"pest" snails?

Question

Many people on here seem to think that all snails are terrible little creatures that do nothing but overpopulate the tank. This is not true. The big ones don't breed much, and when they do, they lay a big clutch of eggs above the water line, so you will easily see it and be able to remove it. The small snails are the ones frequently considered "pests" and even this is not true. They only overrun a tank if you let them by not maintaining your tank and/or by overfeeding. Check this out: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95872

Zoe- If you look at the thread, it is all about pond snails, common ramshorns, and malaysian trumpet snails. Those are the snails people consider "pests." But are in fact quite beneficial and will only get out of hand if you let them like I said above.

I have all 3 in all of may tanks. My oldest tank has had all 3 for over 6 years, and they have never overpopulated.

Answer 1

totally agree. also if people are that concerned they could buy just one, breeds like mystery snails can't breed on their own.

I hate whenever I suggest snails other pople who answer will say how their tank will be over run and how they're horrible and no one should use them. if you watch for eggs or only have one snail then there won't be problems.

my fish love to follow around my snail, and they're great additions to most tanks. I think it's great that you posted this, if only people would actually listen.

Answer 2

The pest snails are actually the pond snails (physa) and the red ramshorn, they are the ones who breed like.... well, pest snails.

Another semi-pest is the Maylasian Trumpet Snail (MTS)If you have any MTS at all, you have tons of them. They hide in the gravel and sand during the day and come out at night and have dinner dates to make more snails. If you see 15 or 20 MTS then there are probably 150-200 snails down in the substrate.

That is not to say they are bad, because they do a fair job of stirring up the sand and gravel and can help in releasing pockets of anaerobic gas trapped in the substrate that are toxic to the fish.

However, when any snail population reaches epic proportions, they will surely add to your bio-load and your fish may suffer the consequences. Snail waste decomposes too.

Yoyo loaches are the answer if you want a fish that will eat snails. I have 4 yoyos in a 29 g. They are each only about 2.5" long. This is the tank I put all the snails I pick out of the other 15 "snail infested" tanks into. I have been doing this for almost a year now and there are still no snails in this tank. Lots of empty shells, though...;o)

These 4 yoyos are the most agressive snail eaters I have found. If I could pay them, I would. They do a great job and never complain. I was thinking of moving them from tank to tank to clean out some others, but they are way too fast and hard to catch to bother. Plus, I have 9 gold angels with them and don't want to stir them up to panic mode just to kill snails.

Good answer, angry person, you know who you are.

Answer 3

Well the difference is that some snails are hermaphrodidic pests, and others are not hermaphrodites so they do not take over a tank.
You like mystery snails / apple snails, the ones that are large, don't reproduce like crazy and aren't hermaphrodites? I like them too.
But get a plant with a hitchiker on it, a SMALL snail that will reproduce like crazy and take over your tank in short order, regardless of how much you maintain your tank. Naturally, there are ways to control these snail populations, but there's a biiig difference between mystery / apple snails, and pest snails.

It would also be worth noting, though, that even "pest" snails won't harm your tank. They are messy fish but snails are completely harmless, even in large amounts.

Answer 4

Hi there!
Having snails in a fish tank is normal and is a good way of cleaning the tank, if there are too many in the tank I think its best to take some out.
Hope this helps!

Answer 5

Excellent point. Snails are a good natural algae remover and actually can be a good indicator of water quality. Far better than dosing the tank with aglae killing chemicals in my book.