# Please Help with my snail problem



## qualityshrimpz (Dec 15, 2009)

I have a spawn of betta fry that have just began to fall from the nest, and i happened to notice two snails in my tank that must have come with some plants i bought. Yellowish brown body with a red translucent shell. Since the fry are very small i dont know weather to take the snails out and risk the fry or leave them in and risk the fry... Any help would be greatly appreciated


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Do the shells look like ramshorns or not so much? I used to use a ramshorn in the fry tanks when the fry was free swimming but not before that.

You might want to remove them just until the fry are swimming better but its your call. If they arn't large I wouldn't stress too badly.


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## qualityshrimpz (Dec 15, 2009)

Ciddian said:


> Do the shells look like ramshorns or not so much? I used to use a ramshorn in the fry tanks when the fry was free swimming but not before that.
> 
> You might want to remove them just until the fry are swimming better but its your call. If they arn't large I wouldn't stress too badly.


Ya they could be ramshorns, do they eat betta fry?


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Your snails can not hurt your fry, in my opinion. They can prevent anaerobic zones from developing in your substrate. Snails are good. Snails are clean-up crew.

If you get overrun, get a loach or a puffer (in their own species tank) and you've got free food. Why worry? Snails are not bad.

I think that if you over-feed the tank, and get a huge proliferation of snails, that's a good thing. Uneaten food will generate much more
ammonia load on your poor tank (and stress and kill your fry). 
W


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

They will not eat your fry on purpose really but if you are working with a bare tank and you might have belly scooters for a while they won't be afraid to take advantage of dead/weak fry.

Its just usual practice to wait till they are free swimming, but its totally your call


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

Ive kept ramshorns in very small fry tanks even smaller than betta fry and I can't say for sure they didn't eat some of the eggs/fry but they never ate enough to make a noticeable difference. At worst, they will limit the amount of jars you will need to raise these guys at a later date .


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Exactly. Agree 100% with the other comments.

In the end here's my advice: In fry tanks without substrate, if you clean scrupulously, then go ahead and remove the snails. They ain't needed, nor are they a big harm if you left them. But if you're not in there cleaning every day, then leave the snails. They'll eat a few eggs, at the most, although I've never observed that. And I seriously doubt that even a wiggler/scooter would have trouble evading a snail. (Augh! Attack of the snail! Fleee!!!)



W


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Id just crush them against the glass... You'll get a bit of free food out of it.


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## qualityshrimpz (Dec 15, 2009)

i have microworms, what are the benefits of snail meat?


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

It's lower in cholesterol? (Only kidding..)

W


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## qualityshrimpz (Dec 15, 2009)

lol, ok then... i am still worried about squishin fry... they r still tiny


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

qualityhitz said:


> i have microworms, what are the benefits of snail meat?


Didn't you see the commercials when you were a kid about the benefits of snail meat?

"Snail meat, it's the gooey treat! Ask your doctor about the benefits of snail meat?"

Honestly there aren't any benefits per se... You could just get assassin snails. They assassinate other snails. Then you'd just have assassin snails. And be back to square one- but with cooler snails.


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