Ramshorns are the best. I periodically go into the tanks to cull snails to
feed my botias and baby guppies (crushed, yum yum) but I always leave the
ramshorns alone. In my tanks, I've seen that almost every kind of snail
will eat plants after they reach a certain size, except I've never caught a
ramshorn at it (I can't say for certain what happens after the lights go
out).

Red ramshorns are reputed to eat blue-green algae. I don't know if they're
really a separate species/genus. I'd be inclined to think not, for no very
defensible reason.

I wouldn't think you'd need to "buy" them, though. I seem to get them free
with about every other plant shipment.

The unique benefit to MTS is that they aerate, or loosen, the substrate in a
planted tank, like earthworms in the garden. Ramshorns won't do that. On
the other hand, if you use straight gravel, like I do, it's not really an
issue.

kush

"You can't have everything - where would you put it?"

Allen Smith wrote in message
om...
Do they eat plants, and are there different species? I have noticed
that they vary quite a bit in their coloration and are sold
differently based on color - are they still the same species?
Aquarists seem to prefer the red ramshorn snail, is it a particular
species or just a pretty color?

I'm looking into these and other snails as possible inhabitants for my
heavily planted tank as MTS have miserably failed.

Thanks for your time.