# Why does everyone hate snails?



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Just wondering why everyone is so paranoid of snails coming on plants etc 
I was looking through my tank for some snails to seed my new tank, and was dissappointed to find that I either didn't have enough, or that they were too tiny to catch. I've had their mommies and daddies for 6 months or so now... and they've been growing very slowly, especially since I only feed the betta

I love them especially in planted tanks because they eat part of the plants that are dying and helps greatly with the process of breaking things down, instead of leaving it to some nasty bacteria/fungi.

plus the babies are just too cute!

so why do you love / hate snails coming on your plants?


----------



## BettaQi (Jul 26, 2012)

It's bc I tend to overfeed and get snail explosion.

It's me not them.


----------



## Kitty Whiskers (Sep 28, 2009)

I love snails


----------



## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Small tank and they create a HUGE bioload. Plus my tank is not snail proof and I don't want them crawling in my bedroom, gross.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

XDclimbing all over the bedroom? XD 
scary! I think the only snail that comes out of the tank is a nerite 
Would you mind snails if you had plants to soak up the bioload?


----------



## Destinystar (May 26, 2012)

I am just afraid with the pond snails that there would to way to many, but there are a few in Perseus`s tank that came off some plants and when they do pop up he eats them unless I can get to them first and put them in with my others that I keep in their little tank and wow do these guys lay alot of eggs..wow and they poop bunches that I have clean out with my turkey blaster..lol But yeah they are cute I really like them !


----------



## RedRaz (Sep 12, 2012)

@ Perseusmom I need to get a turkey baster for that exact reason! lol! Not for turkey since I am a vegetarian.  

I LOVE SNAILS!  They are super cute the way they move around and how when they are on the tank wall you can see their mouth. *giggle* It makes me smile. I agree though that too many snails in a smaller tank is no good. So it is tricky. I love them but I don't want 30 in my 2.5 gal tank! :shock: BTW my Nerite snail is named Thor! The reason is he is almost impossible to get off the tank wall. Strong little guy!


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

lolol
that reminds me of when I had a nerite snail and reallyshallow sand substrate. he'd latch himself onto the glass down the bottom and I could never pull him off!

And I have 30+ snails in my 2.5 XD really tiny though. my water params are just perfect in a way that they die when they get to a certain size and the life cycle begins again


----------



## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

If I had a HUGE planted tank I would like to have some assassin snails Altier (sp?) and Estazio. > they are my favorite snails and would keep pound snail populations down. Either that or one apple snail or pretty mystery snail.


----------



## RedRaz (Sep 12, 2012)

@aokashi Wow! I wanna see pic of your tank! I'm intrigued.  Roughly how long does a snail live?


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

RedRaz said:


> @aokashi Wow! I wanna see pic of your tank! I'm intrigued.  Roughly how long does a snail live?


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y2...5A60B21-3186-000003F62CE1D391_zps7c7835e5.jpg

lol
they can live quite long if they're fed well and have enough calcium for their shells + hard water XD


----------



## RedRaz (Sep 12, 2012)

aokashi said:


> http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y2...5A60B21-3186-000003F62CE1D391_zps7c7835e5.jpg
> 
> lol
> they can live quite long if they're fed well and have enough calcium for their shells + hard water XD


Wow! Your tank is beautiful! That is your 2.5 gal tank? Wow it looks so much bigger then mine, lol.  Oh okay that is good to know. I want my Nerite to live a long time. ;-)


----------



## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

I love my nerites and would love to try and breed them.


----------



## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

When I first started keeping tanks about 37 years ago, I hated snails that came with my plants. Then I learned how useful they are, now I love it when I get new snails from plants, or bought on purpose.


----------



## RedRaz (Sep 12, 2012)

registereduser said:


> I love my nerites and would love to try and breed them.


That would be awesome! I would so buy one from you. ;-) Is it hard to breed Nerite snails?


----------



## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

RedRaz said:


> That would be awesome! I would so buy one from you. ;-) Is it hard to breed Nerite snails?


I will need to get the eggs into brackish water as soon as I see them. I tried it before but since I didn't realize what they were at first it was weeks before I got them into brackish water :roll:

I wouldn't sell them but you'd have to send postage, that's all.:-D

or I might trade for some plants


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Nerites are a little harder to breed XD they do need brackish water as states above. they are also not hermaphrodites so there needs to be a female/male pair 

babies also nee to be fed algae etc


----------



## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

i love snails but im guarded against hermaphrodite species. i stick with nerite snails and any that need brackish to lay eggs. the Nerite is still rather messy but he's effective in tank cleaning.


