Live plants from Stores

[spovy]

I've heard it warned not to buy plants at fish stores like PetCo because they may have baby snails that you cannot see, but that will over run your tank. Is this ture and what can one do. Plastic isn't doing it for me any more.

 

[FishDan]

Snails can hitch rides from any pet store's live plants.

\Dan

 

[appleblossom]

why not get a yoyo/chain/candy stripe loach?? they will sort out any snails in no time!!!

 

[clutterydrawer]

Yep, if you want live plants, you are just going to risk a snail infestation. I think it's well worth the risk. Having said that I've bought a LOT of plants over the last few years and I've only had one or two bring snails with them. The snails didn't even hurt my tank, they cleaned up the algae in fact. Looked ugly though.

I think I read somehwere some way to prepare plants before putting them in the tank, to make sure any potential snails are killed. Sadly I can't remember what this was so hopefully someone else knows.

If you _do_ end up with snails, there are various ways to get rid of them. you could use snail killing stuff. sometimes this doesn't work, and some people don't like putting chemicals in the tank anyway, so other options are either to get a fish that eats snails or to put a piece of lettuce in the tank at night, the snails will cling to it and can be removed in the morning.

 

[endparenthesis]

You could just leave the plant in a container of water for a while... the snails won't stay tiny forever.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I've had snails hitch rides, but I can't get mine to stay alive (grr), I think the guppies pick them to death.

 

[Jediagh]

Are snails bad for the aquarium? I got a java fern 3 days ago from PETSMARTS and today I noticed this small thing on my tank. After closer inspection I saw that the "ball" was moving!!!!! A baby snail! Is this bad? To they grow big? They eat algea right? So are they not helpful?

Confused and worried....