# Pros and cons of pond snails



## relaxedcrazyman (Dec 19, 2013)

As title says, looking for pros and cons of pond snails.

Many consider them a pest, some say they provide an invaluable service to your tank. 

What do you think? 

I'm debating keeping my pond snails, or eradicating them.


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

snails in general are good

they'll tell you all kinds of things
they'll do all kinds of things for you

they'll let you know when you're over feeding, and eat the excess for you (less food wasted = cleaner tank)
if you want less snails, feed less

any plant leaves that die, they'll eat
less things decomposing in the tank,= cleaner tank

if you have too many snails, ... stop overfeeding


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## SeaHorse (Dec 27, 2010)

I had a bunch come in on some plants and I tend to over feed so the population definitely exploded. I remember one time, standing at the tank using a net and I pull out and discarded 85 of them. That has kept the numbers very reasonable for a very long time. My numbers are getting high again so I may remove a few again only if it gets to be too much.


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## jentralala (Oct 5, 2012)

I used to have a bunch of them and Ramshorn, but then I got MTS and they seem to have taken over as the dominant snail population. For every 10 MTS I find one ram/pond snail. It's a shame, they're so cool looking!

I think snails are the bomb.


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## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

I love them, great loach food!


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

could get assassin snails for population control

and stop overfeeding, or at least slow it down some

assassin snails, like malaysian trumpet snails have the added benefit of burrowing through the top 1" of substrate or so, ... helps keep the substrate healthy


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## Tolak (Nov 13, 2012)

Sure, assuming one wants to control the population, feed tanks less, and has tanks with substrate.


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## relaxedcrazyman (Dec 19, 2013)

so i have trumpet snails which i want to keep, especially since they burrow during they day 

but i dont want the pond snails to overrun my tank. i guess i will watch the amount i feed.

i love that the pond snails deal with waste, but they also poop, and i dont want to add too much to the bio load because of them


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I think snails are gross.


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

snails are almost a zero on bioload (unless you are feeding extra for your snails)

what food is missed by your fish, would be sitting at the bottom breaking down & decomposing anyway.

what your critters eat turns into poop, and is sitting at the bottom breaking down and decomposing anyway as well.

in the end, ... what you feed is one way or another contributing to your tanks bioload.
having snails delays one part of that breakdown (the excess food)

every mouth that anything goes through means that things are broken down that little bit farther and what is released afterwards is that little bit less of an effect on the bioload, ... 

... at least that's how i look at it.

Edit:
if you think snails are gross, ... there are worms (blackworms) you can get that can do the same things malaysian trumpet snails do. burrow through the substrate.

Malaysian trumpet snails have a shortcoming, ... roots. this does not inhibit the worms

worms are also nice live food for the fish lucky enough to find one poking through.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I think worms are gross, too. Lol That's one reason I won't breed bettas. You have to feed fry live food.


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

what about getting some zebra loaches or (for a species only tank) dwarf puffer fish ?

they'll eat your excess snails


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

I've found the zebra loaches to be the best snail eaters out of all the species I've kept. They're the only ones that eat MTS in my experience. I really wish they wouldn't though.


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## yyankeeyankeefan (Feb 1, 2012)

it's easy to let them get out of hand, but if you remove them every so often *personally i crush them and feed them to my other fish, that way they are not a "wasted" thing in my tanks.* the numbers can be easier than you think to keep down. they keep the algea at bay, and also help eat any left over decaying matter. rather that be fish, food, or plant.... it is taken care of. also it's a natural part of an eco system. lots of fish eat the eggs, and babies.


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## MissBec (Feb 4, 2014)

Would betta fish eat the crush snail? I kinda feel bad if i had to crush them
Im just starting out I haven't got any snails or fish yet.


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

not related to anything but the betta.

i have heard stories of using a beta for guppy control.
one story in particular (from a lady who had heard the same thing)
lady got a betta, the guppies kept breeding and producing more and more new fry.
her end result experience, ... a fat lazy betta. :/ i don't think that was her goal ...

as for if they'll eat the snails, ... (shell crushed), ... i dono, my guess is most likely, betta like live food, ... while a crushed snail isn't life food anymore it's pretty damn close.


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## Flear (Oct 5, 2012)

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/invertebrates/pest-snail-faq-25186/

our own snail FAQ

"There are plenty other fish that will work well with most snails. Bettas, goldfish and most cichlids have been known to pick on the snails and subsequently devour them. However, all the same, they should be treated like other fish and not solely to destroy the snails."


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## henningc (May 20, 2013)

If you have a crayfish they will eat the snails. Don't put the crayfish in the same tank unless you want a very large crayfish and zero snails.


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## MissBec (Feb 4, 2014)

Must keep this in mind , thanks


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