snails in my filter?

[Lynsay]

That makes sense about the plants and the snails climbing into the filter, but i dont have any real plants and there arent any snails in the tank itself - i took everything out yesterday to give the sand a really good clean, and there were no snails to be seen. the ones in the filter were dead, so maybe theyve been there a long time.

they were very tiny, about half the size of my little fingernail, if that helps to figure out what kind of snail they are?

 

[smitty]

I recently cleaned my Eheim 2260 and had quite a few. I threw them back in the for my plecos. But if you want to get rid of them just had salt to the water I believe they san not take water with salt.

 

[cellodaisy]

I've just done a big clean out of my filter, and discovered little snails in the bottom of it! I can't understand how they would have got in there, because i've never put any in my tank - and never seen any in there!

My loaches eat the tank snails but there are always some tiny ones in the filter ^ sponges

I have the same situation in my turtle tank---no snails to be found in the tank itself (because the turtle eats them), but plenty in the filter.

the ones in the filter were dead, so maybe theyve been there a long time.

Sounds like maybe they rode in on those plants that didn't last, but your tank conditions were unsuitable for snails so they all died. Just an idea.

they were very tiny, about half the size of my little fingernail, if that helps to figure out what kind of snail they are?

All snails start out tiny, so that doesn't really help ID them. A picture would help, or a more detailed description, but since they are all dead I guess it doesn't really matter.

 

[fishorama]

The common snails for me are ramshorn, a flat spiral shell (I like these, loach candy): malaysian trumpets, very long pointy shells usually white/beige (livebearers that live in substrate) & pond or bladder snails, dark shorter cone shells, the ones in my filters.
Snails aren't a big deal if you don't overfeed, the little guys anyway. Canuliculata (sp?) will eat plants, they look similar to mystery (brigs) snails. My loaches keep all under control except in filters.

Any pics?

 

[Lynsay]

that makes perfect sense - maybe the snails that were there were from quite some time ago and my clown loaches ate them anyway!

no pics, sorry - i didn't think to ask anyone about the snails until a few hours after i'd got rid of them...

 

[Alauahio]

Aha! in my filter a snail that latched onto a plant got stuck in my canister after it went through a hole! I saw it happen.