# accidental snails



## nickyc (17 Jan 2008)

I've got about 3 or 4 different types of snails that have all arrived by accident with plants or fish.  I really like them, but my b/f reckons they're bad for the tank.  What's the consensus?  Do they eat plans or just the dead leaves?


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## johnny70 (17 Jan 2008)

depends on the types of snails. can you post some pics or describe them?

I have 5/6 types only 1 of which will damage plants

JOHNNY


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## Themuleous (17 Jan 2008)

Most snails will leave plants alone.  If you want to get rid of them and you have the space, a dwarf chain loach would be ideal, although technically you are supposed to keep them in shoals.

If adding a fish is out, they are best controlled by regulating what you feed the fish.  Snails IMHO are typically a sign of over feeding the fish.

Sam


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## nickyc (18 Jan 2008)

I'll see if I can get pics sorted at the weekend - one kind looks like the ones that are surface surfing in the pics on the thread I was looking at!  

I'm not convinced I've been overfeeding, but there has been quite a bit of algae for them to eat.  Don't get me wrong, I do like them and if they are doing no harm then I'll leave them be and just pick a few out every now and then.  On the other hand, if they are doing harm to my plants then they go!  If I don't fancy a shoal of loaches, would a puffer do the job?

Cheers,


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## Lisa_Perry75 (18 Jan 2008)

Depends what other fish you have in the tank. Only a small few puffers are truly freshwater, so a good place to look is http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug. ... b48e43e583

Puffers are notoriously bad tankmates for other fish, and will tend to chew on your plants a bit too. (They imagine snails on them, they aren't veggies)  They also require meaty foods like prawns and mussels, they need a CONSTANT supply of snails. Oh and they need good water quality to keep them healthy. I have a few apple snails and two small plecs (l200 and unidentified)... I never get algae! I have quite a few plants in there mind you, but they seem to do an awesome algae clean-up. I don't seem to have other snails, so maybe they eat other snails???


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## nickyc (19 Jan 2008)

Doh!  Can't find the lead to download pics from the camera     Will keep searching.  Have started collecting some in the meantime though.  It certainly won't hurt to reduce the numbers


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