[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Big Ramshorn Snails



Frank wrote:

>I've got a bit of an algae problem in one of my tanks, so yesterday I
>picked up three large (1.5 inch)  ramshorn snails to see if they would help
>a bit.  Despite an abundance of algae, they chewed into my plants with a
>speed I found quite astounding.  One 4" by 1/2" leaf became a 4" by 1/4"
>leaf in about 20 seconds as I watched a single snail travel down it.

I'm looking at a ruler and those are awfully large Ramshorn snails. I've
never seen any that big but then that may be just because I haven't seen
any that big. :)  Are you sure they were Ramshorn snails? Maybe some snail
experts out there can tell us how big they get. Mine are about a 1/2 inch
and I thought those were big.

Even if they are Ramshorn snails I think your mistake was getting such big
ones. I have read that they eat plants only when they get large and if one
has too many. If this is so you can raise them and let them eat algae and
then remove them when they get too big. I put a new Java Fern in my tank
with some of the older leaves algaed (let's make algae a verb!) and my
snails headed right over there and are cleaning the leaves, not eating
them.

Sorry you had a bad experience, Frank but if you could have seen my tank
before and then after the snails you would be impressed.

Snail experts -- what's the word on Ramshorns?

Olga
in Vancouver