"pest" snails yes or no?

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Dwayne Brown @Kirsten I am already enamored by my 3 Mystery and 2 Nerites, but their population is MUCH easier to control. 😆

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Fish Dude agreed. I tend to be a big fan of the scavenger animals in this world, without them we'd be knee high in doody, figuratively and literally. 

[Dwayne Brown]

In that case I would just keep the pest ones. It is incredibaly hard to get rid of them once they are there. The only solution I can five you is 1. Keep all the snails 2. Get rid of all the snails by buying a loach and 3. Get rid of all the snails by buying assasin snails.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Dwayne Brown or a pea puffer apparently 😁

[PlaneFishGuy]

I currently have a bladder snail explosion after losing control of algae while trying to get my lights dialed in. My cherry shrimp and snails now have my tank spotless.

I wish I had some kind of time-lapse because the speed that they cleared the tank was epic. It all started with 3x hitchhikers on some plants and a month later the amount of snails is insane. 

I assume some will start dying back and trying to ensure my cherry shrimp don't get out-competed but I plan to leave them as is until I get a reason not too...I'm enjoying the clean tank for now.   

[Hobbit]

Embrace the snails! Even if you don’t have a snail-eater, you can always drop a piece of zucchini in the tank, wait for the snails to swarm it, then lift them all out and dispose of them however you wish. That will help you control the population if you ever feel like it’s getting out of control. I don’t like killing any living things, so I’ve actually used clove oil to put them to sleep. 😄 I’m not an advanced hobbyist like @Cyndi! 😉 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Hobbit see, I'm with you there. Somehow I'm ok with doing it now, but more uncomfortable with doing that later. Weird I know. I feel guilty every time I take a Mystery snail egg sack down, but I justify it by thinking "it's for the best". 

@PlaneFishGuy I know there's enough algae in there right now I'd have quite the crop of snails soon. Especially since at least today there's nothing in that tank but them, though the plan was go go get some Black Neon Tetras Tuesday, I'm thinking about getting the Hillstream Loach I was going to add later, first (to compete....turtle or the hare? no idea). However that would cause some logistical issues for me later.

[FriendlyLoach]

Yes, "pest" snails can be come a problem is some people's eyes. The can breed a lot, but I only dont like them because they eat my hillstream loach eggs. I think culling and killing snails is a very cruel thing. I mean to think that we have the right to kill innocent lives just because we don't like the look of them is messed up. If you are feeding them to something else like a puffer, then I think that is okay, because it is feeding another animal. What I do is put them in my ponds, but if you don't have ponds maybe you could set up something like a summer tub, 🙂 . Plus snails are very helpful and good cleaners. 

[DaveSamsell]

I am Pro-Snail, 🙋‍♂️ so my comments are probably biased towards them.  They are welcomed in my aquariums & are a nice addition to a well balanced ecosystem.  "Pest" snails are actually one of my favorite snails.  Have been breeding a lot of Mystery Snails lately.  While they do eat algae & look amazing, they are not the best algae eaters, IMO.  

Most of my "pest" snails came in on live plants as "sneaker snails".  Am surprised companies don't charge extra for them, when ordering plants, LOL.   🐌  

[Marnol D]

Im pro snail. Also if you let them breed up you can crush them for your betta to eat or start keeping small puffer fish.

[Cyndi]

2 hours ago, Hobbit said:

Embrace the snails! Even if you don’t have a snail-eater, you can always drop a piece of zucchini in the tank, wait for the snails to swarm it, then lift them all out and dispose of them however you wish. That will help you control the population if you ever feel like it’s getting out of control. I don’t like killing any living things, so I’ve actually used clove oil to put them to sleep. 😄 I’m not an advanced hobbyist like @Cyndi! 😉 

Ha! so funny 😊- no worries with practice and patience u can be awesome like me 🤪  I’ve actually used a whole bottle of Clove oil on my snails before I got the loaches but I was too shy to say so. I usually do Clove oil and then finish them in the freezer - or crush and feed - whichever 

[Cyndi]

2 hours ago, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

@Hobbit see, I'm with you there. Somehow I'm ok with doing it now, but more uncomfortable with doing that later. Weird I know. I feel guilty every time I take a Mystery snail egg sack down, but I justify it by thinking "it's for the best". 

