Random snail

[Shan98]

Random snail popped up in our small tank which has 1 red tail shark and 8 neon tetras. This tank it just does its thing we have another tank that has it’s good times and then random out breaks. But today noticed a snail in the smaller one. I’d say it’s got there from a plant. Wondering what kind it is, and if I have one should I be expecting more. I washed the plants

before adding to the tank but I think it’s from the most recent added (pondweed) and that stuff is hard to wash

 

[kiko]

pea puffers and a food source for them...shrimp (they wont eat adult shrimp but their babies will be game...also neon fry) but those snails will be gone
this way you'll have somewhat of a small ecosystem...a school of about 15-20 neons should breed about 1 or 2 fish a month in a community tank
the pea puffers and neons will eat the fry....also the puffers will take care of the snails...
and the shrimp will clean up left over food...if there's nothing they will move on to algae...
snails can be great if you have a sponge filter...
I wouldn't recommend them with a canister or hob or anything that has an actual impeller as the snails will go into the pump and slowly plug it as they die stuck in the intakes and you'll have to take it apart to clean it up with a screw driver 1 by 1

 

[Back in the fold]

Looks like the common pond snail. I see you are in Australia but those snails are found in North America. Maybe someone else can shed some light on that .

 

[Essjay]

It's a physid snail, commonly called pond snails, bladder snails or tadpole snails. It quite likely arrived on plants, possibly as an egg. These snails lay their eggs in a jelly and are hard to spot on plants. Where there's one, there are probably more.
These snails, while referred to as pest snails, are not a bad thing in a fish tank, they are just part of the ecosystem. I have these and those tine ramshorn snails in both my tanks. I do not have out of control snails, I have to look hard to find them. I don't over feed my fish, the main cause of a snail population explosion.

See the first snail in this thread

Freshwater Snail Species In The Hobby

Basic Terminology for Identification Anatomy: Foot: the bottom, muscular portion of the animal used for locomotion. Siphon: a proboscis-like appendage appearing on the side of the shell in some species. Mantle: the soft tissue inside the opening of the shell. Spire: the conical part of a...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Colin_T]

pond snail, there are 2 types, one has the spiral going one way, the other has the spiral going the other way. Kill it.

 

[FranciscoB]

Essjay is correct - That is a Physid snail (Physidae), or pond snail. Harmless except for reproducing like crazy.
What Colin_T refers as two types (coiling one way, or the other), is also true. Among snails of that shape, dextral ones (coiling to the right) are in the family Lymnaeidae, whereas sinistral ones (coiling to the left) are in the family Physidae (what you found). Of course there are other major differences, but direction of coiling is a quick and dirty good way to tell them apart.
There are native representatives of both families in most continents, except in polar areas. However, what is commonly seen in the hobby are a few species which now are nearly worldwide in distribution, due in part to the aquarium trade.

 

[Colin_T]

kill it
kill it
kill it
kill it
kill it

 

[Shan98]

Looks like the common pond snail. I see you are in Australia but those snails are found in North America. Maybe someone else can shed some light on that .

Yes definitely in australia. Maybe a variation? I know I used to have little pond snails as a kid and they were very light coloured.

 

[Shan98]

Essjay is correct - That is a Physid snail (Physidae), or pond snail. Harmless except for reproducing like crazy.
What Colin_T refers as two types (coiling one way, or the other), is also true. Among snails of that shape, dextral ones (coiling to the right) are in the family Lymnaeidae, whereas sinistral ones (coiling to the left) are in the family Physidae (what you found). Of course there are other major differences, but direction of coiling is a quick and dirty good way to tell them apart.
There are native representatives of both families in most continents, except in polar areas. However, what is commonly seen in the hobby are a few species which now are nearly worldwide in distribution, due in part to the aquarium trade.

Thank you. So killing it would be the best thing? How do you humanly kill a snail?

 

[Rocky998]

Thank you. So killing it would be the best thing? How do you humanly kill a snail?

You could let it live or just squish the thing...

 

[Colin_T]

Looks like the common pond snail. I see you are in Australia but those snails are found in North America. Maybe someone else can shed some light on that .

They are an introduced pest and have been here for decades. They came in on plants and in bags of fish before quarantine started to check things.

 

[FranciscoB]

Nearly worldwide in distribution by now.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I say let it live. Snails can actually be quite beneficial in an aquarium. I enjoy having them around. But really, it's up to you.

 

[Rocky998]

Plus guaranteed there are like 15 more in there hiding