# Will snails eat plants as well as algae?



## leemonk (6 Jul 2009)

Hey,

I have some snails in my tank and the number is growing now. I had previously killed them all off, but I had an outbreak of algae a short while back and I noticed that they seemed to be eating that, so I left them alone.

One month on, there are a few of them now to say the least and I think they are eating the plants, but its hard to tell as my CO2 ran out (Yeast) and I havent replaced it because I think it was the main source of my algae problems.

So.... now that there is little algae I think they might be eating the plants, but because the CO2 is gone, the damage to the plants may be because of that.

What are your thoughts?

Regards

Lee


----------



## aaronnorth (6 Jul 2009)

they usually leave healthy plants alone and just go for the rotting matter.

What snail species is it?

Also what symptoms are the plants showing? You might need to CO2 to support healthy plant growth, but the instability may be causeing algae. WHat type of algae are you getting?
It might be worth connecting 2 bottles to each other using a T-Piece


----------



## leemonk (7 Jul 2009)

Hey,

thanks for the reply.

I do not know what sort of snail they are....... I will try to get some pics at some point soon.

I have a CO2 FE in the cabinet, but am awaiting the arrival of the regulator..... though heaven only knows when that will turn up.

I think the Algae problem is down to a lack of stability in the tank in relation to CO2. I am getting two types, one type appears on the leaves of the plants as a 'fuzzy' brown moss (though tiny) type lool. The other is a little more worrying, though, thats an uneducated view, as it apears to be a bright green mould looking thing that sits on the sand (not the plants). When I try to remove this I have to 'pick' it out as it does not disolve when using the vacuum.

The plants breakdown I think is a combination of things..... they are Amazon swords, so I know they require lots of nutrients, but where the CO2 has gone its effecting the established plants and the newer ones which i recently planted, I beleive, are going through that - losing their leaves stage, despite the shop telling me that they had been grown submerged.

I am going to be rescapign everything very soon - maybe even tomorrow, if i can get my hands on some Acadama. I dont want to squish the snails as I think they are interesting to look at, but equally so, I don't want them 'munching' on all my Swords .... as they take me forever to grow anyhows.......

Regards
Lee


----------



## Steve Smith (7 Jul 2009)

The common pest/ramshorn/trumpet snails that I imagine a lot of us have don't eat plants as far as I know.  Many apple snail species however do, as I found out to my horror on one of my last tanks


----------



## aaronnorth (7 Jul 2009)

the pressurized system should sort out CO2 problems then. If it doesnt, look at flow.

Not very often you find amazon swords grown submerged, IME i can take up to 2months before they have totally adapated.#


Steve, i used to have 2 golden apple snails (2" diameter shell size) and they never touched my plants   however i have yet to recieve them on plants!!


----------



## mr. luke (7 Jul 2009)

common gold apple snails dont eat plants, along with other coulr variations.
spixxii's do however


----------