@PlaneFishGuy I know there's enough algae in there right now I'd have quite the crop of snails soon. Especially since at least today there's nothing in that tank but them, though the plan was go go get some Black Neon Tetras Tuesday, I'm thinking about getting the Hillstream Loach I was going to add later, first (to compete....turtle or the hare? no idea). However that would cause some logistical issues for me later.

Just to clarify, hill stream loaches do not eat snails in my experience. Yo yo loaches do eat them but they come with their own sets of issues. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Cyndioh yes this I know, meant more a race to eat the algae first.

[Anita]

4 hours ago, Hobbit said:

Embrace the snails! Even if you don’t have a snail-eater, you can always drop a piece of zucchini in the tank, wait for the snails to swarm it, then lift them all out and dispose of them however you wish. That will help you control the population if you ever feel like it’s getting out of control. I don’t like killing any living things, so I’ve actually used clove oil to put them to sleep. 😄 I’m not an advanced hobbyist like @Cyndi! 😉 

Haha, @Hobbit beat me to this suggestion. I feed my extra Neocaridina and ramshorn/bladder snails to the wild birds. I put out black oil sunflower seed, safflower seed, dried mealworms, and dried marine shrimp on my driveway for the doves, quail, jays, finches, sparrows, starlings (unfortunately), and assorted other songbirds. Only the best for my feathered neighbors. 🐥 I humanely euthanize extra shrimp and snails (clove oil), and toss them in my driveway. These crunchy protein snacks usually do not last out the day. 🍽️

[Pearl]

I love "pest" snails! I think everyone should keep them! They can be a good indicator of how well you're feeding your fish, or how much detritus is in the tank. I have pond, bladder, ramshorn and malaysian trumpet snails in my tanks.  The ramshorns are the most rapid breeders by far. I think it has something to do with the fact that they are much more tolerant of soft water than most other snail species, and living in Seattle my water is very soft.

Even if the snails are a surprise, there is something to be said for biodiversity in aquariums. I think it creates a more stable mini-ecosystem, making tanks easier to care for. I also have copepods, a couple different types of detritus worms intentionally seeded, and I have allowed hydra to live in my tanks (tbh they eventually die out before they get big, and not in tanks they can cause harm). Its why i've switched to dirted tanks, to better feed the plants and for more microorganisms. It's worked for me. I only need to do water changes when I see signs of mineral deficiencies, and I top off with r/o water the rest of the time. I have done one actual water change this year, for a tank that is almost two years old now.  It takes some research, but it's rewarding!

[Kirsten]

24 minutes ago, Anita said:

I feed my extra Neocaridina and ramshorn/bladder snails to the wild birds

OMG that is such a good idea! I have a bit of a slug problem in my garden, so if I could entice some toads and birds and other critters who like to eat molluscs to my yard, that could be super beneficial.

[Anita]

1 minute ago, Kirsten said:

OMG that is such a good idea! I have a bit of a slug problem in my garden, so if I could entice some toads and birds and other critters who like to eat molluscs to my yard, that could be super beneficial.

I got the idea after discovering there are commercial wild bird feeds that contain dehydrated mealworms, black soldier flies, and/or marine shrimp. So I thought, "Say, I have a bunch of shrimp. And snails too. Hmmm." 🤔

[H.K.Luterman]

3 minutes ago, Anita said:

I got the idea after discovering there are commercial wild bird feeds that contain dehydrated mealworms, black soldier flies, and/or marine shrimp. So I thought, "Say, I have a bunch of shrimp. And snails too. Hmmm." 🤔

I find empty snail shells all over the yard from our local birds, so I was wondering if this was another way to cull down the snail population. Do you wash the clove oil off first?

