# Do Nerite snails eat leaves? The carnage continues!



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

They'll eat dead/decaying/dying plants.


----------



## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

What about ramshorn? This was a healthy leaf. All I have in the tank are cherries, a horned and zebra nerite, an otto, some ramshorn and pond snails.


----------



## CatB (Jan 29, 2012)

radioman said:


> What about ramshorn? This was a healthy leaf. All I have in the tank are cherries, a horned and zebra nerite, an otto, some ramshorn and pond snails.


i'd place money on the pond snails doing it. some species don't eat plants, but others do. ramshorns and nerites only eat dying leaves.


----------



## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

What kind of trap would be good for pond snails? I guess something with a small enough opening not to let other things get in?


----------



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Pond, Bladder, Ramshorn, Nerite. None eat healthy, living leaves.

Sometimes you think a plant is in perfect shape based on appearance and it's actually in less than great shape.


----------



## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

somewhatshocked said:


> Pond, Bladder, Ramshorn, Nerite. None eat healthy, living leaves.
> 
> Sometimes you think a plant is in perfect shape based on appearance and it's actually in less than great shape.


Hopefully that is the case. I only get pond snails when I come back home from school and get back into a hard water area where the shells don't dissolve. So far it is only one small leaf that was on a small young java fern that so far has not grown profusely. The only other area might be the tip of another leaf but I'm not sure.


----------



## CatB (Jan 29, 2012)

i really thought certain species of pond snails ate healthy plants? maybe not. 
look up lettuce traps though, if you want to catch them. i feel like you'd end up catching some nerites and ramshorns too, though...i guess you could pluck them out.


----------



## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

The java fern looked in good shape but who knows. I noticed one leaf had a bite out of it and I just noticed some more nibbles. I will just have to watch the leaves I guess to see if new leaves are being targeted.


----------



## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

radioman said:


> The java fern looked in good shape but who knows. I noticed one leaf had a bite out of it and I just noticed some more nibbles. I will just have to watch the leaves I guess to see if new leaves are being targeted.


 
What fish are in the tank?


----------



## RukoTheWonderDog (Nov 11, 2011)

I used to get holes in leaves that I thought was due to a snail problem. I had ramshorn and malaysian trumpet snails (that I could see). 

Later found that the holes were due to nutrient deficiency in the tank. I suspect it was too little potassium.


----------



## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

RukoTheWonderDog said:


> I used to get holes in leaves that I thought was due to a snail problem. I had ramshorn and malaysian trumpet snails (that I could see).
> 
> Later found that the holes were due to nutrient deficiency in the tank. I suspect it was too little potassium.


This was a whole leaf that was gone with only the veins left. Definitely something ate it.


----------



## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

JasonG75 said:


> What fish are in the tank?


Just an otto.


----------



## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

The carnage continues. This leaf seems perfectly healthy. I have had ramshorn and pond snails in my tank for a while and never had problems. Only after a few days of adding the nerites did I have a problem.
Anyone have any suggestions? These chunks are to big to be a little pond snail. Here is a thread mentioning ramshorn eating plants too.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/s...es/123132-d-mn-ramshorn-eating-my-plants.html
I'm about to go on a snail hunt.


----------



## vincenz (Jan 29, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> Pond, Bladder, Ramshorn, Nerite. None eat healthy, living leaves.
> 
> Sometimes you think a plant is in perfect shape based on appearance and it's actually in less than great shape.


Eh, I don't think this should be written in stone. If those snails are hungry enough, they will nibble on leaves.

I'm guessing those chews were from snails. I don't see otos doing that at all. I'd suggest you spend a couple hours one day and watch the behavior of some of the inhabitants in your tank.


----------



## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

vincenz said:


> Eh, I don't think this should be written in stone. If those snails are hungry enough, they will nibble on leaves.
> 
> I'm guessing those chews were from snails. I don't see otos doing that at all. I'd suggest you spend a couple hours one day and watch the behavior of some of the inhabitants in your tank.


I would but it only notice it in the morning. So I'm assuming it is happening after lights out.


----------



## vincenz (Jan 29, 2012)

Ah, so they're doing it behind your back. If I were you, I'd just overfeed the tank a little for a few days and see what happens. My guess is the nibbling will stop.


----------

