# Hitchhiking snail(s)



## Toad (Oct 6, 2009)

I have a small 6 gallon un-heated tank that I have a few plants in. Today I saw my first baby snail on the glass (acrylic actually). I didn't necessarily want snails, will it get enough nutrition from the food I'm feeding my white clouds (tetra Min tropical flakes) - or will it likely go after the plants?

Thank you.


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## squirrelcrusher (Sep 23, 2009)

It shouldn't go after your plants. Most just patrol around the tank cleaning up and can actually benifit the tank. Do you know what kind of snail it is? What does it look like?


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## Toad (Oct 6, 2009)

It is too tiny to tell right now, literally head of a pin. So the snail will just eat the algae and any food that makes it to the gravel?


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Most likely a pond snail. It will quickly reproduce. Snails can be a benefit but you will have to keep this species in check or they will overrun your tank.


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## Toad (Oct 6, 2009)

The snails are going nuts on the breeding. Little egg sacs on the glass and plants. I took a few of the bigger, easy to reach ones out of the tank to control the population a bit. But something occurred to me, what if the population gets big enough to overgraze the algae and food the white clouds overlook. Will I have a big die-off that could foul the tank? If a snail dies (unnoticed by me) will the other snails eat it so it doesn't just rot in the tank? Thanks again.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

They will eventually control them selves so to speak as the population increases, the amount of available food will decrease. But, as you have already seen, they are extremely prolific.

Any dead species will foul the water. With pond snails you really won't notice it well as they are relatively small and can be hidden about.

Not sure if they are opportunistic eaters or not. I've never noticed a snail eating another (pond snails that is). Assassins eat ponds and rams.


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## WickedEdges (Jun 8, 2010)

I'm having the same problem. Does anyone know how long their breeding times are? I just got two hitchhikers on my plants about a week ago as well. Very very tiny.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Not sure on age but it will happen fast and very often


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## NativeKeeper (Jun 12, 2010)

a yoyo loach is a snail eating machine, as is the clown, however, they do best in groups of 3 or more, and once the snail population is gone you may need to trade them back in at your LFS as they will grow too large for that tank, and also may harass, smaller fish such as tetras or neons, etc.


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## WickedEdges (Jun 8, 2010)

I'd like to potentially put them in a 1 gallon or something to breed them as potential food for my dwarf puffer. 

Does anyone have any articles on breeding snails as feeders?


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## squirrelcrusher (Sep 23, 2009)

I think if you want to just raise pond snails as feeders, you can get by with a pretty small basic tank. They just need a food source and they will breed. I prefer to feed my puffer MTS and Ramshorn snail, but that is just because they look better IMO.


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## WickedEdges (Jun 8, 2010)

lol. Do you mean they look better tasting or visually?


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