# Best snail for algae that reproduces in freshwater.



## pseudodiego (2 Jan 2022)

Hi everyone.

In your opinion, what is the best algae eater snail that reproduces in freshwater?

Thanks.


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## Wookii (2 Jan 2022)

Ramshorn


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## The grumpy one (2 Jan 2022)

Personally I love Ramshorn snails. They do a good job of cleaning, look nice, love to go sailing round the tank, breed well and are free.


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## jaypeecee (2 Jan 2022)

Hi @pseudodiego 

Please be aware that Ramshorn snails breed prolifically, which may be just what you want. But, it's not easy to keep their numbers down.

JPC


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## pseudodiego (2 Jan 2022)

jaypeecee said:


> Hi @pseudodiego
> 
> Please be aware that Ramshorn snails breed prolifically, which may be just what you want. But, it's not easy to keep their numbers down.
> 
> JPC


Yeah I have them in a 300 liters, they do a really good job, as the glass is always spotless, but they indeed breed like crazy. They even almost exterminated my bladder snail population, outcompeting them for the available food. Still when there are too many I just feed them to my father chickens, they're big enough to just be able to spot and pick them easily.

I was thinking about maybe using the bladder snails for this new tank, as they seem to breed at a slower pace. But not sure if they're as good eating algae as the ramshorn. If not I'll go with the ramshorn.


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## jaypeecee (2 Jan 2022)

pseudodiego said:


> I was thinking about maybe using the bladder snails for this new tank, as they seem to breed at a slower pace. But not sure if they're as good eating algae as the ramshorn. If not I'll go with the ramshorn.


Hi @pseudodiego 

I don't know anything about bladder snails as I've never kept them. No doubt someone here on UKAPS will be able to offer some feedback.

JPC


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## Mr.Shenanagins (3 Jan 2022)

Bladder snails and pond snails I believe are synonymous, and they commonly show up on plants here in the US. They won’t put much of a dent in algae at all due to their minuscule size.


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## Mr.Shenanagins (3 Jan 2022)

Bladder snails and pond snails I believe are synonymous, and they commonly show up on plants here in the US. They won’t put much of a dent in algae at all due to their minuscule size.


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## dw1305 (3 Jan 2022)

Hi all,


Mr.Shenanagins said:


> Bladder snails and pond snails I believe are synonymous, and they commonly show up on plants here in the US.


It is slightly different in the UK, <"Pond Snails"> are _Lymnaea or Radix_, and they are quite big and often eat your plants.

"Tadpole Snail" is <"_Physella (Physa) acuta_">_, _a N. American native widely naturalised in Europe, which are little and doesn't eat your plants.

cheers Darrel


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## The grumpy one (3 Jan 2022)

I have both. From the pic I can see:
Ramshorn: 6
Bladder: 7

They went in at the same time. I would say there were about equal number of both.
On Day 46. It is now Day 133. 86 days and I still have bladder snails and about equal numbers to Ramshorn.

From this I am assuming that they do not out compete each other. Maybe as Bladder snails are smaller they can get to places that the Ramshorn can't?


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