# Small snails in my tank.



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

I got some snails in my tank really small ones about the size of a ant, it seems like they eat my plants , i notice holes in my plants, i have been catching the ones i see and thrown em out in the garden, i see them climbing the sides of the tank too, will they affect my tank once i get my betta in?


----------



## fernielou (May 19, 2015)

Ok as kind as you are being, those snails can't live in a garden...they will die anyway. Also as an aquarium owner it is a huge responsibility not to introduce animals into the wild. It can wreck an ecosystem. If a bird picked up something you throw out that's Not native and dump it in your local water , bad news. Just squish them. They are a pest and it's ok. Apparently they feel no pain.

I keep mystery snails but the rest of their family are banned in Texas. You can't own or sell or ship them. That makes me so sad but I can guarantee a long time ago it all started with an aquarist that got tired of their snail. In order to keep stuff available for sale we gotta be careful with disposal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Most snails don't eat plants, they eat the dead parts of plants and the biofilm that builds up on that (as well as any soft algaes). Likely you're seeing Bladder snails, not to be confused with Pond snails--totally separate snail. They are aquatic so throwing them out in the garden will kill them. I wasn't sure if you thought it'd be beneficial to the garden or something, just figured it was worth a note.

What kind of lighting do you have for your plants? Any root tabs or soiled bottom tank? Fertilizers?


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

Okay thanks for the reply, ive taken the ones i see out of the tank, is it a good idea to take them out seeing as they most likely eat my plants?


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

They are not eating your plants. You can still take them out if you want to. If you don't overfeed your tank then they won't become a problem.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

i have a LED lighting that came with the tank Aquaone Ecostyle 47, and i use Seachem Flourish for the plants.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

I have holes in my plants thats why im thinking they are eating them.


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

If you have holes in your plants most likely, despite the Flourish, there is a nutrient deficiency.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

the holes also have like shinney slime around them that is why i think they are getting eaten.


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

That's likely just biofilm and the start of algae. Bladder snails do not eat healthy plants, only the dead parts of them. I'm not sure if you're fully comprehending this or not? Not sure what else I can say to convince you that they simply don't eat the healthy parts. Here's a simple guide to deficiencies in aquatic plants.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

nice photo there lil and i have a plant that has 2 small stunned growth just like that C02 in the photo.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

Also do you think using flourish,Flourish excel, Flourish iron, nitrogen, Flourish Phosphorus, Flourish Potassium is good to use for the plants or do i just need 1 or 2, will it affect the PH and the betta?


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

What types of plants do you have?

I recommend Flourish Comprehensive and Potassium since that's what plants like Swords tend to use most. If it's the tank in your avatar then I do see you have one. Do you have other plants too? 

Upgrading your light would be beneficial as well but that depends on what kind of hood you want. Even a regular hood with a CFL daylight bulb in it would be better than stock LED's. Or, if you want to go fancy then you can get a glass top canopy with a Finnex StingRay LED light on it. They cost more money but they last much much longer than CFL (compact fluorescent light) which will dim and die out in about 6 months and should be replaced at that point for optimal plant growth.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

Im not sure what plants i have and no its not the tank in my avatar that is my old tank, my plants are in my albums section i have 2 types 2 in a pot and the rest are the same, im just using the same light that came with the tank 47 EcoStyle 38L Rectangular Aquarium 47W X 29D X 40cm H (black)


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

the plants look like Rotala macrandra.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

Here is a photo of the tank and plants.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

Or you can check the page here my tank is at the bottom of the page it is a better clear picture http://www.bettafish.com/101-betta-...ase-post-pics-your-bettas-home-here-1302.html


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Thanks for replying! 

Rotala leaves are typically much smaller in most species. What you have looks to be a Ludwigia species, it's very similar and easy to care for thankfully. The potted ones are Microsword, a carpet plant that appreciates light and some root tabs. I would stick with the Flourish Comprehensive and Potassium if you are going to do anything at the least  You may get more algae with this use, you can alter the dosages just a bit to find the perfect balance for your tank. For example, if you find that you're getting too much algae, cut back a bit on the fertilizers and manually remove the algae until it's no longer growing as quick. Different algae's mean different levels are off in the aquarium so we can help you with that if some start to show up.

