maniac Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 (edited) so I was looking at my hospital tank which right now only houses some java fern from Riverfront and sure enough i saw something on a leaf and began wondering what else was wrong with my tanks (I've had a rough go recently....Oh well its picking up). So upon a closer look I noticed a snail crawling around on a leaf. What surprises me is i haven't noticed it before and it's shell is about half the size of one of my fingernails. I don't own any snails this is my first. Is it normal to have snail eggs on plants when you buy them? Will it harm java fern? Its sorta weird as I wasn't sure if i wanted any snails but its shell looks really neat. :eh: Edited October 22, 2006 by maniac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vapor Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Quite often when you buy plants they will have little hitch-hikers attached to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniac Posted October 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 what gets me is that i've had the plants for close to three weeks and i just noticed it today. That's about my powers of observation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williewonka Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Your going to get a lot of ppl telling you that they are beneficial to the tank and they very well might be... but, take it from someone that is still trying to get rid of them. While you have an empty tank with only plants in it, use enough bleach in the tank with the filter running to do in the snails without doing damage to the plants. Personally, if I had to choose between saving the plants and getting rid of the snails... i would let the plants go in a second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish_Frenzy Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Don't mean to steal the thread but....does anyone know how long ramshorn snails and pond snails live?? Tammy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxquo Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Ramshorns are so prolific that they are more of a parasite than a friend. Add some convict fry or a clown loach to Your tank and let them control the snails. Some suggest washing the plants in a potassium permanganate solution. I have had no luck ridding snails this way. I have had many passengers on bought plants, rainbows were one fish that I got from hornwort, as a matter of fact, if a store is keeping fish in their planted tank especially rainbows or killies, buy the plants especially hornwort or cambomba and hatch them out. A $2.00 plant can go a long way. I bought some Rotala at the Saskatoon auction and since then have gotten Sag subulata, java moss, java fern and a nice collection of riccia yet there was no riccia sold at the auction, in My books this was the best deal of the auction, the rotala is doing great too. As for snails, I have a pile. Pond snails and ramshorns. If there is no other life in Your tank, blast it with heavy CO2 during the day. This may even choke out the eggs. I found that with the heavy CO2 and picking out the larger snail that after 2 weeks now, I see nothing but shells and the plants are fine, but maybe thats just luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniac Posted October 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 how do you mean pick out the larger snail? did you keep it or kill it? sorry, I'm assuming you killed it but just for clarifications sake I'd like to make sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 I prefer Ramshorn snails to pond snails - I think it's just preference, tho. In my planted tanks, they can only get so big before the CO2 does their shells in. They still multiply, but not at outrageous amounts. Not like in my grow-out tanks! IME, they're not really deterious to a tank - ugly at worst. IMO, a bunch of Malaysian Trumpet Snails in a planted tank are very beneficial, as they burrow in the substrate, keeping it from going anearobic - good for plant roots. Kill 'em if you don't want them. Leave 'em if you do want them. Use CO2 if you don't want too many - or add a loach(es) or other molusivores to keep pop'n in check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molino Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 (edited) I've got a bunch of small snails in my planted tank. There's not so many that they're a nuissance, but there's enough that I'm considering feeding them to my Mantis Shrimp. See if he likes them. In my experience If you don't overfeed your tank snails shouldn't be much of a problem. Mind you I don't know what kind of snails I have. Edited October 23, 2006 by Molino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaggle Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 I had some drift wood that was dry for 3 + years when I set up my daughters 15g tank I got some sails back :well: . I don’t have too many, right now. If they get too bad I might set up the loch gourami tank mi wife likes and put a small clown loach in there for a week. Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniac Posted October 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 Well I think i'm pretty well off the hook, there is still only the one snail that continues to grow. No signs of anyothers so I'm not to concerned right now. How long can snail eggs last on something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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