Burrowing Snails?

[PerceptivePesce]

My tank is currently stocked with epiphytes glued to rocks, and guppies.  I'm interested in burrowing snails to clean my substrate, but I've read that trumpets are invasive and rabbits eat plants.  There are other varieties of burrowing snails like cappuccinos, and chopsticks, but I can't seem to find much info about their behavior.  I also read that nerites burrow, but that it may be a stress behavior.

Would yall mind telling me about your good and bad experiences with different burrowing snails? 

[The Arthritic Aquarist]

Of the ones you mention, I've only had Nerites (the Zebra and Red Racer varieties) which I've kept for the past 12 years or so.  I've personally never seen them burrowing. 

[OceanTruth]

The only burrowing snail I have kept are Malaysian Trumpet snails. I love those little guys. I’m sure you’ve heard they (any of the “pest” snails) pretty much populate the tank to the amount you overfeed your fish. When I feed lightly it gets hard to spot them. When I feed heavy they’re all over the place. I’m pro snail so I’ve never thought of them as pests or invasive. The only snails I avoid are Nerites since I don’t like the look of the eggs they deposit.

Assassin snails aren’t really cleaners but they do burrow in the substrate to ambush other snails.

[JettsPapa]

On 11/10/2022 at 11:49 AM, The Arthritic Aquarist said:

Of the ones you mention, I've only had Nerites (the Zebra and Red Racer varieties) which I've kept for the past 12 years or so.  I've personally never seen them burrowing. 

I probably can't find it now, but I have a picture of a nerite snail cleaning the glass, going along about half buried in the substrate, with an army of neocaridina shrimp following behind foraging in the substrate it had stirred up.

On 11/10/2022 at 11:37 AM, PerceptivePesce said:

My tank is currently stocked with epiphytes glued to rocks, and guppies.  I'm interested in burrowing snails to clean my substrate, but I've read that trumpets are invasive and rabbits eat plants.  There are other varieties of burrowing snails like cappuccinos, and chopsticks, but I can't seem to find much info about their behavior.  I also read that nerites burrow, but that it may be a stress behavior.

Would yall mind telling me about your good and bad experiences with different burrowing snails? 

I don't know that I'd consider them invasive.  If you over feed their numbers will increase accordingly, like many snails.  Otherwise they aren't really a problem (at least in my experience).  After receiving the initial batch I have intentionally added them to all my other tanks.  I like that they keep the sand aerated.

[The Arthritic Aquarist]

@JettsPapa That actually reminded me that one of my Nerites, when I initially introduced it to the tank, did partially bury itself in the substrate for a short while. 

@OceanTruthMine have be dazzled my drift wood.  I don't mind as I really like them and they're excellent algae eaters.

[T. Payne]

In my experience, rabbit snails will destroy java fern, but are fine with anubias and buce.

[PerceptivePesce]

On 11/10/2022 at 7:00 PM, T. Payne said:

In my experience, rabbit snails will destroy java fern, but are fine with anubias and buce.

I think the java ferns are doing better than the anubias in my tank.  

[T. Payne]

Probably wouldn't do the rabbits then.

[Cinnebuns]

On 11/10/2022 at 11:49 AM, The Arthritic Aquarist said:

Of the ones you mention, I've only had Nerites (the Zebra and Red Racer varieties) which I've kept for the past 12 years or so.  I've personally never seen them burrowing. 

There's are dozens of different species of snails under the title "nerite" and some ARE burrowing species. Specifically if you look for what's labeled as "king koopa" or "hair thorn" nerites they are burrowing snails. I'm actually getting more for the specific reason. They don't have the issues other burrowing snails have yet they help turn substrate. They won't tunnel like the cone shaped ones but they do the job!

Just wanted to add...

All species of nerites are known to burrow from time to time and more in certain situations or conditions but these 2 specific ones are almost always under the substrate. I sometimes forget I have them. 

[PerceptivePesce]

Thanks, @Cinnebuns!

Those King Koopas are cool looking and have a cool name.

Out of curiosity. Are the thorns on a hair thorn soft bristles or hard spikes?

[Odd Duck]

Hard spikes.  Marble nerites will burrow some and are really great at cleaning glass, even under the surface of the sand, but they are prone to falling on their backs and dying.  I don’t know if they fall because they’re sick or if the fall causes the death.  But they haven’t lasted in my tank as well as I hoped.  Chopstick snails also haven’t lasted as well as I hoped.  I hoped for slow reproduction and got a few youngsters initially, but apparently not enough to sustain a population.  I probably need to use more high calcium food in my 100 nano (which is where I have by far the most variety of snails) plus add more chopsticks at once for a denser population.  I have no MTS snails in that tank.

[PerceptivePesce]

@Odd DuckI read an article that said chopstick snails birth in freshwater but the larva need brackish water for metamorphosis.

Some of these articles seem like they're written by bots, and I haven't found any chopstick breeding convos online.  So, maybe true, maybe not

[Cinnebuns]

On 11/11/2022 at 5:42 AM, PerceptivePesce said:

Thanks, @Cinnebuns!

