Do snails out-compete each other?

[Scapexghost]

It seems that if i introduce ramshorns into tanks with pest/pond/bladder snails, the rams pop grows and the other shrinks. I assume its bc the rams are bigger and faster. Has anyone experience this is ramshorns or other species?

[AnimalNerd98]

Yes, I keep bladder snails, MTS, and ramshorn snails together in multiple tanks. When there aren’t any MTS or ramshorn snails, the pond snails do well. I think one of the biggest factors is the rate at which they reproduce. Ramshorn snails and MTS proliferate crazy fast. Pond snails reproduce a bit slower. It also seems like my MTS tend to outcompete the ramshorn snails. 

[TheSwissAquarist]

Owing to the fact that rams horn snails proliferate faster, they are able to access and find and eat bladder snail egg deposits more often than the bladder snails can find the rams horns eggs, owing to their larger population.

[Tanked]

Snail populations are largely controlled by the availability of food.  Either my Bladder Snails and Tetras have developed a taste for MTS eggs, or the Bladder Snails have eaten most of the food that my MTSs prefer.  The MTS are still in there somewhere, but on the rare occasion that I see one, they aren't any larger than a young Bladder Snail.

[RockMongler]

In my tanks, I have had my bladder snails go extinct as far as I can tell, outcompeted by MTS.  

On 9/28/2022 at 7:56 AM, Tanked said:

Snail populations are largely controlled by the availability of food.  Either my Bladder Snails and Tetras have developed a taste for MTS eggs, or the Bladder Snails have eaten most of the food that my MTSs prefer.  The MTS are still in there somewhere, but on the rare occasion that I see one, they aren't any larger than a young Bladder Snail.

MTS are livebearers!  They don't lay eggs, and give birth to fully formed little snails.  MTS are also I think better at hiding than bladder snails, as they can dig into your substrate.  I imagine you have more than you think.

[AnotherHumanPerson]

Huh, I never noticed that, but it does check out. All of my tanks (except the ones with assassins) are ramshorn dominant. 

[TeeJay]

You know that does make sense. Never even thought of it but I have seen my bladder snail population go down since I have had ramshorns in my tanks.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/28/2022 at 9:41 AM, RockMongler said:

In my tanks, I have had my bladder snails go extinct as far as I can tell, outcompeted by MTS.  

MTS are livebearers!  They don't lay eggs, and give birth to fully formed little snails.  MTS are also I think better at hiding than bladder snails, as they can dig into your substrate.  I imagine you have more than you think.

The MTS are nocturnal. Check the tank at night well after lights out.

[Tanked]

On 9/28/2022 at 9:41 AM, RockMongler said:

In my tanks, I have had my bladder snails go extinct as far as I can tell, outcompeted by MTS.  

MTS are livebearers!  They don't lay eggs, and give birth to fully formed little snails.  MTS are also I think better at hiding than bladder snails, as they can dig into your substrate.  I imagine you have more than you think.

Funny, I've never given any thought about them being livebearers or egg layers.  They were just part of the neighborhood. Just before lights out, I used to sit and wait for a large piece of gravel to move, and a MTS emerge.  I haven't seen one large enough to do that in quite awhile.

[modified lung]

My bladder snails disappeared after I bought some mystery snails.