[shrimp? fish? CRABS?!?]

Recently, I’ve seen a lot of posts on YouTube and other platforms about how to get rid of things such as planarias pond snails, scuds, you name it. So why are these creatures hated? Are they destructive to the tank or is it just a aesthetic thing(The look of a bunch of snails crawling by everywhere).

 

[FishyFishyFishyPlantPlant]

Recently, I’ve seen a lot of posts on YouTube and other platforms about how to get rid of things such as planarias pond snails, scuds, you name it. So why are these creatures hated? Are they destructive to the tank or is it just a aesthetic thing(The look of a bunch of snails crawling by everywhere).

Planaria harm shrimp by eating eggs, shrimplets and even adult shrimp. Pond snails create extra waste when they eat and when they die. Scuds might harm smaller tanks mates like fry and shrimplets.

 

[AsEpSiS]

I don’t think they’re particularly harmful besides what was mentioned earlier. I had a planarian with outbreak when I was running my red bellied piranha tank. After I became more meticulous with cleaning schedules and food item selection, I got them under control. From my knowledge, they’re a product of too much detritus and uneaten/decaying food.

 

[somewhatshocked]

Only thing that's really harmful is planaria when in shrimp tanks. But even that's trivial at best and they're easy to remove. They can only really harm slow or really young shrimp and only just after a molt - when they don't have much in terms of carapace protection.

Scuds can be destructive and eat plants. They can also harm smaller fish and shrimp.

Snails? It really is an aesthetic thing and usually with newcomers to the hobby. I don't know many lifers who would complain about snails. Because they're beneficial for most tanks. Their populations don't explode unless there's an overabundant food source and they really don't produce much waste. If a tank is larger than a few gallons, the waste produced (if it's not quickly eaten by other snails and shrimp, as is usually the case) wouldn't present much of a problem.

 

[Zoidburg]

Another is hydra.... they can sting shrimp which can supposedly kill the shrimp.

Assassin snails can also kill adult shrimp and younger ones if they have nothing else to eat in the tank



Most tanks with snail infestations don't have pond snails.... they have bladder snails. And yes, there's a difference!

 

[FishyFishyFishyPlantPlant]

Yeah hydra, they eat up all of the daphnias in my culture. They also eat faster than my pipefish in my tank.