying very fast I couldn't kill them at once like I did in the bare bottom. I decided to kill every one I saw everytime I saw them. That became a feeding time habit of killing two or three two times a day for months! I thought I had them beat a few weeks ago. This week I'm killing them again. Apparently a new generation is on the move. If you don't want a part time job killing snails for months, don't let them get into your tank. Inspect every plant very carefully.

I heard similar stories from people that went away on vacation and came back to find out what happens when you stop your daily killing.

If I ever had to buy a plant again I would dip it in dilute bleach to kill the algae and buggers. Most plants can handle a quick dip then rinse.

My neighbors that have tanks would likely like some of the plants that I grow. I can't consider giving them any until the tank proves to be snailless for a few months.

LFSs should really be responsible about keeping their plant supply snail free. When they mention that their plants might come with snails take it as a disclaimer of the problem that they are inflicting on you.

I'm sure that there are non-invasive snails that are a pleasure to keep. If you do want them in a planted tank then be sure that you know the difference. Don't add a snail unless you are sure you know what kind it is and what they will do.


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## darkfalz (May 7, 2006)

Boy, I hope I don't live to regret buying live plants. Maybe I can increase the salt level to kill them? The fish won't mind.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Steve:

Please refer to
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/aqu...advice-160-litre-low-light-salt-tolerant.html

TR


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## Kyoberr (Dec 6, 2006)

I wouldn't keep them, unless you were planning on a snail tank which doesn't sound too appealing. They can be helpful, but I don't think it would be really worth it.


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## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

omg... i have had an outbreak... i never got the riccia but some must have been on my two plants i already had. there are about a good 10-20. =( Gonna start killing them when i notice serious numbers of them.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Steve:

IMHO start killing them now!!!

If you observe 10 to 20 then there are probably 50 to 100 alive in your tank!

I do not believe that "killing them now manually" will produce eradication or even dampen the growth curve but it is well worth a try.

I recommend that you begin researching loaches as they are the "DaisyCutter Bomb" in snail control.

From experience I can recommend "Yoyo's"
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/botia-almorhae/?searchterm=yoyo
These loaches are real "snail busters".
Please note though that Yoyo's will attain a length of 6".

I cannot recommend the following yet although I am attempting to grow them in a "grow out" tank as they will be much smaller that Yoyo's and have very distinctive markings.
Sewellia lineolata
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/sewellia-lineolata

TR

BTW and IMHO
"do not even think about chemicals for snail eradication".


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## Cichlidsrule (Nov 8, 2006)

"do not even think about chemicals for snail eradication".

Oh....so much for that idea. So yoyos are the only thing that really work for getting rid of snails?
Wait...could I crush the baby ones against the side of the tank and feed them to my firemouth?


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Cichlidsrule said:


> So yoyos are the only thing that really work for getting rid of snails?


It may be that most loaches will work but, via experience, I know that Yoyo's will work.




Cichlidsrule said:


> Wait...could I crush the baby ones against the side of the tank and feed them to my firemouth?


As I have set forth previously if you are observing 20 snails then probably 100 exist and their population will be unable to be controlled manually.

Do not know about the feeding business as I do not know what the crushed shells will do to your firemouth. My Yoyo's seem to "suck out the meat" and leave the shells intact.

TR


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## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

ok, so i will definatly look into these yoyos. i looked at the link you recomended and they would seem to be suited to my tank. Just need to know a little more info:

Will they eat all of my snails-as i want a fair amount alive (just not loads).
Also will they be okey with my other fish? (see signature below for my fish breeds)


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Steve155 said:


> Will they eat all of my snails-as i want a fair amount alive (just not loads).
> Also will they be okey with my other fish? (see signature below for my fish breeds)


Steve:

I have inadvertently "led you down the wrong path here":

1) Yes they will eat all of the snails and will even "gang up" on very large snails;

2) They will not bother your other fish

BUT (having looked at your signature)

3) They will grow way, way to large for a 13G tank (they prefer to be in a minimum group of 3).

TR


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## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

Hmmm... well have you got any other ideas about fish that can be left alone(instead of 3 or more) and do a simular but not as... "efficient" job at snail killing?


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Steve155 said:


> Hmmm... well have you got any other ideas about fish that can be left alone(instead of 3 or more) and do a similar but not as... "efficient" job at snail killing?


Steve:

Once again please, please excuse me for not observing your signature and "leading you down the wrong path".

As I indicated it is my understanding that all loaches are "snail busters" but I do not have the experience to know that this assertion is true (although I believe that it is).**

As set forth in
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/livebearers/17311-need-help-here.html
I am raising 6 loaches which are Sewellia lineolata.
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/sewellia-lineolata
The published adult size, 2.5", of these loaches is obviously much less than the size of my Yoyo's.

I have the confidence which is set forth above at ** to:
1) Once the Butterfly Suckers are juvies and
2) I place them in my main tank and
3) allow them to acclimatize to the tank
4) that I will re-home my Yoyo's to an aquarium at Retirement Home project which I have helped construct.

I know that I have not answered your question but this post is the best which I can do at the moment.

TR

BTW:

I you desire to help me "in this excursion":
http://brianstropicals.com/ohio_tropical_fish.html


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## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

thx .


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## Plecostomus (Jul 31, 2006)

Kuhli loaches could probably pick off quite a few, but mine didn't eat all the snails in my tank. I noticed that the snails with the circle-spiral shells eat plants, but the cone-shelled snails burrow in the gravel and eat fallen stuff. This is just from my observation of the most common snails


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## specialname76 (Jan 19, 2005)

rinse your plants with vinegar then rinse again with water. removes/kills them off the plant.


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## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

ooo i may try that.


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