# Good Snails for Planted tanks



## xdoomsongx (Jun 27, 2008)

I am looking at keeping snails with the new planted setups that I am working on. I was just wondering what kinds of snails are best for planted tanks? I am setting up two 30's, two 5's and a 6. Going to be stocking the 30's with dwarf cichlids, so no shrimp, but I think snails would be fine. Any input on what kinds of snails are best would be greatly appreciated. Not sure what to take in to account when getting them, so thought I would ask about it. Thanks in advance for your input.


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## wrkucera (Jan 6, 2008)

I have a healty population of malaysian trumpet snails in my 55 gallon. I didn't ask for them, they hitched a ride into my tank from the plants. I haven't seen any of my ramshorn snails, for which I had around for quite some time. My yo-yo loach seems to keep the population in check. He's a fat loach and I've never seen him feed on the food I use, I wonder if he selectively destroyed my ramshorns? I think snails are good in the whole scheme of a planted tank.


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## xdoomsongx (Jun 27, 2008)

Thanks for the info. I was thinking about keeping some yo-yos myself, it would be cool to see them eating snails! I had read some about the Malaysian Trumpet snails being rather popular in a planted tank, but had also read that they should be avoided. (The majority of things saying that they are beneficial though.) Anyone else keeping other species that are hardy enough to with stand the onslaught of a loach? Thanks again.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

If you are going to have yoyos you can forget about snails! [-( I had 1 yoyo, 1 botia, & 2 clown loaches in my 125g. They ate EVERY snail in the tank. BTW the clowns were 2" so not large. I had MTS snails in there, thought they would hide in substrate - NOPE. :croc: I also had nerites believing that they would be too big for them - NOPE. :fish: Put 2 briggs snails thinking they would never be able to get them. Then saw a posting about what they had done to someone else's briggs - slowly drilling a hole in his foot. :axe: That was enough for me. I removed the briggs. Eventually they will hunt down and eat every snail in your tank. :hungry:


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## xdoomsongx (Jun 27, 2008)

> If you are going to have yoyos you can forget about snails! I had 1 yoyo, 1 botia, & 2 clown loaches in my 125g. They ate EVERY snail in the tank. BTW the clowns were 2" so not large. I had MTS snails in there, thought they would hide in substrate - NOPE. I also had nerites believing that they would be too big for them - NOPE. Put 2 briggs snails thinking they would never be able to get them. Then saw a posting about what they had done to someone else's briggs - slowly drilling a hole in his foot. That was enough for me. I removed the briggs. Eventually they will hunt down and eat every snail in your tank.


:rofl: Well, maybe I will avoid loaches, or maybe I just won't pay for any snails, and look for them to hitch a ride in as they can do sometimes. Thanks for the input. Would hate to have shelled out some $$$ for some crazy looking snail only to lead it to the slaughter. I knew clown loaches ate snails like crazy, but didn't realize that other loaches did as well. Loaches :heart: snails in one of those, "I want to eat your soul." kind of things.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Good choice!


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

xdoomsongx said:


> I am looking at keeping snails with the new planted setups that I am working on. I was just wondering what kinds of snails are best for planted tanks? I am setting up two 30's, two 5's and a 6. Going to be stocking the 30's with dwarf cichlids, so no shrimp, but I think snails would be fine. Any input on what kinds of snails are best would be greatly appreciated. Not sure what to take in to account when getting them, so thought I would ask about it. Thanks in advance for your input.


Depending on the dwarf cichlids you can have amano shrimp with them. I have keep Bolivian Rams, Blue and Gold Rams and Borellis with amanos and they were all happy together.

As far as snails, you can have some ramshorns and some nerites if you can get your hands on some of them. The nerites seem to be good algae eaters.

I am not sure what your substrate is, but some MTS might be good to aerate it.

regards,


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## xdoomsongx (Jun 27, 2008)

> I am not sure what your substrate is, but some MTS might be good to aerate it.


I am using SMS for a substrate, it is really light. I couldn't put anything else over it, because everything just falls under it, so the MTS might just stir it well.



> I have keep Bolivian Rams, Blue and Gold Rams and Borellis with amanos and they were all happy together.


Sweet, it will be strange keeping shrimp in a tank without them being slaughtered in the first five minutes. My green terrors loves shrimp.


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## MedRed (Jun 3, 2008)

I had a population explosion of MTS... they were fine until they munched holes into the submersed leaves of a new sword. IMO MTS are pests. 

I like nerites... They eat all of the worst algae BBA, BGA, and GSA... and they don't breed in fresh water. I'm sold on them after a month of ownership. They've eaten all of the BBA and GSA in one of my tanks... i can't vouch for BGA though.


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## Tinuviel82 (Sep 16, 2006)

i like nerites. i have olives. they keep my glass really really clean


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## oblongshrimp (Aug 8, 2006)

MTS will take over if you overfeed, otherwise they aren't a big problem and help to stir up the gravel preventing dead spots. MTS are hard to get rid of if you don't want them as they can close themselves in their shell and as adults have very hard shells.


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## xdoomsongx (Jun 27, 2008)

So are the nerites you guys are talking about the saltwater snails? If that is the case how does one go about getting them to a freshwater environment? Also, is it any nerite snail or just the olive ones? Thanks for the info.


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## joycould (Mar 13, 2007)

There are other nerites but they are hard to find there is a zebra, horned and checkered.


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## xdoomsongx (Jun 27, 2008)

How does one go about adapting them to freshwater then?


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## PRJCT92EH2 (Mar 7, 2008)

You can buy them already adapted. Check out www.planetinverts.com


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## xdoomsongx (Jun 27, 2008)

> You can buy them already adapted.


I thought that place had gone out of business or something. I will check it out though. Thanks.


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## xdoomsongx (Jun 27, 2008)

> I also had nerites believing that they would be too big for them - NOPE.


Now that I know what a PITA these are to find Tex, that really really sucks. So if we ever find some nerites, we know not to put them any where near loaches. I read that they breed in brackish conditions. Maybe if I can ever find any, I can drop some in my brackish tank and never have to worry about tracking them down again.


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## inareverie85 (May 5, 2008)

As far as I've read, Planet Inverts is having some issues getting orders to customers. The owner is taking care of personal matters. My LFS got an order of Zebra Nerites, and I was lucky enough to score 8 of them for myself  Just check around.


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## MedRed (Jun 3, 2008)

I bought olive nerites from here AZ Aquatic Gardens


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## xdoomsongx (Jun 27, 2008)

What have others experienced with AZ Gardens in regards to strictly snail orders? I have read so many negative reviews on them, but I noticed that the few positive reviews are from those who ordered nothing but snails. Would love to hear experiences from those who ordered just snails from them. Thanks for any input.


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## Remster (Nov 25, 2007)

Buying plants from them is such a difficult experience I'd hesitate to support them by purchasing snails. I hate to be so negative, just being honest.


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## MedRed (Jun 3, 2008)

i've never bought plants from them... just snails. Both times have been great experiences with no DOA's. The only thing that sucks is the minimum $ amount for orders with live goods. One snail per gallon is a good stocking rule if your tank has a good bit of undesirable algae. Be prepared to supplement their diet once the algae is gone as they eat everything. I had bad black beard and greenspot algae covering all of my anubias in an african cichlid tank. I've had them in the tank for 3 months or so and the tank is completely algae free. There isn't a hint that BBA or GSA even existed in the tank.


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