Snails-good or bad?

[icepotato89]

hello, i've got heaps of snails in my juvinile murray cod tank and they multiply like crazy (i think they came in on some plants). i've noticed lots of transparent eggs on plants and some on the glass. so far they've kept my tank algae free but since there multiplying at such a high rate will they also eat my plants? hopefully someone can identify what species of snail they are and if and how i can get rid of em.
thanks.

[imeridian]

Pond snails... Squish those on sight without remorse. In my experience, snails from that genus (Physa) do indeed eat plants.

[Lupin]

Bladder snails (Physas sp.) to be more precise. They don't really eat healthy plants however they will eat dying or dead plant parts.

[Sounguru]

I agree with Lupin....

[Ebichua]

Those are the best! I wish I had more of those, instead of ramshorn and MTS. I find ramshorn and MTS to have really hard shells... too hard to squish. But man, bladder and pond snails?! So easy to crush and it doesn't stab me either, unlike those other two...

I always go for those first when I crush snails to feed my crays and shrimp. Super easy, good size and it doesn't make my fingers bleed! Cheers to that.

[icepotato89]

so do i need to get rid of em?

[Ebichua]

As long as they don't explode too much in the tank, then they can be good. They're free fish food, if you decide to crush them. They will also clean up any uneaten food. They're just unsightly if you have too many, that's all.

It has its ups and downs. You choose whether they're good or not. But do they harm the health of a tank? No, not really.

[icepotato89]

okay, thank you.

[requiem]

ha I've been very patiently removing all eggs and snails I see every day, for over three months. I remove 5-10 a day. I STILL can't get rid of them. I wouldn't mind a few but since I've been working this hard at removing them, and obviously not putting a dent in their population, I think it's best to keep removing them yes

[AmitW]

Is it a good idea to introduce Apple Snails (Golden) to a planted tank?

-Amit

[FrostyNYC]

Originally Posted by AmitW

Is it a good idea to introduce Apple Snails (Golden) to a planted tank?

-Amit

Apple snails come in several different species. Most sold in pet stores are Brigs, however. Although Canas come in the golden variety also, so be cautious. Canas are notorious herbivores, and will devour your plants. Brigs will eat soft plant tissues (new growth, mosses, etc), if you don't feed them enough. All apple snails produce copious amounts of waste, and are generally poor algae eaters. Get apple snails if you want them as a pet and for interest, not because you think they might be good tank cleaners or are beneficial persay. There's lots more info on this forum and on other forums about apple snails as well.

[AmitW]

Thanks Frosty!

[Lupin]

Originally Posted by FrostyNYC

Apple snails come in several different species. Most sold in pet stores are Brigs, however. Although Canas come in the golden variety also, so be cautious. Canas are notorious herbivores, and will devour your plants. Brigs will eat soft plant tissues (new growth, mosses, etc), if you don't feed them enough. All apple snails produce copious amounts of waste, and are generally poor algae eaters. Get apple snails if you want them as a pet and for interest, not because you think they might be good tank cleaners or are beneficial persay. There's lots more info on this forum and on other forums about apple snails as well.

That's well said.