Top 4 Aquarium Snails to Avoid (don't Make This Mistake)
- Aug 20, 2023
- Anshika Mishra
- 235 0 0
This article covers the top four snail species you should avoid introducing in your community aquarium. Adding these can burden your biological filtration and clog filter intake tubes.
The species in this list tend to be those unwanted snails that aquariums try to eliminate. But, they also have their positive side. So, we're not calling them villains here. Instead, it would be best to be careful when adding them to your tank.
Bladder Snails
Bladder snails are a freshwater snail species that many aquarists have in the tank. However, these snails aren't usually added to fish tanks by choice. These distinctive-looking snails can breed fast; since they are hermaphroditic, you only need one to start a colony.
Bladder snails don't dig; they breathe air from the surface. Although, they spend most of their time cruising around on surfaces in your tank. They feed on algae and uneaten food but don't damage plants. However, they will provide on damaged or dead plant matter.
Ramshorn Snails
Ramshorn snails often find their way into our tanks accidentally on new plants. They are one of the most common pest snails in the hobby. And even though they are peaceful, but breed freely, which can be pretty annoying if you never plan on having them in the first place.
However, these snails are hard workers in freshwater aquariums with multi-colored spiral shells. They are not fuzzy about food and are happy to scavenge and feed on uneaten fish food. They'll also eat algae but not feed on live plants.
Assasin Snails
These are the cannibals of the snail world. They feed on snails. So most aquarists keep them to help control the population of pests and snails in the tank.
But if you like your snails. Avoid introducing Assassins to your tank. Although it is rare, they can also sometimes feed on freshwater shrimps.
Apple Snails
Apple Snails have crawled on this list for two reasons. They have a habit of eating live plants and are invasive. Apple snails can make exciting pets in tanks without any live plants. But they should be kept far away from your aquascapes.
These snails can escape captivity and become invasive in Asia and Southeast USA.
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