I want to introduce trumpet snails to my Walstad shrimp bowl and wonder if it is helpful or hurtful. I know once introduced, they are permanent residents and can’t be removed. Will they help plants by aerating the substrate or uproot plants. Will they help reduce algae or not at all. Will they multiple out of control adding to excessive bio load.
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Your experience with Malaysian trumpet snails
- Thread starter tiger15
- Start date
Garuf
Member
In a walstead they likely will be totally fine however, I once added them into one of my aquasoil shrimp tanks and over the course of around 3months they turned it into silt.
zozo
Member
They keep me awake at night... 
Something like this.
Something like this.
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Hi all,
cheers Darrel
The only issue I've had with them is in the tanks where I started with a <"mixture of sand and gravel"> and ended up with <"all the gravel on top"> via <"granular convection">.
cheers Darrel
Not an issue for me as my substrate is silty garden soil capped with gravel. Over time, with repeated replanting, silt is emerging on top of gravel and getting dusty when disturbed. It will be helpful if the trumpet can restore the gradation. I can see through the soil with what appears to be purple BGA, so it must be anaerobic. Hopefully, the trumpet can aerate the soil enabling better rooting of DHG to carpet denser.
I suspect I've got some Assasin snails that might disagree. 🐌
Assassin snails are beautiful that look like a cross between zebra nerite and trumpet. But do they prey on shrimp when they are molting. Also, do they burrow into the substrate to chase after MTS.
They don't seem to be a big issue for my Cherries, and I've got more than when I introduced the shrimp to the tank.
I know the Assassins have eaten countless "pest snails" that have arrived on plants. I understand they'll eat snail eggs, so if you don't want MTS to be permanent, I'd say Assassins are worth a shot.
And they look cool!
I know the Assassins have eaten countless "pest snails" that have arrived on plants. I understand they'll eat snail eggs, so if you don't want MTS to be permanent, I'd say Assassins are worth a shot.
And they look cool!
Driftless
Member
I have them in all of my tanks, they are great if you keep your tank in balance.
NatalieHurrell
Member
I've never had a tank/vase/bowl without them in 41 years of fishkeeping. In my humble opinion they are essential to a mini eco system. They aerate the substrate and help draw nutrients (fish poo) down towards the plant roots and help stop compaction. They only get out of control if you overfeed . Others more experienced than me may offer other advice, but I can only go on what I know.
Angus
Member
I love my mts, i also feel like they are a key part of the natural decomposition and exchange of excess food and dead plant matter to nutrients but i'm not saying anything on the science of that!
They do a decent job on the algae, the mts seem to be good at hoovering up excess food, but more casual on algae eating side.
They do a decent job on the algae, the mts seem to be good at hoovering up excess food, but more casual on algae eating side.
Thanks for all the inputs on MTS, all positive and not one negative. As long as they won’t uproot my plants, I’ll definitely give them a trial for my first time. A bonus is that in my set up I can see through the substrate to observe how MTS burrow as if I were keeping an earthworm farm. Not being good algae eater is fine for me as I already have nerite, ramshorn and pond snails, in addition to Amano and cherry shrimp. Hopefully the aeration activities will help my DHG to grow denser.
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