# Is this snail Ok in my planted tank?



## cichlid85 (May 16, 2012)

I found a random snail who must have been hitch-hiking in one of the plants I bought. Are these OK to keep in the tank or will it eat my live plants? There is only one and he is small but about doubled in size since i first noticed him..


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

It should be fine.


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## h4n (Dec 23, 2005)

ya should be fine, most likly its a ramshorn or pond/bladder snail. Which wont eat your live plants but if you over feed your tank, they can become out of control and cover your tank quickly. Then become an eye swore thats its.


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## cichlid85 (May 16, 2012)

h4n said:


> ya should be fine, most likly its a ramshorn or pond/bladder snail. Which wont eat your live plants but if you over feed your tank, they can become out of control and cover your tank quickly. Then become an eye swore thats its.


Do they come from the live plants then? What exactly happens if I overfeed?

I have seen this before but dont know where they come from. I use to think, from my own conclusion, that they were "Mystery Snails" since they are a mystery as to how they strangely appear. But thats not the case.


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## aquaman555 (Mar 22, 2011)

They hitchhike on live plants most of the time.

If you overfeed your tank they will be more than happy to clean up the leftovers, which in turn will provide them with plenty of food to start a booming population.


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## cichlid85 (May 16, 2012)

I think i am going to move him to a diffrent tank because my plants are getting holes in the leaves. I dont know if this is potassium deficiency or bc of the snail so better safe than sorry.


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## kimcadmus (Nov 23, 2008)

Common snails don't typically eat health plants. The holes are likely a natural adjustment to the new environment or a nutrient deficiency....unless of course you have any ancistrus in there!


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## HybridHerp (May 25, 2012)

the snails didn't make holes
its probably either a deficiency or the old leaves simply not doing well in the new set up
personally, I like having snails in my tank, i think they're appealing to the eye and helpful in breaking down large chunks of uneaten food


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## ianjones (May 15, 2012)

"mystery snails" are otherwise known as apple snails. they usually dont come in on your plants, though its possible. apple snails breeding is easily controlled because the lay egg clutches above the water line. its pretty hard to keep them from drying out even if you wanted to have babies.

more likely, it could be what is commonly known in the LFS here as a "trapdoor snail." they are sold as snails for ponds, have browner shells, and the shells are slightly pointy-er. both snails seem to get about the same size (about the size of a golf ball). i have had a few come in on my plants when i pick them up out of the bags they were shipped to the LFS in. they give live birth to 1 or 2 snails at a time and will readily breed, although i do not believe they are hermaphroditic, so if there is just one...no babies. dont quote me on that last bit though. 

i can imagine a snail eating a plant if he was really hungry, but a snail being on a plant usually means he is getting something off of the leaves, not eating them. they prefer softer things, like algae and decaying plant matter. i have 3 different species of snails in my tank, including apples and trapdoors, and none are a threat to my plants. however, they also have plenty of green-spot algae to keep them full lol. when a snail eats, it doesnt eat in a circle, but rather a trail that ends up being more like a spiral. they make really cool patterns in the algae whenever there is a thick spot


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## HybridHerp (May 25, 2012)

the only "common" snails that I know of that eat live healthy plants are Pomacea canaliculata and Marisa cornuarietis, and from what I've heard P. canaliculata is illegal to ship across state boarders so I doubt you'll be finding those around, and M.cornuarietis is pretty distinct looking so you could tell if it was that
I don't like giving common names to "apple" snails btw, since both Pomacea canaliculata and the Mystery Snail (Pomacea diffusa) go by that name, and the P.diffusa is plant safe while P.canaliculata is totally not plant safe

most likely you have either a MTS, which will not harm plants, a Physa sp., which will not harm plants, or a Ramshorn, which will also not harm plants


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