# Stowaways from Petsmart



## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I read all about stowaways from Petsmart on plants and tonight I picked up a few plants from their tanks. We went through and removed all the snails that we could see/find before placing them in a bag to bring home.

I placed the plants in a large glass bowl filled with water to check them out and make sure they are clean. So I emptied the remaining water from the bag into a glass bowl and found about 5-7 snails. I read they are great to have, but not knowing what kind kinda worries me.

Should I let them go live with my betta in his new 4 gallon or put them in a separate tank? I read they can breed like crazy but also they can benefit the tank cycle. I am confused :-?


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## Fishybitty (Dec 29, 2012)

A lady at Petsmart told me, you don't want those snails because they will infest your tank. 


I'm not exactly sure what kind they are, or even if that is right. I just thought I'd share.


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## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

Pond snails are pests. I wouldn't put them in your tank. I'm guessing that's what you have.. pics?

They are dirty and add a lot of ammonia source.. but that's the only way they effect your cycle.


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## lexylex0526 (Dec 27, 2011)

Personally, I would remove the snails because they are known to overpopulate pretty fast.And in a 4 gallon that could get pretty hectic. But on the pro side for having snails,They're great algae eaters and scavengers, and provide something a little different from fish. Many aquarists rightfully enjoy keeping snails in the home aquarium.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

If you want to keep them put them in another tank, they breed quickly BUT if you keep the food sources limited they won't have a population explosion so that is the good news. I am currently raising my baby snails that were on my plants. One is going into my 10 gallon and the rest are going to people with larger tanks who wants snails. Some may even be going to tanks with assassin snails as a breeding population and food source for them.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

Sometimes bettas will hunt them. I used to have a male that would grab them and I would hear this "tap-tap" noise as he smacked them against the side of the glass to get them out of the shell to eat.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I am at work and can't upload pics until later this evening. I have heard/read mixed reviews so I wanted to be sure before making a possible mistake.

After my post last night I found two more snails and possibly an egg sac on my mondo grass. So I just broke the leaf off and threw it away and put the snails with the others.

The plants are still sitting in the bowl of water just in case some other snails decide to come out. Besides running them under the tap is there any thing I can add to the bowl of water that will help get rid of the snails without killing the plants?


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Just found this from another aquarium site and thought I would pass it along

*Alum* – Prepare soak using one gallon of water and two tablespoon of alum. Soak plants for two to three days, then rinse well before planting in tank.
*Bleach* – Prepare soaking solution using one gallon of water and a cup and a half of bleach. Soak plants for five minutes, then soak for another five minutes in plain water with a de-chlorinating agent, and rinse well. Be aware that fragile plants may be damaged by bleach solutions. However, bleach is the most effective way to kill snails and eggs.
*Potassium Permanganate* – Prepare soaking solution using one gallon of water and a half tablespoon of potassium permanganate. Soak for fifteen minutes, then rinse well before planting in tank.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Snails are a wonderful additive to any planted tank. I introduced a small handful to my 2.5 gallon. They do not overproduce unless you are overfeeding the tank.

This hobby is always changing. Snails are bad is the old style of thinking. Everyone I know on TFK wants them.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

i got one last week from a petco plant. i put him in with pinky, my female crowntail. pinky doesn't like visitors. she ate him in less than 5 minutes. maybe i won't put that nerite i have in the qt tank in with her.


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## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

I have never gotten hitchhikers from Petsmart but did get one from a private plant sale, it was a trumpet snail which I added to my 46g. I don't want pond snails so those I would definitely get rid of but I do like other snails. I currently have Mystery Snails (1 in each of my 5 tanks) & recently added Nerite Snails to each tank.


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## Hollthulhu (Jan 19, 2013)

I looove snails! Interesting fact a reader may not know, is all snails are hermaphrodites.. so if you got two, there is potential for babies! 

I hope to put a snail or two with my betta.. but I am thinking it'd be wise to put in some adult (larger) snails to minimize risk of my betta wanting to eat them?


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Hmmm, i may put one in the QT and see if Glory II wants a snack. They are no bigger than a betta pellet.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Hollthulhu said:


> I looove snails! Interesting fact a reader may not know, is all snails are hermaphrodites.. so if you got two, there is potential for babies!


Even more interesting fact, not all snails are hermaphrodites actually. Apple snails and also know as mystery snails DO have separate genders which is why so many people love them. They don't reproduce as fast as other snails and if you have a group of males or females you will NEVER have baby snails. HOWEVER...this makes it a challenge for people like me who want to breed these snails. It's hard work ordering in a shipment for breeding when I could get landed with all females or all males on accident and am no closer to my breeding goal. Happened to me at petco, i was going to buy a female mystery snail for my male I have and the lady told me she can't guarantee females as they don't ever gender their snails. 

