Too many snails

[newfish]

I am a newbie!

I bought used gravel from SuperPet a few months ago for my 10gal tank. There were about 4 or 5 snails in the gravel.  Since then the snails have multiplied and I have several dozen in my tank.  What do I do?  Are they harming my tank in any way?

[MikeM]

They're probably pond snails, in which case they may eat your plants.  If they are brownish with a football-shaped shell, you've got pond snails.  If they have long spiral shells, they're Malaysian Trumpet snails, which are harmless and help to keep your gravel moving.  I had a pond snail plague when I first set up my tank, and 3 clown loaches took care of them very quickly, but a 10 gal would be far to small for clown loaches which grow to 10"+.  Maybe some other loach experts could suggest a smaller loach that eats snails, but your best bet is probably to sink a slice of cucumber or zucchini around lights out and come back when your lights come up and scoop up the piece of veg and the many many snails that will be attached to it.  It won't wipe them out, but it will keep them manageable.

[kennyman]

Personally I like snails in my tanks. Sure some are prettier than others but besides algae they also eat detritus such as excess food, fish poop and dead plant material. Some people like sterile tanks, others like it a bit on the wild side. Its mostly a personal preference.

[fishycanuck]

I like snails too - I never have to scrape algae off my glass any more. Mind you, my plants are plastic. 

[succinctfish]

Do your snails look like this ?  If so, that is the beloved malaysian trumpet snail.    As kennyman said, they'll eat all that gunk in your substrate, they're like earthworms in that they move through the substrate and keep it from compacting. They are the laid back aquarist's buddy, better than vacuuming the gravel all the time.  Snails seem to be a love/hate thing for folks.  And then there are the snail weirdos who pay big bucks to aquire all sorts of different snails, and even dedicate tanks to them.    Enjoy your surprise snails.

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[newfish]

Do your snails look like this ?  If so, that is the beloved malaysian trumpet snail.    As kennyman said, they'll eat all that gunk in your substrate, they're like earthworms in that they move through the substrate and keep it from compacting. They are the laid back aquarist's buddy, better than vacuuming the gravel all the time.  Snails seem to be a love/hate thing for folks.  And then there are the snail weirdos who pay big bucks to aquire all sorts of different snails, and even dedicate tanks to them.    Enjoy your surprise snails.

Yup! More than half the snails are just like the once in the picture.  The other half are regular looking (I guess pond snails).  I think I will let them be for now (as long as they don't overwhelm my tank).

Thanks for the comments, folks.

[babblefish1960]

I love malaysian trumpet snails, and you are very lucky to have them.
They are the only live bearing snail out there, and their population relies heavily on detritus and extra food, so if you are getting vast increases in numbers, you are feeding your tank too much.
They do not hurt plants at all, which for a planted tank is a good thing.
They also are great for touring through the substrate as succinctfish mentioned, this is an important feature for managing substrate gas problems that can develop with decaying food and compaction.
They also creep up the glass at night as that is where they spend the evening, don't be alarmed unless they do that at midday, that would be an indicator of something awry in the substrate that even they can't stand, sort of like the canary in the coal mine.

There is so much more I can say to heap praises on the Malaysian trumpet snail, but I shall slow down now to merely leave you with the personal notion that these are not snails for loach or puffer people, let them eat the annoying pond snails instead.

[dan2x38]

How do you control their population? I already have pond snails...

[babblefish1960]

Malaysian trumpet snails, feed less, pond snails, squish them.

[Melody]

They are the only live bearing snail out there,

Don't forget about the Viv's!  Viviparus actually means 'livebearing'.  The most familiar species to hobbyists is the good ol' Japanese Trapdoor Snails, Viviparus malleatus .

But to the topic at hand, snail populations will only explode if they have a good food source.  Self-preservation prevents them from breeding when food is scarce.  They don't need much mind you, but cutting back on the feeding will help to keep them in check.  Daytime MTS sightings can also mean that you are overpopulated.

Yo Yo Loaches do a fantastic job with pond snails but can't break the shells on MTS.  Clown Loaches are said to eat baby MTS if they have a mind to.