# Can anyone ID my snails



## Theratboy_101 (Apr 27, 2010)

Some time in the past 3-4 weeks I had some snails/eggs make it in to my tank on a plant. So far they only seem to be eating algae and the odd bite of shrimp tablets before my cory find them, and not my plants. so I don't really mind.

I just want to know what kind of snails they are. They are about 1/2 inch (1cm) long. Anyone know what kind they are? to me they look like Physa sp. A.K.A Physa Snail, Pouch Snail, Tadpole Snail but I could be wrong.


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

It's a physa species. They stay smaller than radix snails (the 'pondsnail' group) and can be told apart by the narrow antennae. Radix have triangular shaped antenae and get bigger.
Their mouths aren't strong enough to eat most healthy live plant tissue- they can only nibble on your plants if something else is breaking them down first.
I know these types of snails aren't popular, but they do make a great addition to the cleaning crew, eating dead/decaying plant and animal matter, algae and biofilm.

If you find yourself getting too many, squish the shell and let the corys have a treat.

nice shot, by the way.


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## Theratboy_101 (Apr 27, 2010)

thanks for confirming that! I don't see why they wouldn't be popular... small and won't eat the plants... I thought people didn't like snails because they get big and eat your plants???


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## hgi (Jun 13, 2010)

Bladder Snails is what I know them by, they move so fast when they're on a mission.


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

I think people dislike them because they tend to become so numerous. Free puffer/cory food I say! And very pretty in their own right.


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## fan4guppy (Jan 31, 2011)

not all people dislike these snails as these little guys are good scavengers for livebearer fry tanks


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

fan4guppy said:


> not all people dislike these snails as these little guys are good scavengers for livebearer fry tanks


Personally, I hold the 4 common 'pest' snail species to be attractive and very useful additions. In a fry tank, like you said, they do a bang-up job of keeping things clean. I don't vacuum fry tanks when babies are little, so the snails are essential.
Even their eggs are food: the little livebearer heterandria pick at the egg masses until the jelly is opened up, then they feast.
Where I don't like them is in egg-layer breeding or hatching tanks, since they all eat eggs.


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

wierd i never knew snails ate eggs, learn somethin new every day


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

they're deadly in breeding mops!


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## fan4guppy (Jan 31, 2011)

The snails are also deadly on egg scatterers too !

Yea snails can eat their way through alot of egg layer nests cichlids too! Lost a batch of kribensis eggs years ago to my pest snails.

Just waiting for a snail to develop a strategy like the Synodontis species that affects mouth brooders like the one in Tanganika LOL ...

The pests also come in handy for people that have small puffers and clown loaches too.


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