Possible Snail Problem

[andyG44]

I am cyclcing a large tank, currently it clears ammonia but not nitrites, so I am getting on with the cycle. The tank has everything new it it, nothing borrowed from another tank. I have added a lot of live plants before I even started the cycle.
 
Yesterday I installed white bright lights in the aquarium and noticed for first time that I have snails in it. The snails must have come with the plants, or maybe with the gravel/pebbles, even though I washed them very thoroughly.
 
I have taken photos but it's hard to get a close up real picture.
 
I am really worried that they will eat my plants. Otherwise I do not think I care too much.

 

[Akasha72]

pest snails ... they've come in with the plants which is normal and almost inevitable. 
 
I have a trick now that seems to work. I fill a bucket with warm water (not too hot, hand hot) and add a large dose of salt (just normal table salt) and plonk my plants in and leave them in there as long as possible - a good half hour I've found works. I then empty the bucket and wash it out to remove the salt and add some more water and soak the plants again. Before adding them to the tank I also rinse them well under the cold tap. I'm over cautious ... I don't want salt entering my tank with cories in there.
 
Salt water should kill pest snails and any eggs too. Another solution would be an assassin snail but then you limit yourself to never adding good snails such as nerites or trumpets - some would class trumpets as pests too but they are great for turning your sand over and cleaning up so I don't see them as pests ... until I have too many and then I have a mutter lol

 

[andyG44]

I live in England. How do I get hold of Assassin snails? Also, I read that assassin snails only go after large snails, not the little ones. If you have experience with them, does it mean that my tank will be filled with Assassin snails rather than other types? Will I be able to control them once they get rid of the other snails?

 

[Akasha72]

assassin snails are available at most good aquarium stores. I've had one to control my trumpet snail population, whilst trumpet snails are great to have they can get out of control and an assassin snail will happily munch on them.
 
They will also go after larger snails which is why I can't have another - I value my nerites too much!
 
Assassin snails are yellow and black striped - more conical shaped than the type you have. They will breed in the aquarium but I think you'd need two for that - not certain though. The one I had never created any more

 

[andyG44]

ok so if i get two of different sex they will go around killing other snails and they will not multiply. if i want to "pause" them i can keep them in another tank. Sounds like a plan, if I can find them that is.

 

[Akasha72]

the thing is ... you can't tell 'the sexes' (if there is such a thing). I don't know how assassin snails reproduce but I presume it takes two like most creatures. You could just pick out any babies if you don't want them and either give them away or ask the lfs if they'll give you credit for them.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Assassin snails reproduce by laying eggs, one at a time.

The eggs are very, very easy to identify, square clear sacs with a yellow yolk. Unmistakeable
When the assassins hatch, they'll bury themselves into the substrate for months until they're big enough to emerge into open tank substrate surface.

They do need a pair to fertilise the eggs, so one on its own cannot reproduce unless already mated just before you acquired it.

And, Akashsa is correct, you cannot tell the sexes apart (unless you see the female laying eggs )

 

[Byron]

The snails in the photos are pond snails, and they are very useful.  I have dozens in my tanks.  They do not eat live healthy plants; my tanks would be decimated if they did.
 
They probably arrived with the plants, but be thankful they did.  They will eat algae on plant leaves (not voraciously, but they help), fish waste which breaks it down faster for the various bacteria, and any other dead organic matter like decayed plant leaves.
 
There is no reason to attempt to remove these, your aquarium will be healthier with them.
 
Byron.

 

[Akasha72]

thanks for that Ch4rlie - I thought they were probably eggs layers but I wasn't certain - also good to know that my common sense prevailed yet again in that you need one of each sex for them to reproduce
 
And thanks Byron - I was always led to believe they were pests and to get rid of them. I didn't know they were useful. It sounds like the trumpet snails then that I have. Great cleaners, don't eat plants and do you the favour of turning over the sand too.
 
I'm starting to see all snails in a different light now. I like snails - except them horrible rabbit snails 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yep, assassins are egg layers.
 
Here is a pic of an egg thats from one of my tanks just to show you just how unmistakable it is to identify these eggs
 
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BTW Malaysian trumpet snails, MTS, are great for your substrate, they turn over the substrate which helps to eliminate any gas pockets as well as eating any debris in and on substrate such as leftover foods.
 
And lastly, agreed with Byron that pest / common snails are of benefit to any tank but be aware there are some pest snails that may munch on your plants as there are several different species of these snails.

 

[Byron]

Akasha, yes, the Malaysian Livebearing are probably "the" snail to have, because of their burrowing nature.  The pond and acute bladder snails (which are very similar to each other in shell shape) do not as far as I know go into the substrate, at least mine never have, but they are good at eating all organic matter especially from plant leaves, and this is a very good thing for plants.  They do eat algae, the common type, though they are not of any great value if there is problem algae, but nothing much is for that.
 
The other smallish snail sometimes encountered is the ramshorn.  All sources say these too will not eat healthy plants, though some forum members elsewhere thought they were, but who knows.
 
As with the pond, bladder and Malaysian, when aquarists see them on plant leaves apparently eating the leaf it is most likely to be dying leaves or algae on the leaf.  Leaves can be dying before we notice this; not only snails but brush algae sense this.  Whenever I see brush algae suddenly appearing along the margins of a sword leaf, I know that leaf is in the process of dying, and if removed the base of the stem will be brown.  Similarly with floating plants, when I see several snails on a leaf it is invariably one that is clearly dying.
 
Byron.

 

[Akasha72]

thanks Byron, I see my MTS on plant leaves now and then .. I'll make a mental note to check if that leaf is dying

 

[Byron]

thanks Byron, I see my MTS on plant leaves now and then .. I'll make a mental note to check if that leaf is dying

 
Don't confuse things, lol.  Snails on the leaf are likely just searching for food.  When a leaf is dying, it will be home to many snails, believe me.

 

[Akasha72]

ahh I see. I've never seen a leaf covered in snails. I have seen 1 trumpet snail sat on a leaf and thought it was probably just munching on slime coat and algae. Looks like that was right