snails and sand

cfasulo

AC Members
Dec 21, 2006
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I recently started an african cichlid aquarium and have added snails to it. But for some reason the snails seem like they are burring themselves in the sand. Is this what they do or maybe my sand is too fine for them to move around on top of.

I also have a clam are they good for tanks or should i take him out?

How do you know if a clam is dead.?

any help you professionals or experienced people have to say i would really appreciate it
 
the snails will be good with the sand because of the very thing you have witnessed. The burry themselves in the sand. They don't only do this, they also aerate the sand, mix it up, this lessens the chance for anaerobic pockets, which are lethal to your entire tank, from forming.

As far as the clam, I wouldn't have one in my tank because of the difficulty in keeping them. They are filter feeders which is difficult in a home aquarium so most die of starvation.

You don't know the clam is dead until it is already too late and it has fouled up your tank something awful. Another problem in keeping them.
 
Thanks for the good news lol.. I am definitely taking the clam out. I saw the snails going under the sand and i didnt want them to die so i took them out and put them on the lava rocks that i have will they be ok on those rocks and find there way back into the sand.
 
What kind of snails?
 
you could have a bunch more if you wanted. dozen, more even. Just so you know, these snails will not reproduce in freshwater or shall I say, it's highly unlikely that they will. They are prolific in brackish water since this is their natural habitat. They are a pretty diverse snail, being ok with freshwater, brackish, and marine and are excellent algae eaters. They will also not harm plant life.
 
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