Doc4PC2 Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 I recently got some plants, moss, etc and now I have lots of snails. Which is fine. There are al lot of tiny, tiny baby snails, but they grow very fast, and I am seeing more and more of them with my crystal red shrimp. What I want to know is how everyone feels about the snails that are shrimp keepers. Pros, cons, opinions, good, bad, helpful, problem issues with them, good things about them? Anything that can help me with the snails. Keeping them, leaving them be, get rid of them, help them, let them multiply, etc. I need as many opinions on them as I can get from shrimp keepers. Are there a lot of shrimp keepers that have snails? Help please, I need to make a decision on them. Thanks so much, Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtletanks91 Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 This is a very debatable subject. I like snails. There are so many kinds as well as colors. But the simple fact remains too many of them will out compete the shrimp for food. I can't tell you how many times I put food in the tank and the shrimp didn't get any. Lol I didn't spend 25$ a bottle of bw food for snails haha bit there are also certain snails that can be beneficial. IE mts, nerites etc. this is really up to each person. I. Sure other will chime in soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wicca32 Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 i dont mind them. they only time they become a prob is if you over feed. if you get to many snails put p leaf of lettuce in the tank and leave it. stick it down with a fork or chopsticks and pull it in a few hours or in the morning and snails are gone. i am not a fan of nerite snails due to ugly eggs. never fails even if i only have one i get eggs and they are a pain and leave a white spot when you scrape them off. i have mostly rams horn now and they are pretty easy to keep under control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtletanks91 Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 Haha I had rams horn as well. Han has them all now. Nothing would keep them under control for me. I took my shrimp out. Tried no planaroa to kill em. Algae fix overdose. Cupramine. Fen. Nothing lol the nerites I understand the white egg thing. But that's only if you get females. And there easy enough to just remove if you do get a female. Its just one snail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h4n Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 I like them all. They never breed out of control for me. But I also don't often. Once every 2-3 days They keep my tank clean, eat left over foods my shrimps don't eat so I never have to take out uneaten foods. mosspearl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art by Stef* Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 +1 What Han said. When I feel they are getting out of control, or a population explosion, I play "snail breeder." I remove as many undesirables as I can, and leave the ones I think are pretty. I have been getting some very, very pretty rams horns lately by doing this. Bright orange, pink, and "peach opals". Pond snails are my least favorite, but got some interesting white ones with black spots I call "appaloosas". It's more fun to go with it than fight it because you will never really get rid of them. -Stef* mosspearl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielt Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 I have pink ramshorns. I had common ones in the past and lost them. This time they took over the tank in less than a month. Eggs everywhere. They compete with shrimp for food unless you put the food where the snails can't reach. Since they are not good swimmers you can hang a feeding dish out of their reach.This time I started off with 6 ramshorns. Now I have a couple hundred.Mistery snails or snails too small are a pain. They reach into your filter, multiply very fast and it's hard to nuke them. Assassin snails will wipe everything out if they're hungry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 I like the looks of mystery snails, however after having a few large ones die on me in different tanks and having ammonia spikes, I don't do them anymore. Funny how my opinion of them can change like that. mosspearl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 Wow, that is great. Thanks everyone for your answers. That helps. I think they are okay, and will help keep the tank clean. I guess I will just have to keep an eye on them and if they start to get too many, I will take them out, one at a time. I guess. That is interesting what wicca32 said about putting a piece of lettuce in the tank, and by the next day, the snails are gone. I have not heard of that before. Are you talking about just a regular piece of lettuce? Have you tried this before wicca32? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 The snails climb on the lettuce, so when you take it out again, you are taking out the snails too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wicca32 Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 yep iceberg lettuc. pull a leaf off and stick it in the tank. they climb on it to eat and out they come when you pull it out in the am. i have done it a time or 2 in my bigger tanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted April 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 so, you use it like bait, a trap, to take out a good bunch of them. That is a great idea, that I will have to remember. Thanks, wicca32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted April 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 Hey wicca32, I tried the lettuce thing, but didn't get a single snail interested. Some of the shrimp picked at a little, but that's about it. I put a small piece of regular iceberg lettuce, with a plant anchor on it, and put it into the substrate with a small piece poking up from the substrate, and left it there for about 8 hours, and not a single snail? Did I do something wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielt Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Try a slice of cucumber. Do the same to have it sink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art by Stef* Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Go hook-less fishing! Cast your line baited with cucumber, spinach, zuc slice, canned green bean-whatever's on hand. Wait a while, reel it in, and let me know what works best. My bets on the green bean -Stef* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
featherblue Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 I use a wide mouth jelly jar and an algae wafer (using the lid flat you can catch shrimp too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juancho Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Like everything it's all about balance... I used to hate snails in my tanks but I now happily leave with them .. there are useful cleaners and are of great help if you have a live substrate....don't overfeed and try to keep them in check with a few clea helena from my experience they have no influence on shrimps....keep in mind that I have a big RCS colony so if they do prey on baby shrimps It is minimal .......because my colony of RCS keep on growing ....My big tank has got fish, snails, and shrimps all living together ...no problems... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfosgate Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 I've always had 100% success catching snails with a small piece of zuccini that I microwaves for 10-15 seconds. Works EVERY time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted April 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 thanks for the tips. I appreciate that. I don't really have a problem with the snail and the shrimp, I just don't want the snail to overtake my tank, but I seem to have nerites, and ramshorns. I would like my tank to only have the ramshorns or Malaysia trumpet snails, and not have nerites. From what I understand, the ramshorns and the mayaysia trumpet snails are the best snails to keep with CRS, CBS, Tigers, Yellow neons, blues, shrimps. So, I am trying to keep the nerites population from exploding, is all. I think it is probably a good thing to have some snails with your shrimps. But I went back and forth trying to decide about them. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Your nerite population will never increase, my friend. They'll lay eggs, but the larvae only survive in saltwater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc4PC2 Posted April 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Thanks, soothing shrimp, that is good to know. So no matter what, the nerite's I have now, won't increase because their eggs won't survive? Wow, great stuff to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soothing Shrimp Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 Yepper. It's a trade off. Sesame seeds from fems all over your tank, but algae taken care of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctaylor3737 Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 I hate pest snails lol. I pull them off and feed to my discus they love them haha. Lettuce trick,also works. If,you have carnivores, drop them into the tank tasty snack and no snail's -Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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