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[Stefan3289]

Hello all,

I sat today next to my 29 gallon aquarium and noticed near the heater there is a strange intruder. I have never bought a snail, so I’m wondering how he got into my tank? My only guess is when I bought the plants for my aquarium he must have been in one of the pots. Can anyone possibly identify the little guy? If he is nice, I might buy him some friends. Sorry for the bad pictures he was behind the plants and heater my camera wouldn’t focus on him.
He has a dark gray shell and the end is more black, and it is like a cone shell that swirls at the point

 

[Stefan3289]

Hello all,

I sat today next to my 29 gallon aquarium and noticed near the heater there is a strange intruder. I have never bought a snail, so I’m wondering how he got into my tank? My only guess is when I bought the plants for my aquarium he must have been in one of the pots. Can anyone possibly identify the little guy? If he is nice, I might buy him some friends. Sorry for the bad pictures he was behind the plants and heater my camera wouldn’t focus on him.
He has a dark gray shell and the end is more black, and it is like a cone shell that swirls at the point

After looking at some common snails online he looks like a bladder snail, would this make sense?

 

[Chickenboi]

That is a bladder snail. I think they are invasive.

 

[Chickenboi]

Let’s see what other people say.

 

[Stefan3289]

That is a bladder snail. I think they are invasive.

I sure hope he isn’t or I will be taking him back to the LFS where I got the plants from. I would not like to have an army of them

 

[Back in the fold]

Yep , he came in on your plants. Happens all the time. Guys that sell aquarium plants will tell you up front that they can’t guarantee snail free. That’s the common pond snail. Never liked that name bladder snail. Conjures up a weird image.
They multiply vigorously.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Yep, I concur--it came in on your plants. Some people hate them, but they are really harmless and, in my opinion, a valuable part of the aquatic ecosystem. I like having them in my tank.

Don't worry about buying him some friends...they'll probably be showing up soon.

 

[connorlindeman]

Yep , he came in on your plants. Happens all the time. Guys that sell aquarium plants will tell you up front that they can’t guarantee snail free. That’s the common pond snail. Never liked that name bladder snail. Conjures up a weird image.
They multiply vigorously.ALl

All my plants that I sell are certified snail free

 

[JuiceBox52]

All my plants that I sell are certified snail free

Same

 

[Bubble the Guppy]

Hi, the same thing also happen to me.

Two week ago i found a snail in my tank, where i introduce the new plant a month ago, the snail was cleaning the tank and not harming any plant or my guppies and i think the snail was harmless so i leave it until today!! The snail size was still very small but "Oh boy" there are snail eggs at everycorner of the tank and i don't have any adult snail in my tank just mystery snail that just appeared in my tankt two week ago, i don't know what type of snail!

What should i do? i don't want any more snails!!!
i try to scrap them off but next day there more eggs!

here are some pic of the snail

 

[GaryE]

@Stefan3289 You can take a pond snail back, but it is only the one you see. others will appear. Unless you treat arriving plants, they always come along, usually as eggs.

I don't mind the ramshorn snails @Bubble the Guppy has. They will tell you if you are overfeeding by reproducing madly, and are harmless. Pond snails are a different story. They eat fish eggs, which is a problem for me as a fish breeder. They can keep fry levels at zero, as they are very resourceful predators. They don't bother fish - just eggs .I put a net hard against the glass and squish them, so they fall into the net and don't add ammonia. In tight spaces, a turkey baster will remove crushed snails. It is one of my least favourite chores, but it works as long as you aren't grossed out and as long as you never give up. There are always survivors, but in time if you keep getting al the breeding age ones, you'll be ready for the next arrival.

Here I can't sound good, as a snail crushing know it all - but as an experienced aquarist, I only get "outbreaks" in heavily fed fry tanks. In regular tanks, I get a few ramshorns lurking in the background. Why? Becauae I don't overfeed. If you have a lot of snails, that's what you have to work on.

 

[Back in the fold]

@WhistlingBadger concur ? It’s spelled conquer. How are you going to conquer snails ?

 

[emeraldking]

I always wash new plants before they go into a tank. I always look at a store if I see any snails in the tank with plants in it. If I see one, I won't buy a plant at that store. For there might be a chance that their are eggs on those plants.

 

[Stefan3289]

I always wash new plants before they go into a tank. I always look at a store if I see any snails in the tank with plants in it. If I see one, I won't buy a plant at that store. For there might be a chance that their are eggs on those plants.

I bought them from my LFS and the tanks they had the plants in had no snails. I bought the plants in 2 separate batches (4 and 4) so maybe there were some eggs. I don’t mind having the snails in the tank as they can help control algae growth and won’t both the fish, my only worry is that they will start to impact the bioload of the tank at once if a lot of them show up and causes my tank to crash.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

@WhistlingBadger concur ? It’s spelled conquer. How are you going to conquer snails ?

I break them to harness, and train them to pull little, tiny wagons. Very slowly.

Seriously, I love snails. I'm always a little disappointed when I set up a new tank and no snails find their way in.