# Do red ramshorn snails eat plants?



## snail (Sep 22, 2010)

I know the short answer is probably yes but there seems to be differing answers on just how much. I'm planning on a 65gal low tech setup with lots of moss and some easy plants. I quite fancy these snails for my clean up crew but once I put them in I'll be stuck with them! I don't mind the odd nibble, I don't keep a perfect tank, but I don't want them munching their way through all my plants!


----------



## Nue (Dec 27, 2009)

Nothing to worry about.  For the most part, Rams are plant safe.


----------



## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

NO ... Unless there is decaying plant parts then that's a different conversation.

Best wishes,
Wes


----------



## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Be careful what you wish for... If there isn't somethign to keep them in check, they will easily take over a tank.


----------



## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

over_stocked said:


> Be careful what you wish for... If there isn't somethign to keep them in check, they will easily take over a tank.


Tell me about it !!!:help: :eek5: :hihi:

Best wishes,
Wes


----------



## nonconductive (Jan 29, 2010)

snail said:


> I know the short answer is probably yes but there seems to be differing answers on just how much. I'm planning on a 65gal low tech setup with lots of moss and some easy plants. I quite fancy these snails for my clean up crew but once I put them in I'll be stuck with them! I don't mind the odd nibble, I don't keep a perfect tank, but I don't want them munching their way through all my plants!


 
No. They only eat dead/dying plant matter.


----------



## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

mine eat camboba furcata and sometimes fissidens


----------



## snail (Sep 22, 2010)

over_stocked said:


> Be careful what you wish for... If there isn't somethign to keep them in check, they will easily take over a tank.


I'm not too worried about that because I have a sunfish in another tank that LOVES snails. If I have too many of them I'll fish them out for his lunch:icon_wink


----------



## snail (Sep 22, 2010)

mordalphus said:


> mine eat camboba furcata and sometimes fissidens


Is that real damage or just a bit of a nibble? My malaysian trumpet snails eat my java moss sometimes but the moss grows quicker than they eat it so It's not a big problem. I'm planning on having lots of different moss in my new tank and it will be low light , low tech so it probably won't grow too fast and I don't want snails that eat it faster!

Thanks for all the answers by the way, very helpful:icon_smil


----------



## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

Not too much damage, although last week they chopped one of the tops off of my c. furcata which pissed me off (the tops are a nice red), and they'll chop my vals off at the base sometimes, but like you said, they grow faster than they can destroy them.


----------



## rmsalaysay (Jan 5, 2016)

OverStocked said:


> Be careful what you wish for... If there isn't somethign to keep them in check, they will easily take over a tank.


yes sir and the worst part that was happen to me really is that i suspect it was potassium deficiency since i saw some hole in my hygrophila polysperma sunset, but it as bit different from hole since it likes someone bite from it also from the others. i dose the tank with EI, now i crushed all small snail and start to feed it to the fish as source for extra protein natural food.

ill get rid of this snail its not nice to see them in glass tank when taking picture. I have fire red shrimp high grade no need for another algae eater.


----------



## Lonestarbandit (Feb 7, 2013)

I too was wondering about reds.
I have a botia loach I move into problem tanks and it makes short work of snail populations.
Unfortunately ole angelica of death will also put paid to any shrimp I forget to move. Its like the terminator that loach.
So that wouldn't be an issue. Where do I FIND these snails is for me the issue.


----------



## garfieldnfish (Sep 25, 2010)

On Aquabid. But even if you buy red ramshorns there is no guarantee that they will breed true. I have many reds along with brown, leopard and some blue. I have tried to line breed the blue and red and there are now many more blue and red than there are brown and leopard I still get a few of the brown and leopard showing up with each batch.


----------



## Acro (Jul 7, 2012)

Here ya go. 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/8...brates/832258-ramshorn-snails-eat-plants.html

*EDIT*
Whoops, I just noticed the date. Thread is about 6 years old! lol



.


----------

