# To trumpet snail or not to trumpet snail?



## TankPlanter (May 31, 2015)

SO: To Malaysian trumpet snail trumpet snail? Opinions and experience, please!

I'm a newbie about to set up my first MGOPM + cap of 20/40 black diamond tank, 20 gallon long. I have plants on the way, and will be setting up in the next week or so. 

I'm trying to decide whether to seed with trumpet snails, or whether to just poke the soil??

I hear that snails do a great job aerating, and keep the tank clean, and are an important part of the system clean-up crew. Opposing this, I hear that plants should all be treated to get rid of them first, as they go crazy breeding-- even if not overfeeding-- and require control measures (killing them off, assassin snails, etc.) I hear that they uproot new plants with small roots, so I should just poke the soil regularly until the plant roots take over aeration duty.

So...should I seed with, say 20 MTS?

I plan to stock with cories, a betta, and some small schooling fish, in case that matters. It's too small for clown loaches, unfortunately.

THANKS!


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

From personal experience I have snails in my 4 tanks. MTS, assassin, nerite and pond snails. My tanks are heavily planted. I can't say snails eat my plants. They will however eat parts of plants that are degenerating. This sometime creates confusion. To me they are part of my small ecosystems. I dont even need to clean the glasses. Snails do it.


You don't need 20. You can cut that in half.


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## goodbytes (Aug 18, 2014)

I really never understood why some people claim they have a snail "problem" or "infestation". In my experience they're a valuable part of any community tank and serve a valuable function. I always toss snails into my tanks from my other aquariums in the hope that they will multiply prodigiously and help keep the glass clean. I also always end up with tons of them with MTS typically being the most numerous. They're such small creatures but they efficiently turn over the entire surface fairly regularly. I must've had at least 80 of them in my 55 prior to the move a couple months ago and never had a single problem with such a large population. For some reason my Yoyo Loaches don't eat them. I bet you'd have a thriving population in no time with as few as five.


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

I'm a snail supporter. Regarding MTS: in one tank I only see them at night, the other tank they are out all the time. Also, from some readings, MTS won't burrow in anaerobic conditions. The key to snail control is limiting food sources(left over fish food and dead/dying plant matter). Assassin snails also burrow(for other snails). I prefer Ramshorns, MTS and Nerites.


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## Jetbo (Feb 23, 2012)

Out of all my tanks I think the ones with MTS are heather then the others. One thing I don't like about then is how they can muscle shrimp off of their food. They are also the hardest of the "pest snails" to get rid off. So without a ton of work once they are established in a tank they are pretty much there for good unlike ramshorn or even pond/blatter snales which don't hide under the substrate.
Even though my little dwarf puffers are pretty ruthless when it comes to snails it like it's almost personal.


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

I have a zilion MTS. Actually, the number I see has decreased lately.I agree that there is a connection between MTS population and usable food. It doesn't take much. And I agree that they dig in the earth.

The MTS run over and smother the sinking pellets as soon as they smell them.

Because of my experiences with MTS, I would rather risk not having the holes in the substrate. They multiply like crazy. It only takes one.


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

Good to see the "Pro-Snail Squad" out in full force.


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## SueD (Nov 20, 2010)

My worst nightmare = MTS. I tore one tank down because of these. I'm not one who would ever put them in a tank "on purpose". I've just eradicated them from a 40b, and am still working (well, my assassins are working) on a 20 long. Fortunately I have breeding assassins in another tank and I move them around as needed. 

If you do add some MTS and start to become annoyed at the numbers, add 5-6 assassins right away to begin to control the numbers. Assassins were no match for the numbers I had in the tank I tore down (hundreds).


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## jacobsears (Dec 15, 2013)

Bushkill said:


> Good to see the "Pro-Snail Squad" out in full force.


+1
Snails can be really beneficial and cool to watch too. I've got trumpet snails in my tanks, but I rarely see them because they're all down in the substrate. I've never had a problem with them or any other species of snail reproducing out of control. Regardless, as long as your soil layer is an inch or less, I'd be surprised if you have problems with anaerobic pockets.


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## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

SueD said:


> My worst nightmare = MTS. I tore one tank down because of these. I'm not one who would ever put them in a tank "on purpose". I've just eradicated them from a 40b, and am still working (well, my assassins are working) on a 20 long. Fortunately I have breeding assassins in another tank and I move them around as needed.
> 
> If you do add some MTS and start to become annoyed at the numbers, add 5-6 assassins right away to begin to control the numbers. Assassins were no match for the numbers I had in the tank I tore down (hundreds).


OK, I'll take the bait. Other than sheer numbers, what was the issue?


