PaigeIs Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 Does anyone know what kind of snail this is? I've had snails come in on plants before, but not one this big. He (she? it?) is proving to be an excellent roommate for my fish. This is a new tank and I'm battling algae. I don't want to kill him, but I am curious. Just a pond snail? Something more exotic? I've included a close-up as well as a scenic shot for reference. (He's on the airhose!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 That is a very beautiful bladder snail. 🙂 They are amazing gardeners 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 I second that definitely a bladder snail probably hitch hiked in on one of your plants 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaigeIs Posted February 21, 2022 Author Share Posted February 21, 2022 On 2/20/2022 at 5:19 PM, Guppysnail said: That is a very beautiful bladder snail. 🙂 They are amazing gardeners Hmmm.. word on the street is that bladder snails are a problem, but I will take the risk. He doesn't look like the teeny tiny ones in my daughter's 10 gallon tank. Maybe he is their king!! Thanks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 I keep them in all 8 of my tanks. One tank just for them. As long as you are not overfeeding and keep your substrate clean they are fine. They are population self regulating. In the new tank they will take off. Proper maintenance after they eat all the algae and run out of unlimited food they die back. You will only ever have as many as the available food. If they overpopulation (it takes a bit to get the hang of them). Take them to a club,or LFS if possible. If not squish them in a paper towel. Please do not dispose down the drain. They are invasive and survive in waste water and cause issues in waste water treatment plants. Being that large (mid size) you most likely already have eggs in there. You will see a jelly sac. Remove those to help keep population in check. Here is an egg sac in my bladder snail tank so you know what to look for. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 They certainly can become an issue but it's usually an indicator of something WE are doing. They can be well controlled in tanks that are decently balanced and aren't overfed. Likelyhood is they probably have already laid eggs in your tank. 🙃 (ditto what @Guppysnail says) 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaigeIs Posted February 21, 2022 Author Share Posted February 21, 2022 (edited) "Please do not dispose down the drain. They are invasive and survive in waste water and cause issues in waste water treatment plants" I don't put anything from the aquarium (flora or fauna) down the drain. They all go to the trash. LOL... I have 100+ papers to grade but instead, I am hunting for snail eggs. Edited February 21, 2022 by PaigeIs 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrey Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 On 2/20/2022 at 6:25 PM, PaigeIs said: Hmmm.. word on the street is that bladder snails are a problem, but I will take the risk. He doesn't look like the teeny tiny ones in my daughter's 10 gallon tank. Maybe he is their king!! Thanks! I was told that, as well. Which ushered in over a decade of anxiety ridden tank maintenance, carefully dipping plants (killing many) to prevent any "pests" on the plants. I literally nuked a perfectly balanced tank, because I found hydra in it🧐 Luckily, I have had a lot of free time during the pandemic, and been able to virtually hang out with people from around the globe, who challenged a lot of the narratives I had been taught, regarding snails, plants, pests and fish. Which returned the joy I originally had in the hobby. This new found joy has not only sustained me for the past 2 years, it has also expanded to a lot of my clients, as well as friends and family. Did you know that there is a hydra that has a symbiotic relationship with algae? The hydra can relocate to better waters for photosynthesis, which benefits the hydra and the algae. Snails don't actually eat healthy underwater plamts, unless they are starving, and even then, some will die first. Plus, how can anyone not fall in love with those cute little faces??? So, let me introduce you to our pet, Pebbles, a "greater pond snail" who can grow to exceed 3" Our newest discovered snail family member, Limpet (specific species identity requires a better photograph, so species TBD) A couple of years ago, I would have gotten rid of these beautiful critters, adding stress by hunting for eggs, adding work of having to remove melt from new plants (not to mention cleaning algae).... Now, I sit back and let them earn their keep with housekeeping, and my spouse gets a kick out of feeding them carrots, green bean hulls, and squash & cucumbers. Win/win/win 1 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 (edited) @Torrey is right. At first most of us, including myself go on attack. I didn't think I wanted them either- and I still don't In a couple of my tanks (which thankfully never got them) but I can't imagine my aquarium life without them now. ....someone who started out squishing them, actually regretting it- and now I look out for them Edited February 21, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katherine Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 I actually enjoy my bladder snails more than most of my fish at this point (the kids picked out those garish glofish). And that's a very pretty one! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laritheloud Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 I have all the 'pest' snails in my tanks and enjoy having them around. As your tank/plants mature you'll notice them less and less; they'll still be there, but not quite the 'snague' of them that you get during big diatom and algae blooms. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
813aquatics Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 On 2/20/2022 at 8:25 PM, PaigeIs said: Hmmm.. word on the street is that bladder snails are a problem, but I will take the risk. He doesn't look like the teeny tiny ones in my daughter's 10 gallon tank. Maybe he is their king!! Thanks! They are a “problem” only in the sense that their populations can explode very quickly under certain conditions, and some find hundreds of snails to look unappealing. Managing a healthy population comes down mostly to controlling how much you feed your fish. They can only populate to amount of available (excess) food left over. Over time you may see them laying transparent egg pods on surfaces/plants. Some hobbyists use assassin snails curb overpopulation but my assassin snails either don’t care about them or have joined their snaily ranks as allies. I’ve learned to embrace the extra biodiversity, because imo it will take a lot of labor to fully eliminate them and they have caused no harm that I can see. If you do decide you want to evict them, stick some blanched zucchini on a fork or in a water bottle overnight and you can remove them once they’ve started chowing down. Just an extra note, they may or may not be invasive depending on where you live so keep that in mind before disposing of them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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