# Overpopulation of pond snails



## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

Gee, pond snails... where have we heard this before?

Anyways, my 10g betta tank got a few hitch-hiker pond snails when I bought some live plants about four months ago. I researched them right away, and knew they'd become a nuisance so I removed them. The problem is I didn't have the heart to remove them permanently.

They have their own 2.5g tank in which they obviously frolic freely if you know what I mean. Plus, I can't find all the egg sacs in the 10g so unless I take it apart completely and scrub, scrub, scrub (it's cycled, so a pain to do, and then re-cycle the tank), I'll keep finding pond snails in there.

So, about 50 pond snails and dozens of egg sacs later, we're at the point that they started to make egg sacs on each other. Quite a sight.

So what to do?

a) do what I'm doing now (they have a 2.5g tank, fed algae wafers, 100% water change once a week)
b) add an assassin snail :devil: (there's enough food supply for one, plus the weekly additions from the 10g)
c) other (whatever you guys suggest, but I don't think anyone would buy them considering their reputation)

Also, I have one ramshorn snail, which I've grown fond of. His name is French Fry, and he lives in the 2.5g. You can kind of see him on the bottom left in the photo. I really like him so I was thinking about moving him back to the betta tank. Good/bad idea?

Most of those bigger specs that make the tank look dirty are actually egg sacs, especially in the upper corners.


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## kumi (Apr 23, 2011)

After not initially being able to do it, I have starting squishing them. Believe me, I understand your lack of desire to do it, but it is more or less like squishing a bug (something else I don't do very often....). Believe me, squishing is a faster death than just about anything else you are going to come up with and as you are discovering, you gotta do something with them.

And yes, I like my ramshorn as well and he/she/it is doing fine in my tank without causing a population overload. I did once remove eggs that might have been from it, but that's all.

Kumi


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

Thanks for responding. I've found that when I'm removing the baby pond snails from the 10g, if I'm not fast enough the tetras will swim over, and snatch them right out of my hand and nom. Maybe I'll leave them as squished food for the fishies instead.

Now I'm having an even bigger concern with a hurricane coming this way. If it does come this way, it'll be here on Friday, and I'll need to evacuate probably if it becomes stronger. The snails will have to go since I'll be forced to use the 2.5g to save the 10g tank fishies (I have other pets to evacuate as well so space isn't a luxury). It's a scary thought, but French Fry (the ramshorn) will be evacuated as well.


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## RayneForhest (Apr 22, 2011)

...I'm so sad.

When I got the free snail at walmart... I was so happy. I've had it for a week or two and within the last 3 days, its laid 5 egg masses. 

(this may be a painfully dumb question, should I turn the POND snail loose in my POND?)


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## kumi (Apr 23, 2011)

RayneForhest said:


> ...I'm so sad.
> 
> When I got the free snail at walmart... I was so happy. I've had it for a week or two and within the last 3 days, its laid 5 egg masses.
> 
> (this may be a painfully dumb question, should I turn the POND snail loose in my POND?)


No, you can't do that because it could be carrying diseases that would be a major problem for the wildlife. I asked the same question on a different forum and the universal response was to not do it. I'm assuming you removed the egg masses--it's much better to put them in the trash than down a drain. 

Kumi


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## kumi (Apr 23, 2011)

Seka said:


> Thanks for responding. I've found that when I'm removing the baby pond snails from the 10g, if I'm not fast enough the tetras will swim over, and snatch them right out of my hand and nom. Maybe I'll leave them as squished food for the fishies instead.
> 
> Now I'm having an even bigger concern with a hurricane coming this way. If it does come this way, it'll be here on Friday, and I'll need to evacuate probably if it becomes stronger. The snails will have to go since I'll be forced to use the 2.5g to save the 10g tank fishies (I have other pets to evacuate as well so space isn't a luxury). It's a scary thought, but French Fry (the ramshorn) will be evacuated as well.


People do squish them and feed them to their fish. Just don't leave so many dead bodies in there that they end up fouling the tank....

As for the hurricane, EEK!!! You might ask here for suggestions for how to best evacuate with fish. What other pets are you evacuating with and where would you be headed? To a shelter or another residence?

Kumi


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## Seka (Apr 20, 2011)

Also, in some states it's illegal to release pond snails into the wild because they breed so uncontrollably. Hmm, I wonder if it's still a no if it's your own little pond in your yard. A lot of people here have those.

I have to evacuate five birds. Their cage can't even fit into our SUV so we're going to cage the smaller ones into a small cage, and the larger ones on a leash. I have no idea where we'll head, just away. Might just end up sleeping in the car away from the hurricane's path and come right back. Our area is called The Lowcountry for a reason.


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