----------



## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

aokashi said:


> Nerites are a little harder to breed XD they do need brackish water as states above. they are also not hermaphrodites so there needs to be a female/male pair
> 
> babies also nee to be fed algae etc


one of my 3 comitted suicide so I hope the remaining 2 are opposite sexes


----------



## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

I Dont have snails because i fear the over-breeding factor. Plus as of 2 years before i dont think they would have survived my cynodontis.


----------



## RedRaz (Sep 12, 2012)

Would it be okay to ask a snail question here? I think something is wrong with my snail.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

sure...


----------



## RedRaz (Sep 12, 2012)

I thought I would ask first.  Well I noticed my nerite snail has a worn spot on the top of his shell. Can this mean he isn't getting enough calcium? I am feeding him those Algae wafers. Not sure if he is eating them though.


----------



## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

I really do like pond snails but they tended to reproduce really quickly in my tanks even when I was strict about water changes and made sure not to overfeed. They're a strain on the bioload and it was just kind of stressful. :[
I named my biggest one Larry when I had my 2.5 gallon jar. he was cool and fun and he lasted a really long time.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

RedRaz said:


> I thought I would ask first.  Well I noticed my nerite snail has a worn spot on the top of his shell. Can this mean he isn't getting enough calcium? I am feeding him those Algae wafers. Not sure if he is eating them though.



to provide some calcium, there is a product called calciumclay... usually for shrimps. Also works for snails..
What is the PH of your water? you can also clean some cuttle bones (boil it or something) and put a small piece in the tank.
My nerites never touched thise algae wafers.. you can try a blanched spinach or some other veggies. make sure to take them out after 24 hours.


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

I have a question as well... Can I put a nerite snail in a 3.5 gallon with Lebron? It's cycled but the bioload... I don't want an ammonia spike. :\


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

LebronTheBetta said:


> I have a question as well... Can I put a nerite snail in a 3.5 gallon with Lebron? It's cycled but the bioload... I don't want an ammonia spike. :\


Nerite snails have a relatively small bioload...despite their size. They're not at all eat and poop XD

I would say it's ok, especially if you have a plant in there...
but test the water every few days just to make sure the params are on track. O wouldn't put any other snails in there though 
you can get theme fairly small at petco


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

My two nerites are eat and poop! Milly made it to the divider and is cleaning the algae but pooping all over it. I'm doing a major scrub of the tank tonight. 
Question, I keep my pond snails quarentined in a butter container. If I dropped in like 2 pond snails and then my assassins (who don't eat snails anyway and it drives me crazy) ... My question is... Should I do that? 
I feel bad that my pond snails are in a dark tub. I don't overfeed my bettas but with all the algae and mess I'm seriously considering them. I just don't want their egg sacs on everything. I hate their egg sacs.


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

OK, thank you!! But he ate 4 ghost shrimps under 2 weeks... Does the snail have a smaller chance of survival than the shrimp? I need a link to there care.. Lol.


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Snails are pretty safe if they're big. Pond snails and even ramshorns can be picked on for their size. And once a hungry betta can get their meat they can eat them (I lost many snails to my hungry hippos) but nerites are completely safe since they have like all shell and nothing sticking out (their eyes just barely) and as long as they have strong shells they're good. My bettas ignored the nerites, just kind of looked at them. They move slowly enough that the bettas don't want to chase them. But my assassins and ponds were picked on by bettas. (Milton wasn't until I switched him to Lude's side)


----------



## RedRaz (Sep 12, 2012)

aokashi said:


> to provide some calcium, there is a product called calciumclay... usually for shrimps. Also works for snails..
> What is the PH of your water? you can also clean some cuttle bones (boil it or something) and put a small piece in the tank.
> My nerites never touched thise algae wafers.. you can try a blanched spinach or some other veggies. make sure to take them out after 24 hours.


I will look into that. Sorry I had to test really quick. My PH is 7.2. So the cuttle bone and veggies will be okay with my betta? I wish I could return these wafers, lol!


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Do they eat Diatoms? I'm sorry for the questions and stupidness. I don't really like snails but I want to.


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

What are diatoms?


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Brown Algae. I also have some black and green algae as well. All that algae is on my main decoration so it looks natural but I find it ugly.


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/snail/nerite.php


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Thank you for the link.  I'll go look...


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Actually I was hasty and posted that before reading that it doesn't specify WHAT kinds of algae. Only that it is the majority of their diet. 

Off topic.. How many snails could my 5 gallon support?? I ask in terms of ponds, assassins and nerites?


