first off i am sorry if i am posting in the wrong thread,now my problem is i got a 5 gallon tank with a Betta,just today i noticed what looks like baby snails but i am not sure,as i do not have parents,my plants are fake and there is only my Betta in the tank,i noticed them today so not sure if them been here longer,i guess what i am asking is if they are babies are they harmful to my Betta,if not how can i feed them and when i change my tank how can i save them??
i need help
- Thread starter canadiancutie
- Start date
If there was no way a snail could have gotten in, like buying live plants etc. then Im guessing their not snails. some sort of bug.
not very helpful, im sorry, but i've never heard of spontaneous snail production.
not very helpful, im sorry, but i've never heard of spontaneous snail production.
They could have even come with the betta. Snails are harmless, they eat leftover food. They basically come with all aquariums.
I don't worry about saving them when I tear down a tank, they multiply so quickly there isn't really a point to it.
I don't worry about saving them when I tear down a tank, they multiply so quickly there isn't really a point to it.
Nothing to worry about, canadiancutie. Finding baby snails is very common and they won't harm your betta. Depending on the personality of the fish you have, your betta might even eat them. These probably came from snail eggs in the tank or gravel when you got it.
If you want to get rid of them, manually remove the ones you see whenever you notice them..... be thorough when vaccing the gravel or wiping the glass...... and don't overfeed. This will also prevent snails from overpopulating a tank if you want to keep some of them there for interest or to consume bits of food that your betta misses.
If you want to get rid of them, manually remove the ones you see whenever you notice them..... be thorough when vaccing the gravel or wiping the glass...... and don't overfeed. This will also prevent snails from overpopulating a tank if you want to keep some of them there for interest or to consume bits of food that your betta misses.
well update time,they was snails,unfortunately i found out to late,i cleaned my tank to get rid of them thinking they where something else,after i did that i decided to contact the old owner of the tank,and she confirmed it,they was baby snails,i changed the gravel and got rid of the shells in the tank,but i might get a apple nail as i want a big snail not little ones
Lupin
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:welcome: to AC, Canadiancutie!
I would not worry about the snails too much. They will not harm your betta and they have their own advantages and disadvantages. Chances are you have either the trumpet snails (Melania sp.), pond snails (Lymnaea stagnalis), bladder snails (Physas sp.) or ramshorns (Planorbidae). While all four are hermaphrodites and able to proliferate quickly, this is not always the case at all. Their rate of reproduction is influenced by the abundance of food supply. They will eat the food leftovers thus preventing your water quality from deteriorating rapidly but at the expense of additional baby snails. If you do not want too many snails, simply squish the snails and your betta will like the added proteins it gains from consuming the snails.
Other methods of minimizing (not eliminating) the snails can be found here.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182687
If you do plan to get apple snails, please be warned that your betta may not appreciate a snail crawling around and will likely harass the snail to death by ripping off its eyes and antennaes which can severely stress and even kill the snail despite the snails's ability to regenerate its lost parts. If possible, get another spare tank as a backup in case, things are not working as you think it would have. Stick to sponge filter and get a spare heater as well.
Water chemistry should be given utmost importance. Snails have shells that will easily erode if your water is acidic (pH below 7.0) so make sure your pH does not fall below 7.4 to minimize incidence of shell erosions. If you suspect your water is soft, test your KH (carbonate hardness) and GH (general hardness) and adjust wherever necessary using calcium carbonate. You can use crushed seashells, crushed corals, aragonite, limestones or marble chips to increase both the pH and KH.
The apple snail often available is Pomacea diffusa. You could fit one or two in your 5g tank if you are willing to do water changes at least 3-4 times a week.Luckily, these snails do not eat healthy plants preferring to consume dead and dying plant parts. They grow to golfball size only but do not underestimate the amount of waste they produce. They can rival the goldfish and plecos more than you think!
Baby mystery snails
There are plenty other species available such as Pomacea canaliculata but canas grow quite large at a baseball size so only one can fit in your tank if you really want canas. Canas are quite personable and can eat almost any plant voraciously. Other species available are the Columbian ramshorn snails (Marisa cornuarietis), zebra apple snails (Asolene spixi) and the occasional Pomacea haustrum. Please research thoroughly before you start keeping snails.
If you are unsure of the difference between Pomacea diffusa and Pomacea canaliculata, you can look here.
http://www.applesnail.net/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18486
Lastly, you can find everything you want to know here. Don't forget to check it out!
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189718
If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We are here to help. On another note, you live in Canada so you are lucky you can obtain any snails you want without the restrictions set in USA for shipping regulations. Let me know if you want any snails other than the common Pomacea diffusa and I'll give you the contacts to people who may have the snails you are looking for.
Good luck and enjoy!
I would not worry about the snails too much. They will not harm your betta and they have their own advantages and disadvantages. Chances are you have either the trumpet snails (Melania sp.), pond snails (Lymnaea stagnalis), bladder snails (Physas sp.) or ramshorns (Planorbidae). While all four are hermaphrodites and able to proliferate quickly, this is not always the case at all. Their rate of reproduction is influenced by the abundance of food supply. They will eat the food leftovers thus preventing your water quality from deteriorating rapidly but at the expense of additional baby snails. If you do not want too many snails, simply squish the snails and your betta will like the added proteins it gains from consuming the snails.
Other methods of minimizing (not eliminating) the snails can be found here.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182687
If you do plan to get apple snails, please be warned that your betta may not appreciate a snail crawling around and will likely harass the snail to death by ripping off its eyes and antennaes which can severely stress and even kill the snail despite the snails's ability to regenerate its lost parts. If possible, get another spare tank as a backup in case, things are not working as you think it would have. Stick to sponge filter and get a spare heater as well.
Water chemistry should be given utmost importance. Snails have shells that will easily erode if your water is acidic (pH below 7.0) so make sure your pH does not fall below 7.4 to minimize incidence of shell erosions. If you suspect your water is soft, test your KH (carbonate hardness) and GH (general hardness) and adjust wherever necessary using calcium carbonate. You can use crushed seashells, crushed corals, aragonite, limestones or marble chips to increase both the pH and KH.
The apple snail often available is Pomacea diffusa. You could fit one or two in your 5g tank if you are willing to do water changes at least 3-4 times a week.Luckily, these snails do not eat healthy plants preferring to consume dead and dying plant parts. They grow to golfball size only but do not underestimate the amount of waste they produce. They can rival the goldfish and plecos more than you think!
Baby mystery snails
There are plenty other species available such as Pomacea canaliculata but canas grow quite large at a baseball size so only one can fit in your tank if you really want canas. Canas are quite personable and can eat almost any plant voraciously. Other species available are the Columbian ramshorn snails (Marisa cornuarietis), zebra apple snails (Asolene spixi) and the occasional Pomacea haustrum. Please research thoroughly before you start keeping snails.
If you are unsure of the difference between Pomacea diffusa and Pomacea canaliculata, you can look here.
http://www.applesnail.net/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18486
Lastly, you can find everything you want to know here. Don't forget to check it out!
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189718
If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We are here to help. On another note, you live in Canada so you are lucky you can obtain any snails you want without the restrictions set in USA for shipping regulations. Let me know if you want any snails other than the common Pomacea diffusa and I'll give you the contacts to people who may have the snails you are looking for.
Good luck and enjoy!
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