can cone shape snails cause bacteria in a fresh water tank?

Question

ever since my fish tank got infested with cone shape snails. my fish have been dying. it's really my husbands tank and i try to but my nose out of his buiness but these snails are just disgusting. they are just covering the entire floor of the tank. all inside the rocks and stuff. what do you think is wrong? is it my fish just not well or is it the snails?

i have a aprox. a 50-55 gallon tank with about 10 fish, 3 or 4 frogs, and 2 algea eaters. we checked all the levels for what ever and they came up perfect. it's weird cause this was just recentley that all the fish started dying off.

they don't look different prior to dying, they just kinda fall to death. yet this one i have is like swimming like a human up right. i'm not sure what kinda fish. but we go to this pet store that spealizes in these guys and know alot. they won't sell fish to you if they don't think you have the proper set up. they were the ones who suggested we get these types together.

Answer 1

It would help if we knew a little more here. Are the snails you're seeing like the one in this photo: http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Melanoides_tuberculata.php - this is a Malaysian trumpet snail, and these are generally desirable to have. I've got them in my tanks and have not had any problems with fish dying, but it's possible they introduced something to your tank. They do reproduce quite rapidly! During the day, they stay in the gravel for the most part, but after the lights go out they come out on the glass, ornaments, etc.

What size tank do you have and what type/how many/what sized fish are in the tank? Did the fish show any abnormal behavior or look differently prior to when it died?


EDIT: Are these all small fish (all under 3")? What type of algae eater - a plecostomous, a Chinese algae eater, an Otocinclus cat? By swimming like a human, do you mean it's swimming head up and tail down? Which fish is this? What water "levels" have you tested - pH, temperature, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? What were the readings? What's good for one species isn't necessarily good for all species.

Answer 2

Snails, as well as any fish really, can bring in outside diseases from other sources. If you don't want the snails, I would suggest just removing them. Snails have a bad habit of hiding little ones everywhere, so this removal process could take a long time, but they'll eventually show themselves and you'll eventually get them all. In the meantime, you may want to treat the tank with either aquarium salt or a broad-spectrum antibiotic such as Maracyn or Maracyn-2 to kill any diseases that may be in the tank. Don't use both salt and medications. If you use medications, remove the filter, otherwise, it will remove the medication from the water.

Answer 3

Snails like any thing you put in a tank can carry disease. Given the number of snails in the tank you have to be over feeding your fish. Other wise what are that many snails eating? Snails simply can't over populate a tank like you describe.

I suspect your nitrate levels are too high as the result of over feeding. You need to get the nitrates under control, and over feed. Also you might want to buy a couple of khuli (coolie) loaches, or if your fish are larger a clown loach or 2. Note that an over fed loach may not eat snails.

Answer 4

I desire Malaysian trumpet snails myself, maximum shops provide them away for loose. They frequently cover interior the substrate throughout the day and come out whilst the lighting fixtures are off. maximum folk evaluate them a pest snail because of the certainty that they breed at as quickly as whilst there is too plenty meals available. If there's a inhabitants explosion, decrease lower back on feeding. i've got no longer had a situation with them in years. Ramshorn snails are yet another stable algae eater that isn't munch on your flora. Watch feeding with those adult males as they could initiate nibbling on the weaker flora if there is not any different meals available. They breed particularly without project in residing house aquaria and could go away little clusters of eggs on the tank glass. Nerite snails are a brackish species, yet do exactly to boot in freshwater. they do no longer breed in freshwater circumstances, yet could go away infertile eggs mendacity around each as quickly as in awhile. Nerites decrease by very almost all varieties of algae like a warm knife by butter. As for numbers, i could advise you pass with despite you experience is stable. Malaysian trumpet snails reproduce asexually, so one ought to develop into ten very right now. Ramshorns pick a 2d snail to reproduce, yet may well be carrying once you purchase one, so there could never be an exact variety. Nerites do no longer reproduce, so so which you could inventory a splash heavier. i could say a million+ trumpet snail (Will breed), 2+ ramshorns (Will breed) or 10+ nerites in case you pick to maintain the algae down.

Answer 5

Gte a fish that will eat snails, your fish will be happy and slow process of removing the snails will go faster.