Those King Koopas are cool looking and have a cool name.

Out of curiosity. Are the thorns on a hair thorn soft bristles or hard spikes?

The thorns are soft and flexible. They aren't the same as the spiked ones. 

On 11/11/2022 at 12:06 PM, Odd Duck said:

Hard spikes

The ones I'm talking about have soft bristles. They are different from horned nerites. 

[Odd Duck]

On 11/11/2022 at 3:30 PM, PerceptivePesce said:

@Odd DuckI read an article that said chopstick snails birth in freshwater but the larva need brackish water for metamorphosis.

Some of these articles seem like they're written by bots, and I haven't found any chopstick breeding convos online.  So, maybe true, maybe not

I’ve read they’re livebearers and that fits with finding tiny little chopstick snails in the paper towel they were shipped in and in my tank.  I think they get confused with the stiletto and spike snails, which need brackish to complete the life cycle.  I don’t think the tiny snails I saw need any metamorphosis since they were birthed as fully developed snails, not larvae like nerites.  The reason I got them is they are a slow reproducing live bearer.  But I think getting Kuhli loaches has derailed my snail reproduction more than I expected.

Edited November 18, 2022 by Odd Duck

[bettaballistic]

Japanese trapdoor snails burrow and eat a tone of algae. They're not much to look at, but they're pretty cheap.

[PerceptivePesce]

On 11/13/2022 at 7:18 PM, bettaballistic said:

Japanese trapdoor snails burrow and eat a tone of algae. They're not much to look at, but they're pretty cheap.

Do you own any? Is it hard to control their population?

[bettaballistic]

On 11/14/2022 at 8:36 AM, PerceptivePesce said:

Do you own any? Is it hard to control their population?

In my experience the babies get eaten quicker than they can breed. I started with 2 and ended up with 6 after about 8 months. I had them with a betta sorority and African Dwarf Frogs which all eat snails, so keep that in mind

[Cinnebuns]

On 11/13/2022 at 7:18 PM, bettaballistic said:

Japanese trapdoor snails burrow and eat a tone of algae. They're not much to look at, but they're pretty cheap.

I have bred Japanese trapdoor snails for about a year now and hardly ever have I seen them burrow and only when there's something wrong. 

 

On 11/14/2022 at 9:36 AM, PerceptivePesce said:

Do you own any? Is it hard to control their population?

I would not recommend them as a burrowing snail at all but to answer your question they are slow to populate. They are live bearer and require both a male and a female snail to mate. The female will give birth to 2-20 snails every 9 months. 

I realized I missed probably the best suggestion for this!  Faunus ater or devil's spike snails!  Their breeding is not fully understood. It's thought they possibly breed in brackish but there are a few reports of babies being found in fresh. From my understanding those reports tend to only be a few babies and not an over population. They are extremely similar to rabbit snails except for the fact that they are completely live plant safe. 

[PerceptivePesce]

On 11/20/2022 at 6:26 PM, Cinnebuns said:

 Faunus ater or devil's spike snails! 

Yeah, that's what the "cappuccino " snail I mentioned in op is, a faunus ater!  There aren't many online convos about them, like with the chopstick snails.  I think we've stumbled on a good topic for aquatic content creators!

[Cinnebuns]

On 11/20/2022 at 8:51 PM, PerceptivePesce said:

Yeah, that's what the "cappuccino " snail I mentioned in op is, a faunus ater!  There aren't many online convos about them, like with the chopstick snails.  I think we've stumbled on a good topic for aquatic content creators!

I plan in getting 2 soon and can let you know how it goes if I remember. It def is a snail that could use more knowledge in the hobby about. Sorry I guess I missed you saying cappuccino. I do know this the brown version of them. 

Oh and my limited knowledge of chopstick snails is that they are highly related to rabbit snails and therefore will have similar issues. But I also know very little about them so I could be wrong. 

[Cinnebuns]

I just thought if another one although it would have to be your only snail. Assassin snails also burrow and are carnivores so would leave your plants alone. 

To add:  I just remembered they do reproduce rapidly tho. If you only got 1 it wouldn't reproduce at all but idk if that would would enough for your substrate. 

[PerceptivePesce]

On 11/20/2022 at 10:07 PM, Cinnebuns said:

I plan in getting 2 soon and can let you know how it goes if I remember. It def is a snail that could use more knowledge in the hobby about. Sorry I guess I missed you saying cappuccino. I do know this the brown version of them. 

Oh and my limited knowledge of chopstick snails is that they are highly related to rabbit snails and therefore will have similar issues. But I also know very little about them so I could be wrong. 

I have to quote you because I can only use 1 post reaction ❤ 💪 😎

I know you'll let us know how it goes!  I'm excite!!

I went ahead and ordered nerite snails, I figure they're the better snail-newb choice.  But I really like the faunus ater and chopstick! 

I ordered nerites early last week and haven't gotten a shipping notification yet.  I haven't cleaned my glass since placing the order in preparation for my new pets... I dunno if I can wait any longer, the diatom algae is breaching my walls! I'm gonna have to go to war without my snail troops!