Found a Snail

Hi all,
I have a 15 gallon cube with eight baby Panda Corys and a Nerite snail (not adding anymore fish as I know I'll be at my max bio load when they're grown). Also have a Cascade canister rated for a 30 gallon tank and vacuum the gravel with 20 to 30% water changes daily (new six week old tank still cycling). The Pandas are thriving. Anyway, I bought an Anubias petite recently and found a small snail in my tank today. Looks like your typical pond snail. Should I remove it? I know it depends on the species, but can one pond snail reproduce asexually and overrun my tank. I'd like to keep it, but don't want my tank overrun with snails.

Yes one pond snail can reproduce. Mine did and now I have about a dozen. They wont overrun the tank if they have limited access to food. Just dont over feed and you should be fine. What about a single mystery snail? They cant reproduce on their own and are really fun to watch

I don't want to, but I think I'll remove it. Don't want it multiplying and depriving my Nerite of algae, and I do want to get two more snails. Probably Nerites, but will look at the Mystery Snails too. I want to stick with the smaller snails as my tank is pretty small.

Thanks JuiceBox52!

Hello and welcome to the forum. Your tank looks excellent. I have had pond snails overrun my tank but after reducing the amount of food fed to the fish I no longer have the problem and let a few stay with my nerite snails. If I see too many I put them in with my RES and they love to eat them. As far as mystery snails are concerned they are good looking snails but I had to get rid of them when they went after every plant in my 55 gallon tank except the ferns.

Thanks Viking! The tank looks much better in person. The daily gravel vacuuming and 30% water changes keep the water crystal clear and the Panda Corys get crazy excited when I do them. Reminds me of a dog after a bath. They also remind me of Clown Loaches so much. The Philodendron is growing like crazy, as well as the Anubias petite. The Anubia is adding a leaf per week! And the three Chinese Lotus are rooting big time! I wondered if I was changing the water too much, but everything is thriving (the tank is still cycling). It's been up going on six weeks.

I didn't see the pond snail for awhile, but found him today. He was fast! I crushed him and my baby Corys devoured the meat! I felt bad. I wanted to leave him, but didn't want to chance a snail takeover. Picking up two more Nerites today. I considered a Mystery Snail, but they get too big and produce too much waste. I think the Nerite is the perfect aquarium snail. And they are beautiful!

Thanks all, and enjoy your weekend!

Do you think two whole Hikari sinking wafers (one in the morning and one in the evening) is too much for eight juvenile Panda Cory's?

I'm afraid that your tank is too small for regular cories, they need atleast a 20 gallon (70 ltr) tank.

Pandas are small, the tank is suitable.

Naughts said:

Pandas are small, the tank is suitable.

Corydoras panda (Panda Cory) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

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Though I still think they should be in a tank size of 20 gallons.
Pygmy cories will be better in that kind of size tank.

And they also need a sand substrate.

Pygmy cories would also be suitable although the OP has said they are not adding any more fish. Agreed on the sand.

Had originally planned on only six Pandas, but couldn't resist buying another two. Adding two to the group really changed the dynamic and their schooling behavior for the better. They just seem happier. They'll be fine with daily water changes. I do regret not using sand. Used it in my last setup in a two gallon Betta tank. Just looks so much better and more natural. Going to try to remove the gravel and replace with sand without dismantling the tank. I know it will be a very slow process, but I want it to be as stress-free to the Corys as possible. I.e., no netting them. They don't mind my hand or gravel vacuum in the tank and I often literally have to shew them away. Also, going to reduce the amount of sand with the goal off being able to add two to three more gallons of water to the tank. I have too much gravel in it.

Thanks for the input!

PCat said:

Had originally planned on only six Pandas, but couldn't resist buying another two. Adding two to the group really changed the dynamic and their schooling behavior for the better. They just seem happier. They'll be fine with daily water changes. I do regret not using sand. Used it in my last setup in a two gallon Betta tank. Just looks so much better and more natural. Going to try to remove the gravel and replace with sand without dismantling the tank. I know it will be a very slow process, but I want it to be as stress-free to the Corys as possible. I.e., no netting them. They don't mind my hand or gravel vacuum in the tank and I often literally have to shew them away. Also, going to reduce the amount of sand with the goal off being able to add two to three more gallons of water to the tank. I have too much gravel in it.

Thanks for the input!

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I would remove the fish....I did what you said you were going to do and released anaerobic pockets from the gravel and it poisoned my fish

Wow! Hadn't considered that. Good to know.

Nice tank.. you might consider entering it in our next Tank of the Month contest which will feature tanks sized at 16 US gallons and smaller. Entry period starts on June 1st.