Snail in my tank, help with I.D.
I have a snail in my tank that I would like to have an I.D.
for, please help. Click link below to see photos. http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4xq4m/id5.html |
Snail in my tank, help with I.D.
"spider" wrote:
I have a snail in my tank that I would like to have an I.D. for, please help. Click link below to see photos. http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4xq4m/id5.html That snail looks like what I've been referring to as a "pond snail". No doubt there are dozens of possible species. The snail probably came in on some plants that you bought. I've read mixed opinions on this kind of snail - some people think they're a serious problem in a planted tank. I've got dozens of these guys in my heavily planted 20 gallon, and have never noticed any particular problem with them. They certainly eat algae, but I've never seen them cause damage to my plants. They will lay a *lot* of eggs, in tiny gel masses, and certainly could breed out of control. You can get rid of them several ways - chemicals, which isn't really recommended, bait/trap, which won't get rid of them all but can reduce the population, or by adding a fish that eats them, like a loach. This last choice apparently works very well, though loaches may not be a good choice in a particular tank. Personally, I would advise to not worry about them unless they start to become a serious problem. I occasionally collect a bunch of mine and put them into a small tank with four dwarf puffers, who apparently are fond of snails for lunch. -- www.ericschreiber.com |
Snail in my tank, help with I.D.
I have pond snails in my 75, and I have seen them eat some of my plants. But
they also are on the glass eating algae a lot too. So I let them stay but I control the numbers by crunching them. I've found that my Rainbows love them if I crunch the shell first. And my Rosy Barbs have been seen catching a snail on the gravel moving along, forcefully removing it from the shell for a snack! That is kind of fun to watch... They didn't start doing that until I started crunching the shell and dropping them back to the bottom. I guess the Rosy's decided they didn't want to wait for me... Plus I also have a dwarf puffer tank I throw them into a lot. The puffers don't let them stay for long... :-) Ron "Eric Schreiber" wrote in message ... "spider" wrote: I have a snail in my tank that I would like to have an I.D. for, please help. Click link below to see photos. http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4xq4m/id5.html That snail looks like what I've been referring to as a "pond snail". No doubt there are dozens of possible species. The snail probably came in on some plants that you bought. I've read mixed opinions on this kind of snail - some people think they're a serious problem in a planted tank. I've got dozens of these guys in my heavily planted 20 gallon, and have never noticed any particular problem with them. They certainly eat algae, but I've never seen them cause damage to my plants. They will lay a *lot* of eggs, in tiny gel masses, and certainly could breed out of control. You can get rid of them several ways - chemicals, which isn't really recommended, bait/trap, which won't get rid of them all but can reduce the population, or by adding a fish that eats them, like a loach. This last choice apparently works very well, though loaches may not be a good choice in a particular tank. Personally, I would advise to not worry about them unless they start to become a serious problem. I occasionally collect a bunch of mine and put them into a small tank with four dwarf puffers, who apparently are fond of snails for lunch. -- www.ericschreiber.com |
Snail in my tank, help with I.D.
i believe they are the same ones i have. and that wouldn't be pond
snails. they are sinistral ie. left-coiled snails. aka. physa :) from what i've read, all other snails are dextral (right-coiled). here's some links that will help you tell if it _is_ physa. http://perso.infonie.be/pomacea/physas_uk.htm http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.ed.../physidae.html they are quite pretty but very small and are generally appreciated only by those that stare at their tank _really_ close. but, they are also quite prolific. I _just_ finished cleaning my corner filter (carbon and floss deal) and found that a couple had nested in there and were trapped. I've freed them into the tank. I'm not worried they'll run amok. my yo-yo loaches are _more_ than a match for these creatures. AcH spider wrote: I have a snail in my tank that I would like to have an I.D. for, please help. Click link below to see photos. http://mysite.verizon.net/vze4xq4m/id5.html |
Snail in my tank, help with I.D.
interesting. the literature i've seen showed pond snails as dextral... i'll have
another check on it. AcH LeighMo wrote: i believe they are the same ones i have. and that wouldn't be pond snails. they are sinistral ie. left-coiled snails. aka. physa :) FWIW...the snails American aquarists call "pond snails" *are* Physa species. There are a lot of different species, from tiny to about 1" long. The general shape of all of them is sort of football-shaped. I never noticed which way the shells coiled. I'll have to check it out, when the tank lights go on. Leigh http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/ |
Snail in my tank, help with I.D.
i believe they are the same ones i have. and that wouldn't be pond
snails. they are sinistral ie. left-coiled snails. aka. physa :) FWIW...the snails American aquarists call "pond snails" *are* Physa species. There are a lot of different species, from tiny to about 1" long. The general shape of all of them is sort of football-shaped. I never noticed which way the shells coiled. I'll have to check it out, when the tank lights go on. Leigh http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/ |
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