Snails...multiplying?

[CaitxSith]

I heard snails multiplay quickly. I also heard that they were asexual (both genders). But does that mean they can lay eggs by themselves? I just don't want tons of baby snails.

btw, can I even HAVE snails? I have a tetra tank but the pH is in the 7.0's. I was thinking about it, since I heard the snails eat that white moldy stuff on driftwood (see my other topic)...

 

[icecubez189]

depends on species of snails. some are asexual while others are not. for example, apple/mystery snails need a male and female in order to breed. they also lay theirs above water, like on the hood of your tank. this makes it easier for you to remove and dispose of the eggs before they hatch and take over your tank.

 

[plah831]

most snails are indeed hermaphrodites, that's the term for having both genders in one individual. But snails in the mystery snail family (apple, brig, cana, etc.) have distinct sexes. It would take a lot more for them to undergo a population explosion than hermaphroditic snails like pond and ramshorns.

I have heard that snails will help with the mold. I'm not sure what that is on your driftwood, if it is indeed mold or the driftwood rotting :huh: I'm pretty sure driftwood is quite dead by the time you got it, but it can definitely rot in the aquarium.

 

[dorkfish]

IME and opinion, even the ones which do multiply by themselves are very beneficial to an aquarium and if your not overfeeding too often and properly maintaining your aquarium, you shouldn't have any problems with excessive populations.

 

[vanimate]

If they do get out of hand, get a couple of hungry clown loaches. They will get rid of them for you.

 

[Lund]

I had gotten a hitch hiker snail on one of my plants. It was just a common snail as far as I know. within a month I had approxamately 30 snails running rampent in my tank. I got rid of them by buying a couple clown loaches.

 

[sumthin fishy]

I would never but a fish just to solve a problem with my tank. laoches for snails, plecos for algae, just doesnt make sence IMO. Then if you have no more snails, or no more algae, you have to suplament their diet. There are ways of getting rid of snails without buying a fish(especially a tankbuster like Clown loaches.) I personally like snails in my tanks, and regulate thier population through good tank maintenance. If you keep your nitrates down, you will have less algae. Less algae means less food for the snails. This keeps them in small populations to be benificial to your tank. (mts are great at turning over your substrate, eliminating stagnant pockets of waste. )

If you have a population explosion, take a small plate or bowl, rinse with dechlorinated water to remove any soap residue, and place it in your tank. Use a piece of letuce, or cucumber, zuchini, any green veggy, and put it on the plate/bowl. you may have to use something to weigh it down. Overnight, the snails will come out to eat it. When you first wake up in the AM, go ant pull the plate/bowl out along with the snails. Dispose of them properly, DO NOT FLUSH, DO NOT RELEASE INTO THE WILD! I would recomend placing them in a bag in the freezer for a day to kill them, then throw in the trash. This will not get rid of the entire population, but along with regular maintanance, it will keep them to a small benificial populus.

A side note, I am not familier with every species out there, but of the hermaphorditic pseudopods I know, they need 2 to tango. This means that while they carry both sex organs, they still require another snail(or slug) to mate. Each one impregnates the other. This is to ensure genetic diversity.