good snails ?
good snails ?
I have a planted tank with RCS. I would like to have a snail or two to help clean the bottom. Any recommendations. I've been searching but there seem to be conficting views. I want them to help keep the tank conditions good for the shrimp by removing excess food etc
Are ramshorns ok? I am willing to do the work and remove them to keep the population small Or should I just get an apple ?
Are ramshorns ok? I am willing to do the work and remove them to keep the population small Or should I just get an apple ?
- Shrimp&Snails
- Shrimpoholic
- Posts: 400
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:12 am
I keep apple snails (p. bridgesii), nerites, viviparus and ramshorns with my shrimp.
I wouldn't really call them a clean up crew because they need calcium rich foods themselves to keep a nice shell and a PH of 7+ so the shells won't erode.
They are great to keep but i'm downsizing because:
a. They keep pulling up my plants
b. They poop....quite a lot.
Ramshorns can breed very fast apparently (my ramshorns are babies so i've yet to witness this snail breeding myself).
I wouldn't really call them a clean up crew because they need calcium rich foods themselves to keep a nice shell and a PH of 7+ so the shells won't erode.
They are great to keep but i'm downsizing because:
a. They keep pulling up my plants
b. They poop....quite a lot.
Ramshorns can breed very fast apparently (my ramshorns are babies so i've yet to witness this snail breeding myself).
- badflash
- Master Shrimp Nut
- Posts: 2542
- Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2005 1:06 pm
- Location: Wappingers Falls, NY
- Contact:
I think MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails) are the best and they don't lay eggs. They also churn your gravel. I also keep pond snails and apple snails. They all work fine, but the apples need to be well fed or they will eat yourplants. I think they poop more than they clean up too. I feed them dandilion greens. They sure love them and so do the shrimp.
- Shrimp&Snails
- Shrimpoholic
- Posts: 400
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:12 am
I also keep MTS in all my tanks.badflash wrote:I think MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails) are the best and they don't lay eggs. They also churn your gravel. I also keep pond snails and apple snails. They all work fine, but the apples need to be well fed or they will eat yourplants. I think they poop more than they clean up too. I feed them dandilion greens. They sure love them and so do the shrimp.
Pomacea bridgesii don't eat healthy plants....p. canaliculata do.
- Shrimp&Snails
- Shrimpoholic
- Posts: 400
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:12 am
This is quoted (from the site) by a guy who owns applesnail.net who's studied them for years:
Pomacea bridgesii (spike-topped apple snail, Brazilian apple snail, golden mystery snail and ivory snail) prefers dead and rotting plants above fresh green ones. Occasionally they eat the softer vegetation. Pomacea bridgesii snails are thus a good choice for an aquarium equipped with a nice collection of water-plants. What is even more: they tend to starve to dead in the middle of the vegetation if you don't provide them with enough food.
- Shrimp&Snails
- Shrimpoholic
- Posts: 400
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:12 am
....he's a PHd student who's studied them since 1997. Check out his site http://www.applesnail.net
I have kept brigs for almost three years now and mine have never consumed a healthy plant.
You must have p. canaliculata.[/url]
I have kept brigs for almost three years now and mine have never consumed a healthy plant.
You must have p. canaliculata.[/url]
-
- Larva
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2005 5:31 pm
- Shrimp&Snails
- Shrimpoholic
- Posts: 400
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:12 am
- Shrimp&Snails
- Shrimpoholic
- Posts: 400
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:12 am
Brigs don't grow to baseball size, they max out at 2 and a half inches wide......canas can grow to the size you describe. I'm almost 100% sure you have canas. If not canas you have insularums or you could have haustrums (if they lay green eggs).
You could even have Paludosa or Maculata if you are close to (can't see your location when using the reply thingie but if I remember correctly you're from NY) or bought your apple snails from Florida.
You could even have Paludosa or Maculata if you are close to (can't see your location when using the reply thingie but if I remember correctly you're from NY) or bought your apple snails from Florida.
- Shrimp&Snails
- Shrimpoholic
- Posts: 400
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:12 am
- badflash
- Master Shrimp Nut
- Posts: 2542
- Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2005 1:06 pm
- Location: Wappingers Falls, NY
- Contact:
Just to close this out, those of you that want big snails as tank mates, looks for Briggs, not Cana snails. The way to tell them apart if the way the outer ring of shell meets the previous ring. If it meets at 90 degrees you have a briggs, if it is more or less you don't. Briggs like soft mushy stuff, Canas eat plants first. Briggs will eat left over food, Canas only if there is nothing else.
As it turns out I have both, but my babies are Canas and they are eating all my plants.
As it turns out I have both, but my babies are Canas and they are eating all my plants.