# Golden apple snails



## Photosbykev (Apr 19, 2009)

I've just put a couple of these chaps into my community tank to control any algae build-up that might occur. Rather than scrape the glass I prefer a more natural approach.

Fascinating creatures, beautifully coloured. For snails they certainly move around the tank quickly !!!


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## comler (Mar 10, 2009)

Snails can do a great job keeping the glass clean, but do you have any problems with the snails eating the plants. AND, how do you control the snail population?

I had a couple of clown loaches in my 20G, but they are now in my 29G. I can already see the return of the trumpet (???) snails in the 20G. (I think that's what they're called.)


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## Photosbykev (Apr 19, 2009)

It's early days yet but if they eat the plants then I'll replace them  So far they have spent their time wandering around the glass and over the ornaments in the tank. The very small snails that I occasionally find in my tank are normally either removed or occasionally crushed, the fish seems to enjoy the tidbits.


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## Ulli Bauer (Nov 10, 2008)

Hi,

you'll have to give your apple snails extra food as they will starve to death on what they find in a tank. They grow pretty big and really need lots of food.
Mine love cucumber, spinach, boiled-over nettles, dried walnut leaves and generally all kinds of veggie foods. However, once I caught Anton catching live blackworms by forming a kind of a siphon with his foot and slurping the worms in like spaghetti. They also go for fish food tablets, frozen fish food, granules and so on.

Cheers
Ulli


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## Dmaaaaax (Nov 20, 2008)

comler said:


> Snails can do a great job keeping the glass clean, but do you have any problems with the snails eating the plants. AND, how do you control the snail population?
> 
> I had a couple of clown loaches in my 20G, but they are now in my 29G. I can already see the return of the trumpet (???) snails in the 20G. (I think that's what they're called.)


It depends on the snails. I use Nerite snails in my tank for algae control. They can only reproduce in salt water, so I don't get unwanted snails. However, they still lay eggs from time to time. The ones I have are green, but you can get some really pretty variations like the zebra and horned:


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