# Snails in a cycling tank?



## nclnchls (Mar 18, 2014)

(I wasn't really sure where to post this, but I figured since they hitchhike on plants, this forum might be a good place!)

Anyway, two days ago I bought two nerite snails because I started to see brown algae in my tank. I didn't even think about the fact that my tank is still cycling...certainly a "duh" moment. Then yesterday I noticed at least three baby snails that must have come off my plants. My ammonia and nitrites are fairly high, so if I leave them in there, they won't survive, right?

If I wanted to keep them alive though (my tank is planted obviously, so I could use a few snails to keep my tank clean!) would I just need to keep them in their own "tank"? I don't have any extra tanks, though, but I have some rubbermaid containers. Problem with that is I don't have another heater, so maybe I could float a decently sized container in my tank and change the water daily? 

Or I could put one nerite in each of my baby betta's tanks, but I'm afraid that will be too much. Each tank is only 1 gallon, though I do 50% water changes every day.

What should I do? I believe my cycle should be done fairly soon as I'm getting a light reading of nitrates. And I'd like to at least keep the nerites alive, maybe the babies as well...they're kinda cute.


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## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

A lot of snails are very sensitive to bad water, so I wouldn't leave the nerites in there.

If you don't actually feed the snails, they have an extremely low bio-load. In my opinion, it wouldn't do any harm to put them in each of your baby betta's tanks. They can live for a long time just off the invisible biofilm in those tanks, provided you don't actually wipe or scrub the tank walls with each water change. 

You could also very easily keep them in some rubbermaid containers. And snails don't need the high temperatures bettas need. You could put them in a non-drafty part of the house and just change some water every day. 

That being said, I have some pond snails in my tank that I just finished a fishless cycle on. They hitchhiked as eggs on the plants, and they have survived ammonia up to 3ppm somehow as well as a dip in "snail egg killer". But maybe pond snails are some kind of indestructible mutant snails.


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## nclnchls (Mar 18, 2014)

Ok, thank you! I've got the nerites in there with the babies now  and oh my goodness! I think my baby snails are pond snails, I really was surprised to see them zooming around on my plants. Baby mutant ninja snails?


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## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

The pond snails will breed and breed and breed some more. I keep finding them everywhere. Luckily, I'm about to get a dwarf puffer, which I understand will eat them. Otherwise, they are going to take over the world.


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