Here are a few things I suggest. You don't have to do any of them and I do look for the cheapest but worth-while options for you! ^_^

Finnex Stingray LED 20": this bad boy is the best bang for your buck for a low light tank. It will give you more than enough light to grow your easy plants but it won't give too much to cause huge algae blooms! 20" to fit the 10 gallon tank. As I mentioned before, LED lights will last you ten times longer than a CFL will but they cost a bit more on the set up. So you're paying 40 bucks for an LED to start with whereas a CFL you might spend $5, but you have to respend that $5 every 6 months as you replace them. Some may still like CFL's and I'll link you some options for that later, but the Stingray is the best option for you.

Now, with an LED fixture, that means you'll need a new hood because they are not compatible with stock hoods. I use VersaTops for my tanks. The good thing about it is that it holds in moisture much more than regular hoods to so there's less evaporation in your tank and it keeps the humidity inside which is good for air breathers like Betta's. For a betta, if the water is warm but the air is cool, they can actually get a cold! Here's the link for the VersaTop, 20" for your 10 gallon tank: 20" VersaTop Glass Canopy
You can also make the top into a sliding top if you don't like the black strip on it. You can PM me if you're interested in the DIY instructions for that! all mine are made into sliding tops which is very convenient.

There are a variety of root tabs which are essentially dried and packed fertilizer tablets that you stick into your aquarium at various points to help feed your plants. Your microsword will be much happier if you use one of these. I'm showing you the Flourish Root Tabs, however there are some made my API or you can go on ebay or something to get Osmocote tabs for the aquarium which are the best to get. You can get whichever ones you like. I actually use Jobe plant sticks from Wal-Mart in the garden section. One stick is broken into three parts and stuck into the gravel to feed my plants about 3 months long.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So the other option is to get a regular hood like this one: 20" Economy Black Hood and use a Daylight Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) in it instead, or two. I get mini 13Watt CFL's from Wal-Mart in the regular light bulb section. You'll want the ones that say Daylight on it and on the back they have a little Kelvin scale which tells you the light color. It should be at least 6,500K. A 5,000K light is okay too and will do well for your easy plants but it's the equivalent to a cloudy day in terms of brightness. You can start off with that one if you like.

These are the bulbs I get: 13W Daylight Mini Spiral CFL they're actually cheaper in store. I get a pack of 3 for 2.88 at my store; stores do vary in prices of course. But make sure it's the blue packaged box and not the orange or the white, those are much lower Kelvin rating which is no good for growing plants.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

Thank you for your time to reply to me lilnaugrim, at the moment i have a 7W LED lighting with the tank, is that good enough for the plants? And i am using Flourish Comprehensive and Flourish Iron, i am going to get potassium tomorrow, will i need to use Flourish Excel? i also have carbon filtration in the tank, Would i need to use the root tabs you mentioned or can i get away with using the flourish liquid.


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Stock LED's like you have, don't do much for plants at all. It's the very bare minimum and honestly, half the time they're worse than a simple incandescent bulb. If you've got the time and money, I would upgrade it if you want some nicer looking plants 

Excel is an algalcide, not a real CO2 replacement. That said, you can certainly use it if you want to, it won't hurt anything if you get the new lights. At the moment, your plants may not be able to photosynthesis correctly with such poor lighting and all the extra ferts may cause an algae bloom if you aren't careful. Excel should douse any algae but it's better used if you have the correct lighting.

Plants feed in two ways: from their roots and from their leaves.

There are three types of plant feeders: Root feeders, Water Column feeders, and floaters. I put floaters in their own category just simply because they take solely from the water column whereas the other two types do take both ways to feed but rely more on one way than another.

Root feeders take mostly from their roots, these types of plants include: carpet plants, sword plants, cryptocoryne plants, and vallisneria plants. Note that your microsword is both a carpet plant and a sword which means it adores taking nutrients up from its roots. Swords are heavy root feeders and prefer a tank with a soiled bottom or simply to use root tabs under the plants. They do still use some liquid ferts but root tabs are the best.

Water Column feeders take nutrients in from the water through their leaves. They include: Stem plants, and mosses. Note that your Ludwigia is a stem plant as is Rotala, Hygrophila (Water Wisteria), Cabomba, Ambulia and more. These plants do use their roots to feed as well but they primarily take from the water itself and thus liquid fertilizers are best suited for them. 

