Can I Have Snails In My Tank?

[deogan]

I have read somewhere that keeping snails in your tank helps in cleaning the tank by consuming the fish waste and other such things. Is it true. I have an 18 Gal. community tank. I do not have any live plants. Of course if I have live snails, it will add to the beauty of my tank as well. Please advise on the pros and cons of the same.

 

[catxx]

snails can help clean out algae and such. will sometimes need supplementing with food (lettace, cucumber, plec wafers) if your tank is squeeky clean.

what else is in your tank? theres a variety of different types of snail you can get. ones that reproduce like rabbits or ones that don't reproduce at all.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

something like apple snails can do a great job of cleaning your tank, but be careful of the hardness of your water.... thye prefer it soft, we tried keepign them and lost a couple just cos the water was too hard.

 

[d3tained]

Before you buy any type of snail make sure its not a plant eater if you have any plants in your tank as they can cause great harm.

I had 2 Golden apple snails and they ate my plants like mad.

 

[voo]

Apple snails shouldnt eat plants unless there's not enough food for them. Give them algae wagers, cucumber etc.

Snails don't eat fish waste. They just eat left over food and algae.
I'd have thought apple snails would like hard water, the calcium in it would be good for their shells ?
I know acidic water is bad for them.

Also, whilst they do eat left over food etc, they can leave a fair bit of waste themselves and can be a bit messy.

They do have a good character though. Coming up the top for air then letting go of the side and just crash landing into whatever is below

Be careful with what type of snail you get though. Those that you get free with plants - usually pond snails or something similar, do breed very rapidly and if not careful can soon take over the tank.

Also, it depends what fish you have. Loaches are known snail eaters.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Snails don't eat fish waste. They just eat left over food and algae.
I'd have thought apple snails would like hard water, the calcium in it would be good for their shells ?
I know acidic water is bad for them.

sorry i might have got it the wrong way round, they are definately sensitive to it, if it's too hard/soft I'm confused on now.

 

[deogan]

Before you buy any type of snail make sure its not a plant eater if you have any plants in your tank as they can cause great harm.

I had 2 Golden apple snails and they ate my plants like mad.

As I have already told it is not a planted tank. But thanks for the advise every one. I will go in for apple snails.

 

[dizzied]

All snails would need hard alkaline water. Definitely not soft/acidic.

You shouldn't think of them as cleaners though. They don't eat waste, and some of them poop a lot themselves. Some can do a job on algae though.

 

[jayjay]

I use them to clean up left over food.

They need hard water.

Some apple snail species do eat plants some don't.

 

[dizzied]

There are many different species of snails that are being named "apple snail". Some eat plants, some don't, and some eat them only when they're young.

But deogan doesn't have any plants, so it wouldn't matter in this situation.