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Thread: Ramshorn snails

  1. #1
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    Mike

    Default Ramshorn snails

    Hi all,

    I noticed ramshorn snails in my sand substrate when I'm vacuum cleaning. They are quite small, almost translucent but my siphon isn't strong enough to aspirate them. I'm sure they were introduced to my tank with some live plants I acquired a few months ago. I'm not sure if they will cause problems down the line and whether I need to take steps to eradicate them either biologically or chemically? My biological routes would be to add loaches, but after searching the forum, loaches and discus don't get along well. There are dwarf chain loaches at my LFS which stay small (~2.5 inches or 5-6 cm) but I don't know if they are also "too active" and will stress discus. I was thinking about adding them and perhaps returning the LFS for store credit after they are done doing their job although they are quite expensive here ($10 each) and would probably need to get atleast 3 sice they are a shoaling fish. I'm not a fan of adding assassin snails as they would eventually become a pest as well. I've read that flubendazole kills snails. I'm not sure if I have many snails since they are small so I don't think they would cause a significant ammonia spike in a ~150 gal aquarium if I chemically kill them, but I don't know.

    Would love to hear people's thoughts...

    Thanks,
    Mike

  2. #2
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Mervin

    Default Re: Ramshorn snails

    The assassin snail won't become a pest. With no other snails to fed on their numbers stay low and will slowly die/starve off. Ramshorn snails are great to keep hair algae at bay, if you ever need them for that.

    ps. if you kill them all at once with a med you might get an ammonia spike.
    Last edited by bluelagoon; 02-14-2022 at 01:20 PM. Reason: ps

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Ramshorn snails

    Thanks mervin- I do have hair algae on my driftwood and some plants.

  4. #4
    Registered Member famtsberg's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ramshorn snails

    I have raised and sold a lot of assassin snails. What blue lagoon says is true. If you however are feeding beef heart the population will grow and flourish. I have a community tank I intentionally over feed beef heart a day or so before cleaning. With an initial population of 5 snails I have harvested 300 and have 200 or more in the tank with 0 pest snails for over a year. They are hearty snails and easy to sell. I pay for all my foods and extra equipment from assassin snails, a few mystery snails and abn. With that large a tank you could have $500 in snails @ $1 each easy. Something to think about.
    The secret to learning how to fly is this, you must throw yourself at the ground and miss.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Ramshorn snails

    Hey Fritz- I do feed the discus a beef heart mix. Where do you sell your assassin snails? I think they are pretty ubiquitous and not sure my LFS would be interested. It sounds like a good business for you though. Maybe one assassin snail might work? it would just take a while to eradicate pest snails?
    Last edited by mleibowi; 02-14-2022 at 04:06 PM.

  6. #6
    Silver Member Iminit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ramshorn snails

    I’ve never had rams horn snails but do have many others. Nerites,bladder and mts. I keep mts in all tanks. They are great snails that will live in your substrate cleaning and moving it all day long. Thing with snails is you can’t over feed you fish. Being discus and our constant tank cleaning I never get overpopulated in the discus tanks. Now the other tanks they sometimes do. But one tank has a pair of clown loaches that love snails.
    My clown don’t bother the discus much.

  7. #7
    Registered Member famtsberg's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ramshorn snails

    I sell lots to several LFS. I would start with them. If you get a bunch, you can use aquabid. My community tank is a mix of fish, a giant gold fish and a huge african frog named george. nothing that hits the bottom stands a chance. lol I dont raise snails with discus for the most part. I do put them in to clear pest snails.
    The secret to learning how to fly is this, you must throw yourself at the ground and miss.

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