Are there snails for freshwater?

drab911 · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:55 am Post subject: Are there snails for freshwater?

Hey everyone.. is there some sort of snails that you can get for freshwater tropical tanks?? And what benafits do they have... well basically are there any other species besides fish and plants for freshwater..
thanks

grnlemonade · Super Senior Member Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 1027

actually yes, ther are lots of freshtwaer snails....some i can think of off top of my head are apple snails, black mystery snails, and ramshorn snails.......they can take care of some algae and a little bit of left over food, but are mostly used for decoration.

drab911 · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:49 am Post subject:

So would I be able to put the snails in before my cycle was done? Or is it best to wait as well....

grnlemonade · Super Senior Member Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 1027

i would suggest to wait until the tank is done.

Aqueous · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:20 pm Post subject:

My mystery snail is great at eating left over food. I also find them fun to watch.

I would suggest waiting too.

drab911 · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:32 pm Post subject:

Is there a difference between the snaisl that I would buy and the ones that people keep complaining about having from living plants?
Like do you think when I buy my plants I will get my snails at the same time whether I like it or not.. and also what are the downsides of snails if everyone doesnt like them so much...
thanks

Aqueous · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:38 pm Post subject:

The snails that no one likes are the ones that come on the plants and multiply like crazy (usually ramshorn I believe, but I could be wrong).

If you're planning on having live plants I'd stay away from snails as they tend to eat them.

I think as long as you rinse your plants well you shouldn't have a problem.

grnlemonade · Super Senior Member Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 1027

yea, rinse the plants and just sift through them a little looking for the snails

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3437

Generally the snails that people buy and keep as pets are types of apple snails (this includes apple snails, black mystery snails, and some species of ramshorn snails). They will eat live plants but they don't multiply like crazy. They are not hermaphroditic so you would need a male & female to breed (ie if you get just one you should be safe). Plus they generally just lay eggs above the waterline so the egg clusters are easily removed if you don't want lots of snails. The types that are pests and come in on plants are generally common pond snails and some smaller species of ramshorn snails. They are hermaphroditic, will lay eggs all over your tank, and you'll quickly have millions of snails.

sleeper · Member Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 90

Also, while it is of course a good rule of thumb to wait, snails are dang tough, and when I first got my tank I didn't cycle it at all. My fish all died, except for the pleco and apple snail.

I've spoken with lots of people who believe the same about snails.