Found A Snail

tom_os

fish
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basically i was looking at my tank thinking how i can improve the background when i found a tiny snail, abuot 3mm across crawling along the glass.

i have taken him out and put him in a little pot for the moment so i dont loose him. i was just wondering if it is possible to id him? his shell looks mostly black and on the underside i could see his mouth like sucking on the glass.

i dont know wether i want to keep im because i dont want an outbreak of snails and i dont want any escaping, but i think it would be nice to have a few.

i dont know where he came from, the most recent edition to the tank was a piece of bogwood, a week ago but that was on display in the shop so i doubt he came from that and it is the first time i have ever seen a snail in my tanks.

pic

on top: pretty much all black
DSCF4179.jpg
 
Looks like a tadpole snail to me or sometimes called a pond snail. This snail is an effective cleaner. Not very destructive to plants, feeding mainly of the algae. they stay small and have very thin shells. i like to keep some in my tank and feed them to my fish occasionally by just crushing them. Fish will fight over them!
 
Looks like a tadpole snail to me or sometimes called a pond snail. This snail is an effective cleaner. Not very destructive to plants, feeding mainly of the algae. they stay small and have very thin shells. i like to keep some in my tank and feed them to my fish occasionally by just crushing them. Fish will fight over them!


my ram loves these snails, im going to culture some for my DP's when i get them
 
There are some similar to this called bladder or "pouch" snails. They usually come in on plants or as eggs in the roots where you may not spot them. I used to have an infestation until my female bettas ate them all. I caught one in the act this morning when I switched the light on to see her swimming about with it in her mouth, sucking it out of it's shell!
 
yeah i am. i have put it in a big bottle with tank and rain water and a plant to feed on and i will try and get some algae growing.

hopefully he will lay eggs then i will feed the snails to my betta :)
 
Looks to me like a Great Pond Snail. Not something you want in your tank as they need cool to cold water. It would be happy in a garden pond. If you want some attractive snails for a tropical tank, get some Nerites. They are pretty, plant safe, and won't breed, so no snail explosion.
 
i just found another one in my tank so i have 2 now. i have put them in a bottle with a plant to eat. i mixed tank water with rain water and pond water so hopefully there will be enough nutrients there for them to survive
 
yeah i wont. i want them to breed a little so i can feed them to my betta but if i get too many i wil put them in the pond
 

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