ramshorn snails -- how to care for them?

I got 4 ramshorn snails from someone and put them in my 15 gallon
tank (2 neon tetras, 2 zebra danios, 2 pygmy cory catfish). They are
happily slurpping up all the algae. I think they look kind of cool
and they are fun to watch. I've been reading about them on the 'net.

1. Their shells are kind of bleached. The previous owner said that
she had soft water and the snails needed the minerals for their
shells. Will adding hard water to the tank help them?

2. I've been reading that snails reproduce and can easily takeover
a tank. The best way to keep them in check is to put in a fish
who'll eat them. Loaches are the ones suggested the most often.
Loaches can get too big and they tend to be aggressive. I'm afraid
they will harm my little fish. Is there a loach who won't grow too
big and will work for my tank? I really don't want to poison the
snails or crush the babies.

Sorry for all the questions. I hope to be a competent fish keeper
someday.

Thanks in advance!
coolchinchilla

coolchinchilla wrote:
I got 4 ramshorn snails from someone and put them in my 15 gallon tank
(2 neon tetras, 2 zebra danios, 2 pygmy cory catfish). They are happily
slurpping up all the algae. I think they look kind of cool and they are
fun to watch. I've been reading about them on the 'net.

1. Their shells are kind of bleached. The previous owner said that she
had soft water and the snails needed the minerals for their shells.
Will adding hard water to the tank help them?

2. I've been reading that snails reproduce and can easily takeover a
tank. The best way to keep them in check is to put in a fish who'll eat
them. Loaches are the ones suggested the most often. Loaches can get
too big and they tend to be aggressive. I'm afraid they will harm my
little fish. Is there a loach who won't grow too big and will work for
my tank? I really don't want to poison the snails or crush the babies.

Sorry for all the questions. I hope to be a competent fish keeper someday.

Thanks in advance!
coolchinchilla

- Clown loaches will get rid of ALL your snails.
- Yes, harder water is necessary for good snail shells. Adding some
crushed coral in a net bag in your filter can help.

I've been raising snails in a 2-gal plastic aquarium. I add
finely-ground calcium carbonate ("u.s.p." from the pharmacy) to the
change water, and feed algae wafers. There are plants in the snail
aquarium, but they're getting eaten, except java moss which does well.

Due to overpopulation of snails, I've started feeding some of them to my
clown loaches in another aquarium.

I read, in another post, that people successfully raise snails in tubs
of water (buckets, ice cream tubs). They add ground limestone available
from the garden centre cheap, and feed lettuce leaves.

Unless you have snail-eating fish, it's hard to avoid having snails as
long as your water has some carbonates in it. My water's too soft and my
snails had bleached shells and did poorly, until I put some in the 2-gal
tank with the "hardened" water.

The snails really are quite beautiful, interesting creatures. Mine are
red ramshorns- translucent shell, bright red body once grown. They seem
to be able to float or sink at will (?).

Steve

2. I've been reading that snails reproduce and can easily takeover
a tank. The best way to keep them in check is to put in a fish
who'll eat them. Loaches are the ones suggested the most often.
Loaches can get too big and they tend to be aggressive. I'm afraid
they will harm my little fish. Is there a loach who won't grow too
big and will work for my tank? I really don't want to poison the
snails or crush the babies.

I have 10g with live plants and got an enomous amount of snails that
hitched a ride on the plant. I tried a skunk botia and he worked great.
He gets only a few inches, unlike the Clowns, some of which I've seen
at about 12 inches. Having a cave for him to hind in during the time
when the lights are on is a must.

Good luck with the snails,
Evan Davis

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2. I've been reading that snails reproduce and can easily takeover
a tank. The best way to keep them in check is to put in a fish
who'll eat them. Loaches are the ones suggested the most often.
Loaches can get too big and they tend to be aggressive. I'm afraid
they will harm my little fish. Is there a loach who won't grow too
big and will work for my tank? I really don't want to poison the
snails or crush the babies.

I have 10g with live plants and got an enomous amount of snails that
hitched a ride on the plant. I tried a skunk botia and he worked great.
He gets only a few inches, unlike the Clowns, some of which I've seen
at about 12 inches. Having a cave for him to hind in during the time
when the lights are on is a must.

Good luck with the snails,
Evan Davis

I'll second this recommendation about Skunk botia. I
have 2-3 in two different tanks, and they do a good
job keeping the snail population down, but they don't
eat all the snails. I also have 2 Yo-Yo loaches in
another tank and although they get bigger than the
skunk botia, they seem to be maxing out at about 3".

Gail