Ramshorns Eating Plants?

[Silhouette]

Do regular ramshorns eat plants? I'm noticing a LOT of hole issues in my plants, even though I add liquid fertilizers and root tabs, and I'm getting a bit paranoid it's possibly my ramshorn snails. I have A LOT of babies and while I don't mind them in the tank, I'm wondering if due to their population, some might be starving and turning to my plants instead? I have a smaller Betta tank that has worse light, worse substrate and very little fertilizer being added and none of the plants look like this (only have one ramshorn in there, since I directly feed the Betta there's no other food for any babies to eat so I haven't noticed any more growing).

So for you experts: does this look like snail munching or just poor ferts? (In case anyone is curious, other stocking in the tank includes: corydoras, red neon blue eyed rainbowfish, ember tetras, furcata rainbowfish, and shrimp)

[Tihshho]

I've not had too many issues with Ramshorns eating healthy plants. Generally, I only see them eating leave that have damage on them, to which they polish off and keep my tanks fairly clear of older damaged flora. 

How are you fertilizing your plants currently? If there is a defficiency and the plants are starting to get damaged leaves, the Ramshorns might start seeing those as food as they do mine.

[sumplkrum]

If the plant has weak spots in the leaves, the snails will eat it out. But they don't kill healthy plants, especially hardy leaf plants.

I did a have problem when I first got some Water Sprite. I just had it floating and they ate the delicate little leaves until there was just a stalk left. That being said, the plant was likely stressed from transit and even with the beating it took I still have some Water Sprite left.

I have a tank with Amazon Swords and Vallisneria that was so overrun with ramshorns that the population started dying off. The plants remain undamaged.

[Dawn T]

I agree with above. I've got ramshorns in all of my tanks. They WILL eat holes in leaves with weak points. Also, if there's algae on the plants, in removing the algae, they can sometimes scrape too much and damage the leaf, leaving holes. Plecos can do the same thing.

Oh, but I have had them demolish thin, less hardy leafed plants. I've got Pogostemon stellatus 'octopus' in both of my 29g tanks, plus a tank in our church office. The snails have done a number on one of my tanks while leaving the plant alone in the other tank (higher light, so healthier plant no doubt), and completely ate the church office 'octopus' down to nubs and are eating holes in the Anubias nana (had an algae bloom on it until I adjusted the light). The church tank also contains Crypt wendtii, and the snails haven't touched those at all.

[GardenStateGoldfish]

Normal ramshorns will only eat decaying plants. However do you a photo of your ramshorn? is it big? the Columbian Ramshorn is a different story, I have one and they are so cool, but they do eat plants. but only minorly, I have noticed a real difference in my plant load with him in my 29g planted tank.