Are Too Many Snails Bad For The Tank?

[Athena]

A few weeks ago I spotted a single snail in one of my tanks - a small dark brownish coloured snail - didn't bother me much as I thought it was quite cute and would help keep the tank clean.

Then not many days later, I saw several smaller snails in that tank (babies?). Again, wasn't too bothered and even asked on the forums for advice how to move a few into another tank to help keep that one clean. And I have to admit that the tank with most snails in is sparkling clean! The snails in the 2nd tank don't seem to be reproducing like the ones in the 1st tank.

Anyway, the long and short of it is - I am now overun with snails in Tank #1!!! LOL - I still think they are cute but I'm just worried that too many snails in one tank might not be good for the water. Do these snails affect the water stats at all?

I was thinking that maybe I will soon have to remove some of them before it gets a bit ridiculous (it's already heading that way!).

I was told that if I put a piece of cucumber in the tank the snails will flock to it and then I can simply remove the cucumber with snails - ok, that's easy to do, but what do I do with them once I've removed them? Sorry if I sound a bit dumb but I can't exactly just put them in the trash and I don't have a pond near me. What would you do with them?

Thanks for any help - Athena

 

[5teady_2012]

My tanks are all overun with snails (all kinds) i purposly leave them as i like them and they help clean the tank, and also my trumpet snails help to turn the sand over stopping gasses building up.

 

[Athena]

Thanks - glad to see I'm not the only one who doesn't exterminate them LOL (have seen various products on the LFS shelves for getting rid of snails). Yeah, they are good little tank cleaners but, gosh, they reproduce so fast!

Does give the tank a very wild and natural appearance to it, though. Nieces love watching them sliding about the tank, too.

So, I take it they are quite safe then, regardless of the amount there are in the tank? Any idea how long they live for?

Cheers - Athena

 

[5teady_2012]

Thanks - glad to see I'm not the only one who doesn't exterminate them LOL (have seen various products on the LFS shelves for getting rid of snails). Yeah, they are good little tank cleaners but, gosh, they reproduce so fast!

Does give the tank a very wild and natural appearance to it, though. Nieces love watching them sliding about the tank, too.

So, I take it they are quite safe then, regardless of the amount there are in the tank? Any idea how long they live for?

Cheers - Athena

No idea on thier lifespan to be honest, like you say though, they do reproduce fast , since turning all my tanks to sand though, i tend not to get manu of those little brown ones anymore

 

[TylerFerretLord]

It's common to have a population boom when snails are first introduced to a tank that has been running for a while; They eat the built up organic debris that have accumulated without being completely removed. Eventually they'll exhaust the built up food supply and the population will thin out to what can be supported by the amount you feed the fish, which is the main input of food into the system.

You would need a massive amount of snails in a tank to be damaging, the snails. The average 'infestation' never gets to that level. I've read that having many large snails, such as those in the Pomacea genus can make the water go cloudy as their waste contains infusoria, but I don't know if the little ones do that.

Regarding the removed snails, do you have a tank with loaches in it? They'd gladly eat the snails.

 

[Athena]

Thanks for the replies. No, I don't keep any loaches now. Would a rainbow shark or any cichlids eat them? (I have convicts and German rams in separate tanks).

Thanks for the explanation about the way the snail population dies off as the food supply diminishes - that would make sense.

I honestly don't know how they are all surviving as there is no algae in that tank and it's not heavily planted - and even the food I put in for the fish is usually all eaten before it has a chance to sink to the bottom.

Oh well, I shall leave them be for a while longer then and see how things go. Hopefully numbers might begin to drop in the next few weeks.

Thanks again - Athena

 

[TylerFerretLord]

The convicts might snack on them, but I'm not sure.

 

[Elrohirthehasty]

Thanks for the replies. No, I don't keep any loaches now. Would a rainbow shark or any cichlids eat them? (I have convicts and German rams in separate tanks).

Thanks for the explanation about the way the snail population dies off as the food supply diminishes - that would make sense.

I honestly don't know how they are all surviving as there is no algae in that tank and it's not heavily planted - and even the food I put in for the fish is usually all eaten before it has a chance to sink to the bottom.

Oh well, I shall leave them be for a while longer then and see how things go. Hopefully numbers might begin to drop in the next few weeks.

Thanks again - Athena

ummmmmmmmmmm
Let's see.
1. You want to get rid of them.
2. You don't want to throw them away. (because it's inhumane?)
3. You could feed them to loaches.
4. But you don't have any.
5. But that would be cruel too.
6. SO just throw them away, or find a friend or store with loaches.