AQUARIUM SNAILS CARE AND BREEDING | A GOOD AND BAD

KEEPING SNAILS IN AQUARIUM SETUP

Types of Aquarium Snails
Anyone who has been involved with aquarium keeping is probably familiar with snails at one level or another. To some aquarists, they are valued algae eaters and scavengers that help clean the tank and keep things in balance. To others, they are a loathed scourge that quickly overrun the tank and are close to impossible to get rid of, and to some, they are beautiful creatures that make colorful, interesting pets.

For the most part, freshwater aquatic snails are hardy creatures that thrive in the same water parameters as most aquarium fish, making them easy to keep and compatible with a wide variety of fish and invertebrate species. They come in a variety of sizes and colors, and despite popular belief, not all snails are prolific breeders that will overpopulate your aquarium, although a few types can and do. Always research any new additions before introducing them to your tank. In this article, we will look at the different types of freshwater snails and how to properly care for or avoid them.

Good Vs. Bad Snails
There is a tendency to categorize aquarium snails as “good” or “bad”. Truth is, all snails are good for our aquariums in one way or another, it’s just that sometimes they do things we do not like or are unprepared for, like eating our plants or overpopulating the tank. Virtually all problems with snails can be avoided by understanding them, knowing how to avoid accidentally introducing them to your tank and doing adequate research to make sure you buy the right snails for your aquarium.



"Good" Aquarium Snails
Most aquatic snails are great at getting rid of algae and consuming uneaten food, dead plant matter and other detritus that accumulates in the aquarium. One type, the Malaysian Trumpet Snail (MTS), burrows in the sand or gravel looking for food, and in doing so, they keep the substrate clean and prevent it from compacting and becoming anaerobic. Sadly, they are also the primary culprit for overpopulating an aquarium.

More recently, aquarists seek snails as unique pets. Their bright colors, intricate patterns and unusual shapes make several snail species ideal candidates for aquariums of all types and sizes.



"Bad" Aquarium Snails
There really are no “bad” snails, but a few species can multiply unchecked and overrun an aquarium. Seeing hundreds, if not thousands of these little beasts taking over your tank can be unnerving, and they can place a burden on biological filtration as well as clog filter intake tubes. Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS) and ramshorn snails are prone to doing this. To add to the problem, nuisance snails are virtually impossible to eradicate once they are in your aquarium. Ironically, one way of dealing with unwanted snail outbreaks is to introduce a species of snail that eats other snails! This article will touch more on this below.

Some species of apple snails (Pomacea) are voracious herbivores that will decimate a planted aquarium in short order. Apple snails have also caused damage to crops in certain parts of the world after being inadvertently introduced into the wild. However, the majority of apple snails in the aquarium industry make great aquarium scavengers and usually leave plants alone.



How Do I Get Snails In My Aquarium?
There is only one way snails get into our aquariums – we put them there. But, you might say, I’ve never purchased a snail in my life and suddenly they are showing up! The most common ways unwanted snails enter our aquariums accidentally are via eggs or juveniles hitchhiking on plants or decorations, or in gravel cultures transferred from one tank to another.

Many snail eggs are transparent and are often attached to the undersides of plant leaves, making them difficult to see. Juveniles of red ramshorns and pond snails can be very tiny and hide easily, especially in fine-leaved plants. There are ways of eliminating snails and their eggs which will also be discussed below.

Malaysian Trumpet snails are often transferred in used gravel intended to help start the biological cycle in a new aquarium, but they can come in on rocks, plants, driftwood and decorations, as well. MTS are known to live in buckets of used gravel for over a year! Even after rinsing the gravel thoroughly, they can still be alive and well, ready to start reproducing in their new home.