# Pond Snail Bioload Calculation



## bluenail (Jul 23, 2014)

So I had my planned stocking all figured out, knowing exactly what I wanted to have in my tank, and was confident of my bioload, when I noticed a flaw in my plans. 

I had calculated only what I intended to put in my tank, and that, it seems, is not the same as what will actually be in my tank. 

Do I need to adjust my bioload planning to account for these uninvited guests, or are they inconsequential enough that I should just count them en mass, as one small fish? (Like I do for my ghost shrimp.)


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yeah, they don't poop that much unless the population becomes so large, but if you don't overfeed the tank then it won't be anything to worry about. Do you mean Bladder snails? Those are the common pest ones and are very different from Pond Snails


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## bluenail (Jul 23, 2014)

It is, indeed, a Bladder snail, I stand corrected.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Okay, I'm not sure of exactly what their bioload, it's somewhere larger than shrimp but less than a Ramshorn or Mystery snail. I've never noticed a huge difference in my tanks because the bacteria are always compensating so as long as your tank will be cycled or is, then it will gradually compensate for the snails as they grow/reproduce. But I wouldn't count them spacial-wise since they don't take up a lot of "water" space if you get what I mean?


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## bluenail (Jul 23, 2014)

I do get what you mean, and I think I'll be fine with my eventual stocking. I'm currently sporting an invertabrate tank, and it seems that I've just increased my invert population significantly. My current population is a mystery snail, 6 ghost shrimp, and I've counted 7 bladder snails. Once the tank matures I plan on adding 3 otos and then 5 small corys and finally a betta. (PROBABLY a female crowntail, but I've not decided for sure, I do know I want either a placket or a female, or both in one as I actually want something with smaller fins and more movement)

I consider that to be a fairly heavy stocking, but quite doable in my 10 gallon. However it was enough of an edge case that I was worried about the snails driving it over the top. 

My tank is moderately planted (from the top about 35% green) and I will continue planting clippings until it is heavily planted. I'm currently running a 10 gallon rated sponge filter and a 10 gallon rated box filter.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Do you mean a split tank or literally housing two together or a female PK? Just want to make sure I'm reading this right lol

You should be fine though, you can create snail traps too to remove the bladder snails when the population becomes too much, or pick them out yourself and give them to someone who has a puffer or euthanize them.


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## bluenail (Jul 23, 2014)

Sorry, I mean female PK for "both"


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Ah okay! lol, sorry, just wanted to make sure is all!


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

There is a site called aqadvisor.com, it helps with determining stock list for tanks based on tank size and filtration, lets you know general temp, ph, and how full your tank is + how much water changes you should do, it even will warn you about species incompatibility.. unfortunately there is no way to calculate in planted tanks which absorb nitrates, but it includes pond snails in its selectable stocking list. Pond snaisl don't make up much of a bioload but they do make a lot of poo (as all snails do) and in large #s it adds up, but it takes many many pond snails to get to betta fish bioload size.


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## bluenail (Jul 23, 2014)

I know aquadvisor, but I also know it messes up with some invertabrates, including ghost shrimp. Also, it doesn't list bladder snails.


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