[tjurhs]

Hi guys,

In cleaning out my tank today I found these two "volunteer" snails.

I have brown algae for which I have a couple of Nerite.

So I have a couple of questions:

1) what kind of snails are they? The one has a very "traditional" round snail shell, and the other has an elongated shell. The elongated shell one also has a long tail or maybe called a foot, idk.

2) are they good guys or bad guys for eating algae?

3) are they good guys or bad guys towards eating plants? I'm mostly concerned about them eating my plants!

Thanks for whatever help you are able to give!!!

Todd

 

[The Hammiest]

Had a few of these show up in my tank out of no where recently as well. Friend said they were just pond snails and harmless for the most part. As far as I know they just eat dead stuff and not plants. I'm no expert though just going of what ive heard.

 

[lauraleellbp]

Top one is a pond snail, bottom is a ramshorn.

Both are safe in planted tanks, though they can become a nuisance if they overpopulate.

 

[Nolan]

I have pond snails in all my tanks and am glad to have them.

They are sometimes also called bladder snails.

In my tank they increased in numbers very fast at first, and then leveled off just as fast.

I can usually see around 10-15 in my at a time and it has been this way for 2 years now.

I think they are pretty, and it's really neat to see them glide across the surface of the water upside down.

 

[tjurhs]

cool!

thanks guys (and gals)

hopefully they will play nice nice with the Nerite Snails... I'm sure I have enough algae for all of them

 

[AshNeon93]

In a few months you will have hundreds, I would advise losing them before they start laying eggs.

 

[Kat12]

they won't bother the nerites at all.

 

[THE V]

Given how big they are you probably have some eggs in the tank already.

 

[lamiskool]

Given how big they are you probably have some eggs in the tank already.

yep once you see one, your bound to have multiple in the tank, basically impossible to get rid of but they are not harmful or anything

 

[tjurhs]

They're kind of fun to play hide-n-seek with

what other types of freshwater aquatic snails can I get that won't eat my plants?

 

[tjurhs]

answered my own question

http://www.planetinverts.com/snail_species.html

 

[lauraleellbp]

So much for no livestock in this tank. :flick:

My prediction- by this time next week you're gonna have converted it into a dwarf shrimp tank. :bounce:

 

[tjurhs]

but the snails are so cute and I smile everytime I find one hiding

 

[lauraleellbp]

Yep... definitely just a matter of time before you're another shrimp addict. :hihi:

 

[tjurhs]

Went to the local fish shop today, and got three more snails (no shrimp).

two Zebra Nerites (a total of five now) and one red/pink striped Ramshorn

so we have the entire Flinstone Family of snails, Wilma is the Ramshorn because their hair-dos match

 

[lauraleellbp]

It's not next week yet. :tongue:

 

[tjurhs]

LOL, but still no shrimp!

 

[tjurhs]

two more Nerites (this time Zebras) and a pink/red striped Ramshorn, making a total of six.

We now have the entire Flinstone Family, with Wilma as the pink/red striped Ramshorn and the Nerite with a bright blue spot at the top of her shell is Betty

 

[bigbites]

maybe a dumb question..but do the shrimp eat the snails?

 

[Nolan]

maybe a dumb question..but do the shrimp eat the snails?

Only ones that are dead already.