OMG...invaded.

[neocyber_16]

Yesterday i went to buy some live plants. My tank has been snail free, but now i just discovered a baby snail growing. What should i do? Should i kill it? Should i keep it? I've never had snail before.

 

[Dragonslair]

An invasion of snails is not a pretty sight. If you've not had them before I would advise you get rid of them. The only sure way is to physically remove them and you can then destroy them humanely. If you have one you are sure to have 20-50 of them, unless you have the type of fish that will eat snails.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I found 4 snails in my tank once and that was all. I put them in a tank for themsleves and they had a whale of a time!! Eventually I set them all free in the Tyne. Many have said that I shouldn't have done that but I reckon a snail is about the only thing that will survuve in the Tyne so why not?!

Not recommended for others though

 

[G_Sharky]

how the heck would a snail be in your tank if you don't have it on the first place? Do they magically appear on your tank?

 

[William]

they would have come in on the live plants

 

[Bol]

Almost certainly, the live plants neocyber bought had sacs of snail eggs on them, G_Sharky.

 

[SnowLady]

From little experience - one snail equals HUNDREDS!

When you buy new plants at the LFS, be sure to really clean them well in the sink before inserting them into your tank.

The egg sack for the snails is a gelantanous (sp?) clear, sticky sack with white dots. They will lay them on the walls of your tank, on the plants or even on any of the decorations you have.

I would scoop them out 20 at a time and the next day it would look like I hadn't done ANYTHING.

They add greatly to your bioload too!

I finally caved and bought a clown loach. That one fish will mean I can't buy other fish because of how big it will grow - but snails are the bunnies of the water world! They multiply faster than anything I've ever seen!

Good Luck!

 

[neocyber_16]

the sacs are they pale white looking sort of oval? i found something hanging in the bottom of my live plants i thought they were seed sacs but i might be wrong.

 

[amazingbioloboydp]

can someone post pictures of snail eggs would be greatly appreciated

 

[Socrates]

so why not?!

It's the balance of an eco system.

Unless you are absolutely sure a thing is native to an ecosystem never just release it into it.

Most likely the thing will die on it's own or be eaten. But sometimes that thing can end multiply and end up flourishing and pushing some local species of plant or animal into extinction or close to it.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

But like I said, nothing lives int he Tyne and putting them there with a chance was better than what's been discussed.