snails suddenly appear!

[StngGT350]

i had my tank going good for about 6 months or so. then the other day i noticed that i had 2 tiny snails on the gravel. i thought it was a miscolored gravel, since my gravel is blue. but i have never added any snails to my tank. i had these fish for 6 month and have not added any new ones. so how did these snails get in there? this is an inside tank so no other animals can get to it and i do not have any other pets, plus i always have the lid on it.

 

[Mr Miagi]

have you introduced any plants to the tank recently? Snails lay there eggs on the underside of leaves, then we buy the plants and transport them home and into our tanks.

Snails arnt always a bad thing. I have many tiny wee snails, and i dont bother getting rid of them. They are doing a fine job and it adds to my tank diversity!

 

[GSD]

99 times out of ten they came from the plants (if u added any)but if not ive heard of them comin in with fish(in the bags)and live food like daphnia and bloodworms!

 

[StngGT350]

ahhh yes thank you for your responces. i have slowing been adding plants to my tank. i like the looks of plants and it adds to my diversity. also i feed my fish frozen blood worms. so thanks for the advice!
i dont mind the snail, i sort of like the diversity

 

[gadazobe]

1 snail = 100's snails in the very near future. True, 1 or 2 is nice, just be careful that you don't get overrun with them.

 

[dwag2000]

bottom feeders are good for controlling snail populations.

 

[StngGT350]

yea i think you are right on the the population growths. today i after i cleaned my take and did a water flush, i descoved 2 more tiny snails. for a total of 4 now and there might be a few more i did not see attached to the plant life.

snails diet is mostily alge isnt it?

 

[lizard]

I think snail diet is whatever they can fit their little "mouths" around. I've seen 'em carry around algae wafers and dead fish, as well as munch algae off the sides of the tank. Some snails eat plants, too.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[daudy_dojo]

sometimes if you add plants there can be eggs on them that you cant see OR the snails grow!! they do that! how do you think i got my cone shelled snails... or w/e they are called! (the ones that burrow)

 

[daudy_dojo]

btw i have a golden mystery snail growing in my tank... she is purtty

 

[LoachLover]

Usually they hitch a ride on a plant or sometimes when you buy a fish a snail will get scraped off the glass and get put in the bag.

 

[Nik_boyd]

I've found myself in a similar situation. bought 1 snail. waited a month. woke up to lots of baby snails, and I don't really know how they got there, probably brought in on plants. Either way, they don't really seem to be that much of a hassle, and if they get to be, I'll just buy a Zebra loach to induce snail genocide

btw, does anyone know if BN plecs eat them?

Nik

 

[Mr Miagi]

I dought it? They mainly graze on algae or prepared foods once older.