Snails

[Crowned Angel]

I saw a lot of posts about snails, but no real answers about whether they are good or bad or how do I identify these rabbits that popped up out of nowhere? I might be a Christian, but I’m beginning to believe in spontaneous generation.

 

[Cydeth]

I saw a lot of posts about snails, but no real answers about whether they are good or bad or how do I identify these rabbits that popped up out of nowhere? I might be a Christian, but I’m beginning to believe in spontaneous generation.

Snails are not particularly bad, but they still need to be understood.

The so called pest snails that you will most often find in an aquarium have generally hitched a ride in on live plants that have been bought. Those snails are normally either Malaysian trumpet snails or bladder snails.

They can be useful by eating detritus and helping to turn over and aerate the substrate, but if there is too much food in the tank their population will expand quickly and they will negatively contribute to the bioload in your aquarium.

Malaysian trumpets generally have the shape of a unicorns horn, while bladder snails are quite round in comparison and generally have spots on their shell.

One of the most effective ways to remove the snails is to place a thoroughly washed lettuce leaf into the tank when the lights are off and manually collect the snails when they go to feed.

 

[DragonScales+Doubletails]

I bought two mystery snails yesterday and it's still a mystery if they are what they seem and not gold incas. but I'm hoping they will rapidly breed so I won't have to buy snails for any of my other tanks.

 

[Sgooosh]

I bought two mystery snails yesterday and it's still a mystery if they are what they seem and not gold incas. but I'm hoping they will rapidly breed so I won't have to buy snails for any of my other tanks.

pretty sure gold incas can breed with other species so i think you are ok.
ive heard something about 74 degrees?
what is your temp for breeding them?

 

[Avel1896]

I saw a lot of posts about snails, but no real answers about whether they are good or bad or how do I identify these rabbits that popped up out of nowhere? I might be a Christian, but I’m beginning to believe in spontaneous generation.

Hello
Snails ARE good ! They are detritivore and algae eaters. They often appear as stoaways with plants. I very like my snails.

 

[Sgooosh]

Hello
Snails ARE good ! They are detritivore and algae eaters. They often appear as stoaways with plants. I very like my snails.

ramshorns and nerites are best at eating algae, mysteries and bladder snails dont do much to algae sadly
some get out of hand quickly like rams and bladder snails
i reccomend nerites because they cannot breed and eat algae

 

[Retired Viking]

I agree with @Sgooosh I have mostly nerites snails and a few ramshorn. The bladder snails that show up I move to my turtle tank.

 

[Avel1896]

Many others are good :
Algae eaters and detritivore : Neritina, Neripteron, Planorbe, Clithon, Septaria porcellana, Brotia, Melanoide, Faunus ater, Tylomelania, Filopaludina sumatrensis, Filopaludina sumatrensis, Pila ampullacea, Stenomelania torulosa, Taia "piano" naticoides, Thiara "horned" Scabra

Snail eater in case of invasion : Anentome helena

Snail eggs and hydra eater : Asolene spixi

 

[DragonScales+Doubletails]

pretty sure gold incas can breed with other species so i think you are ok.
ive heard something about 74 degrees?
what is your temp for breeding them?

they are in quarantine right now I have my water at 75-80 degrees