Snails

[Rossy1977]

My son has a 50 litre tank with some trpical stock (5 neons,3 guppies & 2 ancistrus). There are also a growing number of small snails (around 10 at present) which must have originally hitch-hiked their way into the tank on a plant. They range in size from 5mm to 10mm approx.

Thy are always moving around the tank and look busy.

Are these a good thing to have or can you get bad snails?
Also should I keep the amount of snails to a certain number for a tank of this size?

Thanks

 

[doresy]

They are commonly known as 'pest' snails and will multiply like crazy especially if you tend to over feed your fish

There are Pest Snail Control remedies but avoid them as they contain copper

Some people invest in Assassin Snails as they eat these pest snails but do not multiply as much and are more attractive.

Loaches love to eat snail too, my favorite are the Zebra Loach (see picture below.)

 

[Trapdoor Snail]

My son has a 50 litre tank with some trpical stock (5 neons,3 guppies & 2 ancistrus). There are also a growing number of small snails (around 10 at present) which must have originally hitch-hiked their way into the tank on a plant. They range in size from 5mm to 10mm approx.

Thy are always moving around the tank and look busy.

Are these a good thing to have or can you get bad snails?
Also should I keep the amount of snails to a certain number for a tank of this size?

Thanks

I'd have to say it depends on the type of snail. Some eat plants, others algea. Some are hermaphroditic and lay hundreds of eggs, and can easily overcrowd your tank. Others are live bearers and only lay a single live snail every so often. I personally have Black Japanese Trapdoor Snails, which are live bearers, in my tank and they get rather large and only eat algae and dropped fish food. They definitely help keep my tank clean(er). I kill any other snails I find in the tank (have had to kill about 10, which hitchhiked in on store bought plants)

 

[Rossy1977]

My son has a 50 litre tank with some trpical stock (5 neons,3 guppies & 2 ancistrus). There are also a growing number of small snails (around 10 at present) which must have originally hitch-hiked their way into the tank on a plant. They range in size from 5mm to 10mm approx.

Thy are always moving around the tank and look busy.

Are these a good thing to have or can you get bad snails?
Also should I keep the amount of snails to a certain number for a tank of this size?

Thanks

I'd have to say it depends on the type of snail. Some eat plants, others algea. Some are hermaphroditic and lay hundreds of eggs, and can easily overcrowd your tank. Others are live bearers and only lay a single live snail every so often. I personally have Black Japanese Trapdoor Snails, which are live bearers, in my tank and they get rather large and only eat algae and dropped fish food. They definitely help keep my tank clean(er). I kill any other snails I find in the tank (have had to kill about 10, which hitchhiked in on store bought plants)

They are multiplying very quickly and I can see more clusters of white eggs clung to wood & rock which can only be more snails on the way so I'll have to remove all this ASAP. Thanks for your help.

 

[littlenemo]

I'm the same. How to remove eggs of wood.

 

[Nikki65]

My son has a 50 litre tank with some trpical stock (5 neons,3 guppies & 2 ancistrus). There are also a growing number of small snails (around 10 at present) which must have originally hitch-hiked their way into the tank on a plant. They range in size from 5mm to 10mm approx.

Thy are always moving around the tank and look busy.

Are these a good thing to have or can you get bad snails?
Also should I keep the amount of snails to a certain number for a tank of this size?

Thanks

I also had some "hitch hiker's" from a store bought plant.

They are multiplying at an incredible rate.

For now I have left them alone, as they do seem to keep the tank clean.

I had brown algae before and they have completely cleared the tank of algae. Glass,plants,rocks and all.

But I am also wondering how much waste they may produce ?

 

[Trapdoor Snail]

If you like snails, or want snails, I definitely recommend the Jap Trapdoor Snails. They are easy to keep, And help with algae build up and old food.