In apple snails it also seems the females grow a little bigger than than males, the theory being she needs to room to produce her eggs. They also do something very interesting, they lay their eggs OUTSIDE of water in one clutch. Apple snails are truly a marvel in the snail world and honestly compared to other snails they are a highly advanced breed. They even seem more active and smarter than other snails, at least what I have seen. Their only downfall is they can get very large and produce a lot of byproduct but as far as snails go they are the top of my list and my boy Nikola Tesla never fails to amaze me....now only if I can get him a girlfriend and breed. :/


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## NapoleonUWS (Apr 23, 2012)

Question - 
How do you get rid of your extra snails? Find them homes? take them back to bet stores?


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

You can take them to the store, find them new homes, or get assassin snails that will hunt and kill them. However if you have snails that have trouble breeding in your tank they may kill off the whole population of them.


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## Hollthulhu (Jan 19, 2013)

LadyVictorian said:


> Even more interesting fact, not all snails are hermaphrodites actually. Apple snails and also know as mystery snails DO have separate genders which is why so many people love them. They don't reproduce as fast as other snails and if you have a group of males or females you will NEVER have baby snails. HOWEVER...this makes it a challenge for people like me who want to breed these snails. It's hard work ordering in a shipment for breeding when I could get landed with all females or all males on accident and am no closer to my breeding goal. Happened to me at petco, i was going to buy a female mystery snail for my male I have and the lady told me she can't guarantee females as they don't ever gender their snails.
> 
> In apple snails it also seems the females grow a little bigger than than males, the theory being she needs to room to produce her eggs. They also do something very interesting, they lay their eggs OUTSIDE of water in one clutch. Apple snails are truly a marvel in the snail world and honestly compared to other snails they are a highly advanced breed. They even seem more active and smarter than other snails, at least what I have seen. Their only downfall is they can get very large and produce a lot of byproduct but as far as snails go they are the top of my list and my boy Nikola Tesla never fails to amaze me....now only if I can get him a girlfriend and breed. :/


Wow, really? Are they the only ones that aren't hermaphroditic? That's the first I've heard of it but that's really cool to know! I'm so going to look them up now.. I'm trying to decide on a good first-time aquarium snail to get anyways.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

Just as an fyi, the Mondo grass is not an aquatic plant. It will probably start rotting in a few days/weeks if left submersed.


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## 319 (Jan 19, 2013)

I recently got an apple snail from the pet store here. He's cool and surprisingly fast, as I thought snails were slow. He's great and my betta loves to watch him or follow him around the tank from time to time and doesn't try to eat him like I was afraid might happen.


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## Hollthulhu (Jan 19, 2013)

Are Apple Snails the same as the ones called Golden Snails at most pet stores I've seen? They look almost identical..


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## 319 (Jan 19, 2013)

I read they can be called golden snails or mystery snails and come in a variety of colors. This is the one I got.


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## 319 (Jan 19, 2013)

I grabbed the wrong pic. I had to send the other to prove to my boyfriend that Turbo was NOT going to reproduce by himself. Haha


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## Hollthulhu (Jan 19, 2013)

Oh awesome! Yeah that is the ones from the pet store I saw, and they had 3 colors.. golden, blue and black!! Now I'm double excited to get them.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Kytkattin said:


> Just as an fyi, the Mondo grass is not an aquatic plant. It will probably start rotting in a few days/weeks if left submersed.


 
well....crud. I will check my reciept and the bag and make sure that is what they sold me. If I post a pic later can you confirm that is what I purchased? if so then I will gladly take it back.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

after google and even petsmart own site I am going to take the mondo grass back tomorrow and pick up the water wisteria instead. Thanks everyone for catching that before it got bad.

the more I think about the more I may put in a snail or two just for fun.


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## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

<3 Mystery snails. So much fun to watch.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

well, I placed a snail in the QT and Glory II thought it was food and ate it right away. it was no bigger than his pellets so I guess he was hungry I have been watching for an hour and he seems fine. I will see how he is in the morning.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

> Wow, really? Are they the only ones that aren't hermaphroditic? That's the first I've heard of it but that's really cool to know!


Nope - Japanese Trapdoor snails are either male or female AND are live bearing snails - the female will give birth to one live snail for about 2 weeks straight. You can easily tell the gender because one has two long antenna and the other has one short and one long. I forgoet which is which but I thin the male has the long and short antenea. They are not normally sold in petsmart/petco but some online sellers have them. I took mine from a lake this summer. 

