Small Snail Ethics

[AquaristDave]

In my 10 gallon tank, there seems to be dozens of tiny snails crawling around. They are on my rocks, plants, and just about everywhere. I think they came from plants that I (stupidly) purchased at Wall-Mart. The snails don't bother me much, but at the rate they are producing, I think they will eventually outnumber the rocks in the substrate! I've seen tank treatments such as "had snails" at some aquaria stores, but I don't feel right about killing them like that. They are a respectable life form too, right? I mean, how many of you aquarists out their feel that way towards the fish in your tanks?

Right now, they don't bother me, but I think they will be a problem in the future. One positive thing that I have noticed is that there has never been algae growth in the tank yet. This may be because of the amount of plants I have in it though... Will the snails suck out all of the good nutrients and ions important to plant life in my tank?

To kill or not to kill...

:help: Your opinions are appreciated and encouraged.

 

[lucas68]

What are you complaining about, you finally got (not bought) a live creature from Wal-Mart that didn’t die. Seriously, you shouldn’t worry about the snails. If you don’t like them, get a fish that will eat them. Or, scoop them out of the gravel and give them away. I don’t think the population will ever outnumber the rocks in the gravel, but they do get on some peoples nerves. Personally, I love watching the little guys climbing over the plants and stuff. When my population starts to get to high, I just scoop some out and drop them in the 29gal with the black shark. He loves escargot.

 

[ljse]

I personally dont like snails and I eliminate any I see. They will most likely reproduce very quickly and overrun your tank so they will create a lot of waste. A removal method that worked perfectly for me was just removing any snails I saw a few times a day for 1-2 weeks, and now I havent seen any snails for a very long time.

 

[DaisyTattoo]

I personally have a hard time killing anything so, I wouldnt be able to. I would be more likely to try to pick them out or just let them have the tank and get another one. Of course I have never had this problem so it is easy for me to say lol. I wouldnt feel too bad about killing them off if you dont want them though. Just think of it as an intruder in your house right? You didnt invite them in. lol

 

[carttman]

You probably got the snails from the plants but there are several options for you. You can purchase fish that eat snails such as puffer's and loaches, or you could do what I do. Put a piece of lettuce in your tank at night and early in the morning before your lights come one take the piece of lettuce out of your tank. It should be covered in snails. I would not recommend putting a chemical in your tank the kills snails. Another reason you could have a big snail outbreak is caused by overfeeding. Hopefully someone else can help you out better than I can though.

 

[sumthin fishy]

Here is the article on snails. I personally dont have an issue with them, and if controlled, they will add a neat aspect to your tank. In the article, it talks about the different kinds of snails and plants and thier compatability. You can get an idea if your plants will be safe.

Edit---So some other folks were quick on the draw!! there was no replies when I started typing lol. Please do not purchase a fish to eat your snails. That is silly, no puffer will be good in a comunity setup, and not everyone likes loaches. Now if you have been dying to get a kuhli loach or something, you can be happy you have some live food for it, but I dont go get oscar pellets to justify the purchase of an oscar. The lettuce method will work, but in reality, with proper vacuming and waterchanges, and the avoidance of overfeeding, they wont be able to sustain a large population. It will actually help turn up some of the junk under your substrate.

 

[Onikun]

if they dont eat my plants i leave them alone. if they eat my plants they go squish

 

[mdbaskett]

I let the snails on the plants, substrate and wood stay there. If they climb up the glass in easy reach I scoop them out and feed them to my puffer.

I don't really think there is such a thing as overrun with snails. I have hundreds in my 29g. They eat the leftover food and keep the algae off my plants. I think it gives the tank a more natural look and keeps it clean, especially since I'm still experimenting with different foods.

That being said I don't really consider it a moral issue, at least for me. I kill spiders and mosquitoes.

 

[Roan Art]

Snails multiply based on the amount of available food. If there are too many of them, then you are probably overfeeding your fish. Cut back on the food and they won't reproduce as fast, simple.

Dave's article covers that and a few more tips for snail management.

Don't buy fish just for them to eat the snails. IME kuhlis do not eat snails. I have three and in a tank with pond snails and they do *not* eat them.

Read Dave's article. Cut back on the food.

Roan

 

[Aqualung]

I have one tank that snails always thrive in and multiply very quickly, and another tank that's not far behind. The reason for this is that I am constantly supplying fresh food (veggies) for my otos and other similar algae-eaters. It's not much of a problem though. I crush a few baby snails, some get killed when I take out the leftover veggies, and a lot of them go into my larger tank where the loaches and cichlids take care of them in a hurry. If they don't have excess food, then overpopulation won't be a problem at all.