Snails?

hi, i am not sure how this has happened, but i have tiny snails in my tropical tank. my guppies have recently had babies, which are all ok, i also have a plec, 2 mollies, 3 zebras, 3 neons and the 2 guppy adults.
i have 2 plants, the ph is 6, i change my water every 3 weeks, just a quarter of a tank. i do not add any chemicals, the tank is 2 ft and i have not added any new fish for ages, except for the baby guppies that were born about 3 weeks ago.
should i remove these snails, do i need to do anything else? i have had the tank for about 6 months, and have never had any problems with fish at all.
I look forward to hearing from anyone who can offer me any advice,
kind regards,
deb

They may have come from the plants. You do add a dechlor right?

The snails must've hitchhiked somehow, as FishFreaks mentioned, they may have tagged along with the plants. Snails can be beneficial for your aquarium -- they eat algae, turn over the substrate, and eat waste left behind by the fish. Some snails do go after plants, but most are only interested in algae (which is a good thing). So, if you noticed that the snails are chewing up plants or actually causing problems, you should remove them as they are most likely pond snails (and it almost sounds as if that is what you have). If you do have pond snails, loaches have a taste for those things and will probably eat them up quickly. Otherwise, snails (specifically the larger species of snail, such as apple snails) can be a beneficial addition to your aquarium. I have 3 medium-sized snails in my aquarium (the difference in my case is that I put them there intentionally), and they do a decent job in keeping my aquarium clean.

All snails breed like crazy, so it is important to identify which snail you have first. MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails) are good for your aquarium. They are the only snail that will burrow through your substrate. They look like this:

Ramshorn snails will also keep your aquarium free of algae, but certain species will eat your plants too. If you have ramshorns keep an eye on what exactly they are eating.


Pond snails however are a complete nuisance. They will devour your plants quickly. If you have these, you should get them out of there as soon as possible (Crush them on the glass and your fish will thank you for the treat).

Your tank is only 2' long so do not go out and buy loaches. Loaches need to be kept in shoals and as such need a much bigger tank.

If you're squeamish about crushing the snail, then put down a piece of cucumber on the gravel (held down with a fork) and your snails will gather on it. Then remove the cucumber slice and the snails will ride along.

Hi xdebbzx

Welcome to the forum!

While a few snails might not be a problem, a lot of them can be a big nuisance. It's possible that you might have had a few for a long time without even noticing them.

Since enough of them seem to have suddenly appeared, it's important to take a look at the reasons why this happened. It appears that they are multiplying in your tank and they only do this when there is enough food in there to support an increased snail population. Could you be overfeeding your fish to be sure the fry get enough to eat? This is a common problem and one you can easily stop. There might also be dying plant material in the tank which they are feeding on.

I would also suggest that you increase your water changes to at least once a week. Clean and fresh water usually does all fish a lot of good, and there is no need to worry about losing any beneficial bacteria. Be sure to suck all the dirt out of the gravel too.

Whatever you do, don't use any preparations sold as snail eliminators since they will give you a bunch of decaying snails that will be the start of a whole different set of problems. Picking them out by hand or on a piece of vegetable is usually the best way to get rid of them if you so choose.

well thankyou all so much!! I have removed some of the snails, and left a few in, and will now change water weekly.
You have all been a great help, thankyou thankyou!! Panic over.....
deb