On the right is the apple snail, big moss ball on the left - adult trapdoor snail. 
NOTE: Fish on the right is not dead. Some people asked in the past if she was. and the green one turned into a male.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Here are the hitchhikers



















Here is a picture of the mondo grass that is going back


















I think I have enough plants for now anyway.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Hollthulhu said:


> Oh awesome! Yeah that is the ones from the pet store I saw, and they had 3 colors.. golden, blue and black!! Now I'm double excited to get them.


Do it get one, I am SOOO happy with my boy omg he is so funny. He will climb to teh top of the tank and I always think he's going to do something important by how fast he moves but then he lets go of the glass and floats down to the other side of the tank xD. Not only does it once but today he did it FIVE times in a row. I just laughed so hard, they are such goofs. I'm certainly setting up two big tanks someday when I get into breeding, the girls tank and the boys tank just for snails.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

This is a pond snail









your hitchikers are ramshorn snails...I think. They come in different colors. It looks like they may have the ramshorn shape..?











> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Hollthulhu*
> _Oh awesome! Yeah that is the ones from the pet store I saw, and they had 3 colors.. golden, blue and black!! Now I'm double excited to get them._


They also come in magenta and purple.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

RAMSHORNS I WANT THEM NOWS!!!!

And mysteries also come in jade, ivory and I think a red shade as well.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

OK, so ramshorn snails are better to have than pond snails or is it all about the same. There is one snail that does not look like the others but it's too small to tell. I will find a magnifying glass and see if I can figure out his shape.


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

InfiniteGlory said:


> After my post last night I found two more snails and possibly an egg sac on my mondo grass.



FYI, Mondo Grass isn't aquatic. I made the same mistake once and wondered why it melted in my tank.


EDIT: Oops, someone beat me to it.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Ramshorns can breed like pond snails just most people prefer them because of their color and shell shape. They are very cool looking snails and if you can keep their population down are great for plants. I wish my snails I had gotten were ramshorn snails. I got garden variety pond snails. Still love Sherlock though, he's so cute and likes to surf my duckweed.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

every morning and every night I have to help my snails. once they reach the surface and float the filter just swirls them around the tank like an amusement ride. They never get close enough to the side to go back down nor are they able to break the surface tension of the water.

this morning i found a 6th snail on my moneywort. It was about the size of a head of a pin. everytime i look at my tank I play find the 6 tiny snails in the forest of giant plants. kind of relaxing too


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

Nerites are also male OR female. At least the species I have is (horned or thorn nerite)

Those are definitely little ramshorns. Someone told me recently that their rams were as bad as our ponds had been. However, my rams are slow breeders, I don't have a population issue.

Luckily for you that they hitched a ride, for some reason, they cost a little more to buy than ponds. I've seen the generic ones for 50 cents a snail. I bought mine for 8 cents each, because our local fish store is derped, and doesn't know the difference between a ram or a pond, even if I explain it in small words. lol


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

No place around me even SELLS snails other than mystery snails. All other snails are hitchhickers. And all the hitchhickers are pond snails.


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

LadyVictorian said:


> No place around me even SELLS snails other than mystery snails. All other snails are hitchhickers. And all the hitchhickers are pond snails.


if the usps wasn't making me want to beat them with a stick, I'd send you a pair of rams to start you off. But I'm not trusting it with anything perishable at the moment.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Good idea, it's also colder than Antarctica here right now. I would hate for little snails to freeze to death on the ride over.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

LadyVictorian said:


> RAMSHORNS I WANT THEM NOWS!!!!
> 
> And mysteries also come in jade, ivory and I think a red shade as well.


If my population grows some I might be able to send you a few to start your own


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## Skyewillow (Dec 28, 2012)

LadyV, we sent a package to Syriiven on the tenth, and we just found out last night that the darn thing hasn't even left our post office yet. All of the plants are probably dead by now. I'm so mad!


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## shawnee (Jan 23, 2013)

this is why no one likes petsmart


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I didn't say anything about not liking them. I knew there was potential for snail population in my tank after purchasing the plants. Some of the people may not be knowledgeable but they can be helpful sometimes and I mean that loosely. 

I have found at least two employees that know their stuff at least they sound like they do since I am still learning. But I can usually tell if something is off or I always come back and ask here just to make sure. So that is how I figured out the two people that know what they are talking about.


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## Bowser416 (Jan 11, 2012)

I got a stowaway Ramshorn in my java moss awhile back. I now have a ton of little ones and they completely god rid of the algae problem I had on one wall. I still haven't added a betta to the tank so I still don't know how they will get along. I wanted to get an apple snail, but am afraid it'll eat all my little ramshorns


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## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

Ramshorns are just too precious :3


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## shawnee (Jan 23, 2013)

i never trust pet smart


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