Newbie help with snails

[DeeJa]

I am trying to have a one-gallon tank on my desk. I have four ghost shrimp and a danio (which was a mistake to get, by the way....talk about HYPER! He is finally settling down a little, and guess the thing will live to be a hundred)...anyway, I have had a couple of snails show up that apparently were in a green plant I placed in the tank. The shell is a pinkish brown, there are two antenna and a mouth with a blob of flesh that works its way all over the place So, is that what everyone is calling a pest snail? Just curious about the variety it is. Now, please advise as to whether I should allow them to stay. They are leaving "deposits" of a gel-looking stuff with white specks. Is that their excrement? Or is that eggs I don't mind them being in there, but I read in another thread that they can pollute the water. I will get rid of them before I allow them to cause damage to the first occupants. Two of the ghost shrimp were with eggs when I got them. I never saw any babies. Are the snails what possibly got the babies? I have read that ghost shrimp are hard to raise, and I wasn't attempting to necessarily raise any. But I thought at least one shrimp would have survived out of two pregnant females. Thank you for your info and input!

 

[Bangin]

Welcome to TFF.

The deposits left by the snails are eggs. The ghost shrimp eggs are very difficult to raise, and the eggs are supposed to be removed from the mother. I don't have any other details about this process, as I've never tried to hatch them.

On a side note, I would suggest moving the danio to a larger area. I have four danios in a 55 gallon tank, and I'd never dream of putting them in a smaller tank. They are fast swimming guys that need a lot of space. It's no wonder he seemed hyper when you first got him.

 

[The-Wolf]

I'd go so far as to say If you do not move the danio to a larger tank and
add him to at the least 4 others, he will ( I say will) become extreamly aggressive and kill anything else in the tank.

 

[DeeJa]

If those are all eggs, I will be overrun with snails! Will the ghost shrimp maybe eat them? Also, what about them polluting the water? This is just a one-gallon tank. Do these sound like the common variety of snail? Do snails do any good in a tank?

TY for the info about the shrimp eggs..I am not trying to propagate, so will just enjoy the adults.

I did like 99.9% of most people and started this hobby without reading anything. When the first fish I had died, as a result of an uncycled home, I didn't want to get anything expensive until I could figure out what I was doing. Then I found this very nice source of help, and I am trying to learn now. So the danio was a mistake, as I now know. If I had a bigger tank, I would put him there. But after a month, he is settling down...the tip about changing out the water up to 20% seemed to help me a lot. I lost about four shrimp before I tried it...now everything seems to be okay. Now I just need to find out about these snails.

Bangin, ty for your response and input! Sure is appreciated!

The-Wolf, I am seeing your response as I get this ready...thank you for the info! I will certainly figure out something. I don't want to euthanize him, but will try to figure out something quickly. It was hard enough to get the ghost shrimp this far...don't need any danio attacks! Appreciate you taking time to tell me!

 

[Bangin]

If nothing else, you can find him (the danio) a new home or give him back to the local fish store. They usually always accept them back if you are unable to care for him or have problems.

Snail eggs are very easy to remove. Just use your nail and scoop 'em out. Otherwise, you will be overrun with snails. That small tank and a ton of snails will equal disaster. They sound like regular, common snails to me.

Have you ever considered getting a larger tank? Ten gallon tanks are inexpensive, and they can usually be bought at WalMart for $10.00. I know this is a desk tank, but it doesn't really accomodate most fish/inverts. Good luck.

 

[DeeJa]

Bangin, ty for your response and ideas....I just checked and the pet store said it will take the danio back. Hmmm, for some reason it didn't want one of the snails I think I will try to make room for the ten-gallon aquarium. I am enjoying this one so much--space is a problem, but I will make it work. Guess the one-gallon will make a good betta tank? Now, thanks to this site, maybe I can set it up properly and not subject any more critters to improper conditions. I better get to removing snail eggs and get down to one snail until I can get a better setup! Thanks again for your time!

 

[Teelie]

They only pollute the water when they die, just like anything else that dies so what you heard is true with that caveat. I have at least two dozen snails in my 30 gallon Cory tank ranging from a large Golden Apple to tiny as yet descerniable smaller ones, possibly pond snails.

I have several color morphs of bridgeisi snails; one of the species of the commonly named group of mystery or apple snails (there are at least four species of apple snails which vary in their feeding and reproductive habits) and Malayasian Trumpet snails. I have a Ramshorn and another snail I think might be a pond snail but still too small to tell.

I'm not an expert on them though I usually don't find them to be a problem except depending on the species of snail, it'll eat your plants or reproduce like mad in uncontrolled conditions.

 

[DeeJa]

Thank you for clarifying what the pollution is due to--I thought perhaps they gave off some undesirable fluid or something due to just them being a snail. I don't mind one, but will relocate the extra(s) to the pond and get rid of eggs as I find them until the snail situation is under control. Teelie, your snails sound really neat! Thanks for telling about them, in addition to the pollution question!

 

[Teelie]

I'll post pictures of them when I can get around to it. 3 Are blue shelled, 3 are black bodies and 3 are albinos. The large one is Golden colored obviously and the rest are plainer looking typical snails though the Malaysians are more pointed-shaped.

Some of the snails I have are considered "pest" snails if you have a planted tank or a smaller one with little room. The word pest is a poor choice of words for snails as most are more beneficial than harmful. Inconvienent might be a better word though longer to type.