# Curious about native snails



## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

I've had a repeating thought that I keep pushing off about native snail populations. The current fad seems to be nerite snails for algae eating, but most aquatic snails per my understanding are algae eaters. So, I wonder about what undiscovered algae eaters are out there? There isn't a whole lot of information (at least that I could find) about the native North Carolina snails. I know Nerites don't exist up this far North, unfortunately. I'm hesitant to introduce any to my tanks because I've heard snails can carry some nasties, but yet I'm intrigued at what me may not have 'discovered' yet -- the snail that could be the next algae eating wonder. Back in the Summer, I went to a fish club picnic at the Eno River State Park in Durham, NC, and there were many snails. I wonder about them? 

Anyway, long story short: Does anyone know about the native snails of your area in the U.S. and particularly North Carolina perhaps?


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## MossyLady (Dec 18, 2005)

I keep plain old pond snails for cleaning algae (including the fuzz-stuff) off plants like Anacharis and Vallisneria. Most of my barbs will eat snail eggs and small baby snails, so the pond snail population is kept to the adult pond snails. In other tanks, where the pond snail populations boom, I just remove a bunch of them daily and drop them in with my Yoyo loaches. I am also raising Pomacea bridgesii ... the juveniles eat any pond snail eggs the fish may miss, and algae both on the glass and on the broader-leafed plants like Echinodorus.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

Well, I have plenty of pond snails  Nerites are famous for their green spot algae eating, which pond snails seem to not be able to do. That's really what I'm referring too when I say algae.

Any info on native NC snails out there?


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## RTR (Oct 28, 2005)

One of the hazards of natives is potential introduction of nasties, but many of the worst of those are complex life cycle critters (digenetic flukes and such). If you were willing and able to maintain a selection in QT/isolation for some extended period and use the offspring after more convention but separate QT, then your risk would be many-fold reduced. You might well find worthwhile "new" critters for aquarium use.


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## Piscesgirl (Feb 25, 2004)

I might just have to do that at some point -- but how long, if not indefinite, do you think the snails would have to be quarentined before the flukes, etc. life cycle is no longer a concern? Or, can they live indefinitely in the host?


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## RTR (Oct 28, 2005)

Personally I would never use the first (captured) generation in my tanks. The second generation should only need routine QT (4 weeks +/-).


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