We have bought a live plant for our tank and lots of little snails have appeared will these be harmful at all?

Answer 1

What do they look like?
Do they look like Ramshorn snails: http://www.eeob.iastate.edu/faculty/DrewesC/htdocs/helisoma-trivolvis.JPG
Or do they look like Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS): http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/other/DSC_9289.JPG
I don't have a picture for the last one, but they are brown, oval shaped, with a point at one end.

Anyway, if they are MTS, keep them! They are very good for your tank, they burrow into the substrate and eat detritous.

However, because it came in on a plant, it is probably ramshorn or some other pest smail. Ramshorns will eat your plant a little bit, and the other type is just a pest. They aren't detrimental, really, but they don't do anything good for your tank.

Once you get them, it's almost impossible to get rid of them completely. And they multiply like crazy. But it's possible to greatly reduce their numbers.

What size tank do you have? If you have 50 gallons or more, you can get a few clown loaches: http://www.loaches.com/species_images/clown_loach_basil.jpg
If you want is smaller, you can get some YoYo loaches:
http://pages.prodigy.net/ptrow/fish/yoyo_loach6.jpg
They will eat the snails.

Or you can just squish the snails you see, on the glass, with your finger. Most fish love to eat the resulting goop. I've been keeping my snail population down that way. I used to have tonnes but now I only see (and squish) a few every week.

You can also trap them. Take a small container with a lid (like an old camera film case, or a small tupperware), poke some holes in it, put some rocks (to weigh it down) and some lettuce, zucchini or cucumber, and the snails will crawl in to eat the veggies. Leave it there overnight and take out the snails the next day. Repeat as necessary.

Some people may suggest that you salt them; try to avoid this. Freshwater fish should not have any salt in their water, and if you put enough salt, it will mess with osmotic regulation.
There are almost some snail-killing chemicals, which I also do not suggest (anything that will kill snails, can't be good for your fish.)

Your last option is to take the fish and most of the water out of your tank, and add some aquarium salt to the remaining water (about 1 tbsp/gallon), and to take out all ornaments and plants and rinse them in water. Then take out as much as water as you can, put the old water, ornaments, plants and fish back in and top it off with fresh water.

Answer 2

Probally Ramshorn Snails and they will multiply unless there is something else in your tank that will eat them. This is the easiest way to control them. You will have the same thing happen again, we all do. I like to have a Yoyo Loach or a Clown loach in my tanks to control any snails. They leave everybody else alone and there're pretty fish. They are chemical treatments but they are hard on the tank and if you can avoid using them that's best. If you do, follow directions and you'll be OK. Skinless fish usually require meds be at half dose because they absorb it so easily. The best if you have room is a fish specifically to deal with the snails. One fish will clean up a tank in a couple weeks. Other than that the snails are not harmful and you can vacumn up a lot of them. Hope that helps, good luck, Peter.

Answer 3

snail eggs and baby snails are usually hidden on plants. Snails will eat your plants (that is why they laid their eggs there in the first place!) and they can multiply very quickly and get into you filter system. I usually pick them out when ever I see them. IF they are really a problem then you can purchase this stuff called Had-a-Snail. BEWARE you should not use this product with other crustaceans. I really would only use it if you are completely desperate.
You might also consider what kind of fish you have. Goldfish and dwarf puffer fish will both eat small snails. But, goldfish require a very large tank, and puffer fish are not very compatible with a lot of other fish. Also, apparently loaches eat small snails too. Just make sure you don't overstock your tank.

Answer 4

Snails are or at least their eggs are located on most plants. The common snail is not a major problem. However, they can reproduce at an alarming rate since they self reproduce. You may notice little jelly like globs on sections of the glass. Those are egg sacs. The problem with too many snails is that they produce a concentration of ammonia in their waste product. If you notice water discoloration or foul odor. you might want to cut down on the amount of snails and do a partial water change-

Answer 5

Snails are known to be rapid breeders ( only certain kinds). Snails also love to have babies on the sides of glass, under plants, ornaments, and around rocks. Be careful, they are not dangerous, but they are able to over-run a tank. Watch the population carefully, and if yoou have any bottom feeders, then make sure they are even getting any food, the snails like to eat any un-eaten foods.

Answer 6

i've got had this take place to; your little snails hitch-hiked from the keep. it particularly is totally no longer common to notice all snails, they could be hiding on the backside of the plant the place each and all the stems come jointly, or, extra usually, there have been eggs laid on the plant. those eggs are almost clean, quite small, and not common to work out. whether you upward push the vegetation once you have them (I do), the eggs could be caught so properly that the water does not do away with all, if any of them. reckoning on the variety, they might or won't be valuable. attempt to verify your little men to a image or description to be certain what variety they are. some person-friendly ones are Bladder, Pond, and Malaysian Trumpet Snails. those are all merely effective to have on your tank, even though it particularly is recommended to double verify.

Answer 7

The snails might have come from the plant itself.... a mother snail could've laid eggs on the plant and then they hatched in your tank. I wouldn't worry, they won't do any harm.

Answer 8

They'll probably eat your plants and reproduce faster than rabbits but they shouldn't do much harm. Getting rid of them is really hard. Unless you're willing to baggie up your fish and scrub your tank to death, then throw out the plants, boil any fish homes you have in there, and start again.

Answer 9

snails should be harmless to a plant, but they are gross...i hate snails....i had a bad experence with a snail once, at my grandmothers house when younger i was drinking some O.J. and looked down and found well actually a slug in the glass, you know the bigger ones without the shell on its back...ive had a fear of both since then....pour salt on them and kill them all