[Anita]

2 minutes ago, H.K.Luterman said:

I find empty snail shells all over the yard from our local birds, so I was wondering if this was another way to cull down the snail population. Do you wash the clove oil off first?

I do not wash them. In an Internet search, I found plenty of cautions about the potential toxicity of essential oils, but these are the same generic "do not ingest" warnings you see for human use. More importantly, I did not find any specific reports of clove oil being toxic to pet birds (parakeets, parrots, etc.). 

The amount of clove oil needed for euthanasia is measured in fractions of milliliters. E.g., 1 drop is about 0.05 ml. Like most essential oils, clove oil evaporates readily at room temperature so this means there is even less oil left after a couple of hours sitting on the warm concrete. And lastly, most birds have pretty tough digestive tracts. They eat all sorts of oils, esters, waxes, and aldehydes that would make us humans pretty sick. 

I simply dump the whole mixture of water, clove oil, shrimp, and snails — usually less than a cup of liquid — onto the seeds in the driveway. So far, no signs of dead birds on the driveway (aside from when a Cooper's Hawk or Kestrel shows up), so I figure we're all good. 😎

[H.K.Luterman]

7 minutes ago, Anita said:

I do not wash them. In an Internet search, I found plenty of cautions about the potential toxicity of essential oils, but these are the same generic "do not ingest" warnings you see for human use. More importantly, I did not find any specific reports of clove oil being toxic to pet birds (parakeets, parrots, etc.). 

The amount of clove oil needed for euthanasia is measured in fractions of milliliters. E.g., 1 drop is about 0.05 ml. Like most essential oils, clove oil evaporates readily at room temperature so this means there is even less oil left after a couple of hours sitting on the warm concrete. And lastly, most birds have pretty tough digestive tracts. They eat all sorts of oils, esters, waxes, and aldehydes that would make us humans pretty sick. 

I simply dump the whole mixture of water, clove oil, shrimp, and snails — usually less than a cup of liquid — onto the seeds in the driveway. So far, no signs of dead birds on the driveway (aside from when a Cooper's Hawk or Kestrel shows up), so I figure we're all good. 😎

ORD but thanks for the info! 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Such great ideas! More than I'd probably have found elsewhere on the internet. I leave out seed for the ground feeders too so that's an option. 

Edited April 5, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Anita]

6 minutes ago, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Such great ideas! More than I'd probably have found elsewhere on the internet. I leave out seed for the ground feeders too so that's an option. 

Your feathered friends will thank you for the tasty treats! 

[Hobbit]

7 hours ago, Anita said:

Your feathered friends will thank you for the tasty treats! 

Unfortunately my chickens don’t like them. Not sure what’s wrong with my birds.  Maybe if I crush a few they’ll learn what’s inside... but feeding them to my yo-yo loaches is easier. 😊

 

[GardenStateGoldfish]

An absolutely yes! They are the most amazing in a tank. They only overpopulated to the food so they are good health gages for your tank and keep things clean.

[Ricklax96]

I'm in between on this topic. I enjoy snails for all the obvious reasons, tank cleaning and algae control. Additionally, I find them a good indicator of tank parameters. If I see they are closed up and hiding in the shells, it's time for an unscheduled water change and gravel vac. I started with two gold inca mystery snails, they laid eggs and now I have probably close to 20 between the main tank and a 10 gallon "snail tank" (they share with my japanese pond snails for the winter). They add an awesome pop of color with their yellow shells and are always moving around doing something. They're cool! But...

I choose the mystery snails because they lay eggs above the water line and it is easy to scrape off an unwanted egg clutch to limit population numbers. I recently added some dwarf water lettuce and had some hitchhikers in ramshorn and trumpet snails. At first I wasn't too concerned, but I quickly noticed that I was getting pin holes in otherwise totally healthy stem plants. I believe the larger fully grown mysterys were outcompeting the hitchhikers for food, so they turned to the plants. 

In short, imo not all snails are good, but I do love some of them lol.