# What type of snail do I have?



## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

So I started with what I thought was one snail but now I have about four. They are really small... What are they? XD


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Either baby ramshorn snails or dwarf ramshorn snail. If it is dwarf ramshorn snails, they can breed in that size and they can self reproduce. It will be never ending story of snails as you can't get rid of them.


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## DevinHebert (Aug 2, 2013)

If you don't want snails go out and buy some Yo-yo Loaches!


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

That depends on his tank size thou. While yo-yo loaches is smaller than clown loaches, they still can grow up to 5 inches and they need to be in school of 6. There are dwarf chain loaches which are great for snails as well. However dwarf chain loaches are expensive, I believe Aquarium West sell them around 25 dollars and they also have to be in school.

Pea Puffers is also great for snails, however they aren't mean for community tank and usually have to keep by themselves otherwise they may kill other fishs.


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## newfie (Mar 7, 2011)

Hi
you can use assassin snail there will take care of them snails I got some assassin if you are interested P.M. me.

Cheers Albert


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Oh ya.. For some brain fart reason I forgot the assassin snails. lol.

The thing with Assassin snails is they can keep the snail number in control instead complete terminated them. (Unless you keep more than one and the good thing assassin snail doesn't breed like ramshorns.)


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Yea ^^ some kind of ramshorn. Pest snail for sure.

If they don't have predators, it's a up hill battle. You can try snail traps, but I didn't have any luck with that long term. Opted for a couple of assassin snails (since I couldn't use copper poison in my shrimp tank).


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## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

Thanks guys completely forgot about this thread. Lmao. I also see I couldn't find it under freshwater chat because I put it in classifieds. Oops. Lmao.

Too bad they are a pest, they are pretty cute


I have a 10gal with 3silvertip BNP, 6 neon tetras, and 3 ADF's. No room for loaches sadly. 

I will look into the assassin snails. How many would be good to have? There must be more than four because well, they are likely ramshorns. Lol.


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Fishy_Addiction said:


> Thanks guys completely forgot about this thread. Lmao. I also see I couldn't find it under freshwater chat because I put it in classifieds. Oops. Lmao.
> 
> Too bad they are a pest, they are pretty cute
> 
> ...


1 should be enough to keep those ramshorn snails number in check assume you don't over feed the tank. If you overfeed the tank than the snail population will bloom rapidly. If it is normal size ramshorn snail, you might be able to see the eggs and get rid of them before they hatch. However if it is dwarf ramshorn snails like I had in my tank, it is impossible to find the egg and they will just keep show up.

You can get more than 1 assassin snail, however it is impossible to sexing the assassin snail. if you get more than 1, you may end up with pair and they will to breed. While assassin snail doesn't breed like ramshorn, you may end up replace one snail with another. Not like it will cause any problem as you don't have shrimps in the tank, assassin snails will just eat left over food if they eat all the pest snails. Once you add assassin snail you can't add other snails like apple snail or nerite snails, because they will be on the dinner menu.


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## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

All right.  what are their temperature requirements? I do not have a heater in my tank but it has never been below 69.(69 fall/winter/start of spring, 72end of spring to summer.(I have a temperature gun))

Can I use them in my smaller tanks?


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## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

Also if the mods could move this to the right section, that would be great


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Fishy_Addiction said:


> All right.  what are their temperature requirements? I do not have a heater in my tank but it has never been below 69.(69 fall/winter/start of spring, 72end of spring to summer.(I have a temperature gun))
> 
> Can I use them in my smaller tanks?


Good question. however I don't think they need heater at all.

I don't think there is min tank requirement for snails. I was told you can even put them in a jar but most people believe you still need a sponge filter. My assassin snail is inside a breeder box with bunch of ramshorn snails inside a 2.6 gallon marina 360 that has a pea puffer. I dunno which side ramshorn snails are in hell. The one live inside the breeder box or the one live outside the breeder box but with a pea puffer.


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## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

Sweet.

Well, I got one today from my go to LFS.








Love it and didn't have to pay an arm and a leg! :3


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

You may want to pick up a few more if the ramshorns are popping up everywhere (first sign is you see a few more...). They're hungry little things, but they might get a little sluggish when they're full 

Worst case scenario, they breed, and you can sell or get store credit for any offspring. I thought $5 for one was well worth it not having to add copper into the tank (not just for the shrimp, but not having to worry about contaminating the silicon and such for future use!).

If you happen to snag a pic of it eating, be sure to post it!

Cheers,
Chris


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## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

I've noticed about 8 in total but who knows.

If I catch him eating I shall!


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

I think assassin snail will eat 2 or 3 small size of ramshorn snail a day if it can't find bigger one. (1 a day if it is large ramshorn.). You should be fine if you don't over feed your tank, however may not be bad idea to get few more assassin if you see more ramshorn snails. It is impossible to spot Dwarf ramshorn's eggs and each egg cluster can have hatch several baby ramshorns. My 20+ gallon was covered by those dwarf ramshorns.

I use the no planaria that I bought form Patrick of Canadian Aquatics and it wroks for a week. All the dwarf ramshorn disappeared with several white shell lay on the substrate, however two weeks later they come back and take over the tank again. (not sure if it newly hatched bunch since I can't spot any eggs.)

It is hard to spot it eating, I only saw it twice during 3 weeks peroid. My assassin will grab the dwarf ramshorn and suck the meat out of shell. The whole process last for few min than my assassin drop the shell and went on for next one.


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## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

I think these cute guys are dwarfs. They have not gotten much bigger than the following "O" on the screen definitely smaller than the stratum. Got the plants back in Feb I think but I could be totally wromg. XD


I get they are pest but I just love them. Lol. They are so funny to watch. ><


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Ya than it is impossible to spot the egg and they will keep coming. 1 assassin snail should be able to keep number in check unless you overfeed the tank or tank has a lot of algae or dead plants. I don't think they are fun because it is eye sore when they take over the tank and cover the glass!. 

Than again. My pea puffer love them. (Eating them that is.) I droped close to 100 of those in my marina 360 2.6 gallon before purchase the puffer. 2 days after i put the pea puffer in the tank, I saw nothing but empty shell in the tank. My pea puffer is one mean eating machine. lol.


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## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

The ottos briefly had from Petsmart did a fantastic job with the algae so very little left. XD. I just have a lot of dead needles from my hornwort.

Well when it gets to that point it definately wouldn't be fun. I agree. Lol. But a few here and there are cool. XD


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## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

I can't find my snail, do they burrow? D:


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Yup, they will burrow!


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## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

Guess he is somewhere... Lol. 

I know I never brought the ich up in this thread but he was carrying some on his shells. Fingers crossed he does OK. Got a lot of help from Eric today on what to do.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Ich is subdermal (whatever the fishy scale term would be), I'm pretty sure inverts can't carry them.


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## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

This was him yesterday. I thought it look like it, but could I be wrong?


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

Could be Calcium deposite or just white spot on the shell. 

I don't believe ich theronts is white color or viable by eye. Inverts won't get ich but they may carry ich theronts.


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## Fishy_Addiction (May 3, 2013)

Ahhhh, all right.


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## YumiChi (Mar 16, 2015)

I got the same problem with these snail. I keep scooping them with my net and... when I do my WC i will suck them out as well. 
They're like zombies just keep coming back... 

They're all over my plants too. They have done nothing to my shrimps or neon tetra.. but I don't like a booger sized snail hanging on my tank wall 
I also getting algae all over my driftwood... and I 've been pulling them out during WC as well.


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