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

LebronTheBetta said:


> Brown Algae. I also have some black and green algae as well. All that algae is on my main decoration so it looks natural but I find it ugly.


the zebra nerites eat almost all algae( including diatoms)
however if its a place (like a thin plan) that is too weak to hold their weight, they won't be able to get to the algae.
They do not eat bga... mine didn't eat bba either XD


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

@ Laki - hmm.. I would say one XD although the non nerites usually carry fertilized eggs for a while... so you might end up with a bit more than that soon...

and to add to LTB's algae thing... any algae on hard surfaces and decor would probably be cleaned by a nerite within 48 hours


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Nah, it's not weak. It should be fine. I'll get algae wafers as well...


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Milly is a fast eater on Ludendorff's side.. Gammon is a slowpoke though.


----------



## babystarz (Aug 3, 2012)

I love snails! As long as they're not pond snails XD


----------



## homegrown terror (Aug 6, 2012)

the only snail i like is my assassin snail Beowulf, because he eats the damn pond snails that infest our community tank. it's fun to watch him hunting them, creeping up on the glass behind them and then pouncing them in slow motion.

pond snails are really annoying, but a few weeks ago they gave us a good "early warning" message. when the frog-food fiasco happened, the first sign of a problem we saw was all the pond snails congregating above the water line, and figured there must be something wrong with the water if they all collectively ran away from it. luckily we got it taken care of before any of the inhabitants we WANT in there were hurt.


----------



## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

That's another benefit to the ponds.


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I often use ramshorns to test the waters... they're less active if water quality is bad.


----------



## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

LebronTheBetta said:


> Brown Algae.


Oh, I didn't realize diatoms were algae. I remember we used to use diatomaceous earth to filter our pool. The diatomaceous earth is like a super fine sand made up of fossilized remains of diatoms, so I always pictured diatoms being kind of like tiny brine shrimp or something like that. Interesting. Even more interesting that we were using fossilized algae to filter algae out of our pool. haha.


----------



## RedRaz (Sep 12, 2012)

OrangeAugust said:


> Oh, I didn't realize diatoms were algae. I remember we used to use diatomaceous earth to filter our pool. The diatomaceous earth is like a super fine sand made up of fossilized remains of diatoms, so I always pictured diatoms being kind of like tiny brine shrimp or something like that. Interesting. Even more interesting that we were using fossilized algae to filter algae out of our pool. haha.


That just blew my mind! How very interesting! Now I will have to look into this a bit further. I am a science geek and proud of it! :lol:


----------



## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

So I'm going to Petsmart in an hour. xD I might get a nerite and my QT tank is the cup Lebron came in. Advice? I'll get algae wafers and hopefully Lebron won't eat them.


----------



## toad (Jul 17, 2012)

I have a pond snail  I love her, I think she's adorable. Her, and her 5 thousand babies :-D


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I loves my snailies but they are live bearing and even then, the babies are about the size of a pea.


----------



## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

Not many people know this, but water snails have secret powers of teleportation. That's how they appear everywhere, including in quarantined, snail-free tanks. They _teleport_. :-D

I adore all my snails and don't mind having them in the least. I am actually thinking about having a snail-only tank for the next lot of blond snails I get in..

I have ramshorns (the babies are so adorable), ponds, Waterhouse snails (native Aussie trapdoor type), Malaysian trumpets and -- I think - I have an assassin snail or two as well. I don't mind having a bajillion, as I keep up frequent water changes to cope with the bioload. 

My first shipment of adult blond snails died, I think it was the soft water they were in -- but I found baby ones in a completely different tank, one I am sure the adult snails were never in. They are definitely teleporting!


----------



## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

oh for the inverts, I always throw a few shells in to harden the water a bit. not the best if you want a betta with perfect fins, but it will be loved by your snails and shrimps.


----------



## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

Aus said:


> Not many people know this, but water snails have secret powers of teleportation. That's how they appear everywhere, including in quarantined, snail-free tanks. They _teleport_. :-D
> 
> I adore all my snails and don't mind having them in the least. I am actually thinking about having a snail-only tank for the next lot of blond snails I get in..
> 
> ...


I am wondering this, if you keep assassins, say two of them, with the other fast breeding types will the population stay stable?


----------



## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

I don't really see the appeal of snails. I don't hate them, but I don't really like them either. If there's a few in my tank then I'll leave them be...it's when they cover every surface that we have a problem. It just looks bad imo and they smell kinda funky.

Although oddly enough, I think land snails are adorable lol


----------



## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

Jupiter said:


> Although oddly enough, I think land snails are adorable lol


I am responsible for the massacre of about a hundred land snails when i was a kiddo (bellow ten), i liked them too much and kept collecting them in a bottle. Then because I collected them from the beach i though they were water snails and i put water in the bottle....

Thankfully the next day many were out of the bottle alive.


----------

