Help Strange Beings Apearing In My Tank

[nay27uk]

Can anyone help i have spotted 3 strange beings in my tank that i have not put ther. they are small and look like some sort of snail they suck the glass. what are they i didnt put them ther. Could they be baby plecs?? or are they snails?? if they are snails wher did they come from. i only noticed them because i seen my tiger barbs trying to eat some blob off the glass.
I have attached some pictures sorry they aint to good, these things whatever they are, are only about 1mm big so had to hold camera right up close and use full zoom. please help what is it. do i need to kill emm??? will it harm my fish??

 

[StAbbitt]

Have you put any plants in your tanks recently? All my snails have snuck in on plants that I bought at the LFS.

I can't tell much from the pictures, but if they are snails the only thing you really need to worry about is them multiplying like mad. They won't hurt anything really, you can just end up with a lot of them.

 

[nay27uk]

Have you put any plants in your tanks recently? All my snails have snuck in on plants that I bought at the LFS.

I can't tell much from the pictures, but if they are snails the only thing you really need to worry about is them multiplying like mad. They won't hurt anything really, you can just end up with a lot of them.

Yes thanks just got one off and they do apear to be snails. i do have plants i have had them for about a month but have never noticed any snails before. how big do they get

 

[StAbbitt]

Yes thanks just got one off and they do apear to be snails. i do have plants i have had them for about a month but have never noticed any snails before. how big do they get

Their size will depend on what type they are. Identify them once they are big enough and then you will be able to find all sorts of info about them here on TFF or online.

 

[Neo8223]

Its not entirely true about the snails not effecting the tank. Generally they dont. Sometimes (rarely) when the eggs are eaten, the snails will hatch inside the fish and will remain in them until the fish has a very unhappy and painfull death. I find them to be pure pests. Sollutions are:

1) Chemicals, not really recomended, if you overdose you can kill off 1/2 your tank which i did once .

2) The second thing you can do is buy fish like clown laoaches who have teeth. They love eating snails and can bite through the shell. These are compatable with Plecs. There will always be snails in your tank this way, but their size will never be big and they will never really populate too much, purely cuz the clowns will eat them before they get a chance to grow!

 

[emma12321]

Its not entirely true about the snails not effecting the tank. Generally they dont. Sometimes (rarely) when the eggs are eaten, the snails will hatch inside the fish and will remain in them until the fish has a very unhappy and painfull death. I find them to be pure pests. Sollutions are:

1) Chemicals, not really recomended, if you overdose you can kill off 1/2 your tank which i did once .

2) The second thing you can do is buy fish like clown laoaches who have teeth. They love eating snails and can bite through the shell. These are compatable with Plecs. There will always be snails in your tank this way, but their size will never be big and they will never really populate too much, purely cuz the clowns will eat them before they get a chance to grow!

Before recommending clown loaches which need to be in groups and grow 12" have a look at the tank size and occupants. A group of clown loaches won't be happy in a 3 ft tank and thats if this is the 3 ft tank which has the snail problem and not the smaller tank.


Most loaches will eat snails and if you decide to get some check out www.loaches.com for smaller varieties which won't outgrow the tank. Chain loaches and zebras (straita) would be good. When i get snails in my tanks without loaches, i just pick them out and put them in the pond. Another option would be to sell them on here as food for puffer fish. Chamicals are a bad idea as they kill the snails but then you have rotting snail bodies to pick out before the water goes bad.

Emma

 

[qwikimpss]

Any Boita genus loach will LOVE the snails. I myself have used 4 yo-yo loaches to rid my 29 gallon of about 100 snails. It only took them about 3 days.