Good snails for freshwater tanks?

[FishHobby99]

Are there any snails recommended for FW tanks? My betta came with 2 nerites. Should I get some for the other tanks? I’d prefer big colorful ones, but
function (if any) over beauty

 

[Avel1896]

Hi
All snails are useful : they are algae eaters, waste eaters, snail eggs eaters (Asolene spixi), even cannibal (Anentome 'assassin' helena).

 

[Avel1896]

I saw some pretty yellow & pink ones at LFS.

What species ?

Sure the big cat fish & cichlids won’t dine on them?

Depends on how big they are and what they naturally eat.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I've become appreciative of snails, especially the nerites, which are easy enough to see and come in good colours. The only downer was their laying of little white eggs everywhere, which wouldn't hatch, but just didn't look good.

The snails described sound like they might be apple snails. I believe that these do like to munch on live plants.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Neither my tetra, golden pencils, dwarf corys or dwarf cichlids bother them, even when close to waving tentacles...although my Apistos did clear my tank of every teeny tiny snail that had been on the glass.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I didn’t notice. Greek to me. Will have to get back to pet shop.

Mystery snails then

 

[Avel1896]

I didn’t notice. Greek to me. Will have to get back to pet shop.

Any pics ?

 

[Deleted member 149562]

They may have been other Nerites, there are a fairly wide variety of colours and markings available, some are really beautifully marked

 

[Avel1896]

But as you're gonna have to get back to pet shop you'll take pics

 

[FishHobby99]

Not doing well on aquatic photography. Been using my iPad. Thanks for the reminder to charge batteries on digital SLR. Haven’t used or for a while.

 

[foxgirl158]

I wish my LFS stocked different types of Nerites, all they seem to have are Tiger, Zebra, Olive, and Black Racer not that those types aren't cool, I just wish there was more variety.

 

[noobfish]

I added a couple blue mystery snails to my nano tank. Quick movers and the white to blue color fade of their foot is nice. Just keeping an eye out for eggs.

I added one horned nerite and one zebra nerite to the community tank. Mainly was looking for a little clean-up crew and didn't want to have to worry about eggs since there's so many places to hide.

 

[Avel1896]

Here are my favs :
Algae and wate eaters : Neritina, Neripteron, Planorbe, Clithon, Septaria porcellana, Brotia, Melanoide, Faunus ater, Tylomelania, Filopaludina sumatrensis, Filopaludina sumatrensis, Pila ampullacea, Stenomelania torulosa, Taia "piano" naticoides, Thiara "horned" Scabra
Snail eaters (cannibal) : Anentome helena
Other snail egg eater and hydra eater : Asolene spixi

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Nerite snails destroy algae on glass and hard scape. Not that “pretty” in some people’s eyes, but I do like them.

 

[Avel1896]

Hey, thanks. I’m taking a SS of this post.

You're welcome
Melanoides are useFUL : they bury themselves in substrate during day avoiding ground compacting thanks to their tunnels. They feed at night.