How did they get in there?

Question

I did a partial water change today and discovered several very small snails. I have read a little about them and I know they are common and when you see them in the gravel or on the glass you need to treat your tank. My question is how the hell did they get in the tank in the first place? Also could this explain the decline of several of my plants?

Answer 1

Yes I can tell you how they got in your tank. It all starts with the importers who get the water plants straight from the wild enviroment and trucks them to the wholesalers. The plants already have very small baby snails on them. The wholesalers cannot be bothered by ridding them and they transport the plants to local aquarium shops who cannot be bothered of ridding them. There are two types of snails...the round with soft shells and some with hard shells. Both types have male and female and as they grow bigger and will start to breed until your tank is completely filled with the horrible things. You could get snail killer from the shops but that could alter the water chemistry and harm your fish. You could only put chiclids or puffer fish which will eat them. The other alternative is to clean out your tank and start a fresh.

Answer 2

As others have pointed out, they came in with your plants. Maybe as babies, maybe as eggs, but either way as you have found out they are all too common.

There are several treatments available on the market, but I wouldn't suggest you use any of them. Most are rather tough on your fish and especially tough on your plants.

I would suggest you use a more natural approach. Use a small plastic container with a snap top lid.poke several holes all around the container that are big enough for the snails but too small for the fish in your tank. add a piece of lettuce and a handful of gravel from your tank. Place this in the tank over night. In the morning you can remove the container and you will be amazed how many snails you will remove. Do this several times in a row and you will really cut down the numbers in the tank. Then just do it once a week or so to keep them under control.

MM

Answer 3

First you need to find out what type of snails they are as the trumpet snail is a good thing to have in your tank as they do not eat the plants and keep your tank algae free.
The snails could have come in on your plants if you did not check them before planting them in tank, if they are trumpets it could just be just a lack of CO2, fertilizer or lighting that your plants are needing.
If they turn out to not be trumpets then get rid!

Answer 4

I have a beta fish. Every time I change the water , I clean the tank out good. But after a couple od weeks, baby snails come back.
My thoughts are that the food it's self, might be snail eggs

Answer 5

real plants almost always introduce snails.
if they are round type they can be got rid of pretty easy, if they are the conical ones (a lot rarer) then the only way i got rid of mine eventually, was to empty the tank and boil everything (except the fish of course)
they are pretty harmless but can get unsightly, plenty of good treatments around but make sure to follow the instructions as an overdose can be bad for the fish......and stick with plastic plants, i gave up the idea of a nice planted tank a long while ago but if you really want to, and you are willing to put the effort in you can get it nice.

Answer 6

yes the slippery little suckers transport on the new plants we buy. in my experience i bought the stuff that supposed to kill the snails, it don't work with the big ones it just stuns them, so don't bother wasting your money. If you have enough room in your tank i would suggest you get a clown loach they are brilliant fish they eat the snails!! and eats alge a helpfull fish to have and it is also a calm fish so it wont upset your other fish, mind keeps himself to himself.

Answer 7

u might not see snails on the plants but no doubt they eggs were, i got tha same problem. put some loaches in these, thats should get rid of them, i recomend bengal loaches. there will still be a few snails but the loaches will keep the numbers down by a lot.

Answer 8

I got them veer a plant.I had to empty my tank has nothing got rid of them.I tried every thing going in the end I had to buy a new tank get it ready then move the fish & finally I was free to get rid of them.I ended up with thousands.Good Luck in getting shot of them.

Answer 9

they have come in with your plants. i had them once and it took ages to get rid, in the end I threw plants out and had to do a complete change of water. I now have plastic plants just in case it happens again.

Answer 10

If you have live plants when you bought them you put them in your tank!! they where on the live planys and you just could not see them because they where so small!!! Good luck