# Snail Found During Cycling



## Minnedood97 (Jan 8, 2014)

So i'm about 10 days into my tank cycle and I noticed a pond snail puttin' around. Ive been using crushed up fish flakes as a source of ammonia and its literally caked everything. it almost looks like it snowed in some spots of my tank. Anyways I was thinking id leave the snail in there to help clean it all up but i was wondering if he might start reproducing and take over. Im planning on adding RCS to the tank (10g) after its dont cycling. I just want to ask:

- Will pond snails take over the tank to a point where they can out-compete RCS?

- Will the snail survive a cycle? (Just got my first reading of nitrite 2 days ago and its climbed to about 2.0)


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## creekbottom (Apr 5, 2012)

He will survive your cycle. Snails populations follow closely with food availability. The more food that is there, the more snails there will be. Once the cycle is done and you stop overfeeding the tank, the snail population will fall off.

If you don't want any snails you should take him out now!!!


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

It sounds like you're using too much fish food. I only used a very tiny amount each day. I had a lot of pond snails later on and they all died off after I put in some competition (MTS).


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## nyxkitten (Jul 24, 2012)

Is your tank planted?


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

nyxkitten said:


> Is your tank planted?


Absolutely  It's a 10 gallon. I'm switching the substrate to Miracle Gro Organic Choice Potting mix (dirt) with a black sand cap because it's supposed to be good for the plants and my plants need a little help.

How about your tank?


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## nyxkitten (Jul 24, 2012)

Sorry Django. i was asking Minnedood97.


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## svkr2k (Aug 24, 2010)

i came to know recently that the snails come to the new tank along with the plants that we purchase (?). cycling is completed in my tank this week and there are lots of small snails.


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## Minnedood97 (Jan 8, 2014)

nyxkitten said:


> Is your tank planted?


Yes my tank is lightly planted. Just a handful of javafern and some javamoss.


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## Minnedood97 (Jan 8, 2014)

Django said:


> It sounds like you're using too much fish food. I only used a very tiny amount each day. I had a lot of pond snails later on and they all died off after I put in some competition (MTS).


I could be this is my first time cycling a tank. I put in about enough food to cover half a nickle(i crush it up). Would it be bad to vacuum out the excess food once my tank is cycled? Or would i also vacuum the bacteria?


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## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

Bacteria cling to things, siphoning the extra food out shouldn't cause any damage. 
After the tank cycles, add an assassin snail. They'll eat the pest snails, then they'll eat just random bits of dropped food. 
Although... I've heard of them eating small shrimp... I suppose maybe not. 
Pond snails can be removed by putting a piece of lettuce in the tank and then later taking it out. They'll cling onto it when you take them out.


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

Pond snails, for me at least, do really well and have huge numbers for about a year, but then they just sorta die off, either out competed by other livestock or the younger reproductive snails outcompeted by snails that can't breed, and then those die off and there are no young to support the population.


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