Since you have one type of each, I would recommend using the root tabs as well. You don't have to place them all over the tank like the instructions say but if you get API, you can break the tablet in half and put them around your microswords where you want them to spread out and they'll grow towards the tabs. One tab for each pot would do. You can also break them in half and place them near your Ludwigia as well and they'll really enjoy that 

So in total, Liquid ferts are great but each plant has a different need. To really make them flourish, you want to feed them the best way that they'll take it  Liquid ferts are good for all plants and you can get away with it for now but in the end, it will be easier just to stick the tab in there and forget about it. Most tabs feed up to 3 months so you only have to replace them four times a year ^_^


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

Talking about a algae bloom, it does look greenish but not green water, you recommend a water change now? i got no fish in there i was just cycling my tank but for a betta im going to go with a fish in cycle, and will i need a whole new top base for my tank if i change the LED, can the top sit over the new lights like the ones you showed me?


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

That's why I recommended the glass canopy and the LED light. You don't need a whole new top, just the lid and the light. It would sit like this:









The top is too low for the new lights and so no, it is not compatible.

Ah, I didn't realize you were cycling your tank. What are you using for an ammonia source? And do you know about the Silent Cycle?


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

I am not using any ammonia source i was using stability by seachem thats all, so i'll be doing the fish in cycle, i haven't heard much of the silent cycle, is that when it pretty much cycles straight away?


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Ah, yeah, Stability doesn't actually cycle your tank but helps it along when you have the fish so if you're using it now then it's not doing anything at all.

The Silent Cycle is the best method IMHO, it's done with live plants. The plants you have brought in good bacteria from the store and helps to seed your bacteria colony. The bacteria grow slower and it takes about 3 months fully for the cycle to establish versus the normal 1 month, however, if your plants are growing then you shouldn't see any ammonia or nitrite anyway! So it's essentially like the cycle forms instantly. Your plants do need to be growing in order for it to work but it's the safest method for your fish, especially if you're only getting a Betta or a few fish. Fish-Less cycling with pure ammonia is great for larger tanks that will be stocked with more fish as the cycle can handle the larger bioload immediately. If you do a big Fish-Less cycling for a single fish, you might end up with too much good bacteria and it dies off because there isn't enough food (ammonia) to feed them all.

So to answer your green water question, at the moment you can absolutely do a water change. It may or may not help but it's worth it regardless.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

Thank you lilnaurim for your help it means alot, i am gonig to go to the store today where i got my plants from and get the name of the plant that i have, i will also see what what led lights they have for my tank.

I just did a 20% water change and it looks better already, the plants do seem like they have been growing even with the lighting i have, i can also see some new leafs coming out.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

SO i went to the store and the plants i have are "Green Hygro" , and as for the LED lights they told me to bring in my Tank lid to have a look at it, i forgot to mention, my also has the carbon filter/sponge built in.


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Alright, I did wonder that but the leaves looked too small to me. There is Hygrophila Corymbosa 'Compacta' (your plant) and a Giant version which I had in my 45, you most certainly don't have that one lol. But the Compacta generally should have smaller spaces between each leaf node if the lighting is proper. Your plants will grow under those lights but they will be leggy (more stem than leaf) and may brown at the bottoms because they don't get enough light. It's up to you if you want to keep it, but if you want better plant growth then you'll need to do some upgrading is all.

And that's fine for your filter, that isn't pertinent to what we're talking about


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

Could they be dwarf hygro too? i will see how i go for a month or so with the fish in there, if they start dying i will replace them with low light plants, i just cant really spend much at the moment and i spent alot on my old tank and i dont even use that tank anymore.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

And where my tank is near the kitchen area, there is normal light coming in from outside (no bright light) could that be a advantage to the plants? they do seem to me like they are growing even if ive only had them for 2 weeks , also from the photo you posted that had white spots on the leaves, i think i might have some of that on a few leaves, what would fix that,


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

H. Corymbosa 'Compacta' IS the dwarf hygro lol.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

Yeah they go okay on low lighting no? LOL the only thing thats im concerned at the moment is the white spots, maybe needs some nutrients?


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

They will be okay but as I mentioned, they get leggy; more stem than there will be leaves. If you don't mind that then that's fine. But yes, you can add the Potassium to see if it helps them out, wait a few weeks and if it doesn't help then we can try something else possibly. A lot of aquarium keeping is about balance and trying different things to see what works best.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

Okay i will, how would yo about trimming the leaves, do i just take the whole plant out and then bury in the substrate again?


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Don't trim leaves but just cut stem. Take top stem and bury it in substrate again to propagate. The old stem will now grow two new stems from the top.


----------



## Wildsho (Jan 24, 2016)

okay thank you


----------