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I have them in all my sand based tank. They only populate out of control if you have a plentiful food source. My 55g I over feed to try to get the cory and otos food (the others are such pigs) so I get a lot of mts in there. I think my bettas eat them as I've notice a lack of MTS in the betta tanks. My husband's dwarf puffer will eat them but the tank is so densely planted they tend to burrow into the sand before he find them, but he gets them when they resurface.


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## TankPlanter (May 31, 2015)

Thanks for all the experienced input!

SueD- I'm very curious to know why you wanted to rid your tank of the MTS? 

And Django- does "Because of my experiences with MTS, I would rather risk not having the holes in the substrate." mean that you're glad you have a zillion, or you would rather have not had them introduced?

And re competing with shrimp for food: Didn't know about that- how do you resolve that- plant lots of moss? I will also have a sponge filter, a possible shrimp food source.

I'm leaning toward introducing them when I lay down the soil/black diamond & plant. From this input, I gather that: They are helpful to clean the tank, I might not have anaerobic soil problems with 1" layer, anyway, and <=10 MTS would be a better starting number (my thought had been to start higher since avoiding anaerobic conditions is a starting up issue).

Thanks again.


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## mptski (Feb 23, 2013)

+1 for mts. Great addition to the cleaning crew!


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## Jcstank (Jan 3, 2015)

I've had them for as long as I've had the tank and hardly ever notice or see more than one. I did a quick Google search and came up with this positive article. They seem like a desirable addition to any tank according to this.
http://www.planetinverts.com/malaysian_trumpet_snail.html


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## The Dude (Feb 8, 2011)

Do you dislike snails? I feel they are nearly essential. They eat left over food and decaying plant matter. They tend to congregate in areas of poor circulation in essence diagnosing the problem areas for you. Assassin snails are also gorgeous and to have them you need regular snails. Snails are the first thing I add to any tank and they are essential in my eyes. I have Ramshorn and pond snails. I've been hoping to get lucky enough for some MTS eggs on a plant purchase, but no such luck as of yet.


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

I love snails. Now I want some mts. I have mystery and nerites. 

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## DJRansome (Jan 27, 2008)

Nightmare for me. MTS clog my filter intakes weekly.

I love the zebra nerites though.


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## Repteel (Jan 8, 2012)

Do they dig deep enough to disturb soil in a dirted tank and make a mess?


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

DJRansome said:


> Nightmare for me. MTS clog my filter intakes weekly.
> 
> I love the zebra nerites though.


Can't you just fix your intake?


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

Repteel said:


> Do they dig deep enough to disturb soil in a dirted tank and make a mess?


They live hapilly in to of my dirted capped sand tanks and no mess no fuss.


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

Mariostg said:


> They live hapilly in to of my dirted capped sand tanks and no mess no fuss.


^^ This ^^^


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

I like my MTS. I also have nerites, and I used to have a ramshorn- I miss that snail. They never bother the plants and keep the glass pretty clean. I usually only see them at night. If you see too many snails feed less, or pick some out. I sometimes crush extras w/the back of a spoon and feed them to the fishes (they go crazy for it). There's always plenty more snails. 

I've also heard that the snails are good indicators of water quality- if they start all crawling up above the water line, check your water. But I've never experienced this myself.


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## PhilthyMcnasty (Oct 16, 2011)

I have a ton of MTS in my 29 gallon with PFS. They do a nice job cleaning the sand up of leftovers. When there is left over shrimp pellets these guys come out of the sand and looks like a mass orgy on the top of the pellets.


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

I ordered 5 on eBay. Wonder if that's enough for my 40. I wasn't sure since I have about 8 mystery and 4 nerites 

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## Virc003 (Dec 3, 2011)

Generally you can get snails from your local fish store or even big box store for free. 

The only reason I want to lower the number of my snails now is so my future ottos can have more to eat naturally in the tank. Beyond that I've always had my tanks full of all types of snails with no problems ever. 

I've never had them eat my healthy plants or had them cause any kind of a mess or harm to any of my tanks at all.


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

not my pet shops lol! Nothing here 

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## YogiBear257 (Jun 7, 2015)

I have the african rift lake cichlid mix (it's JUST crushed up shells) and I absolutely am looking forward to an MTS "infestation". This substrate just begs to get clogged up with gunk so having those little subterranean (does that apply underwater?) vaccuum cleans will be fantastic. I have pond snails in there but they seem afraid to plunge into the shelly depths. 

Finally got some pond snails in my small tank which I am ecstatic about. Valuable parts of the ecosystem, especially when you don't have capped/pretty/effort put in substrate. 

Invert-Snail Squad rep.


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## TankPlanter (May 31, 2015)

Thanks for the great info! I'm picking some MTS up today from Petsmart; they will give me as many as I want

Q: can they live with just dirt?

I just set up my tank (MGOPM + 20/40 black diamond cap), and am planting today. So decaying plants make take some time (or not, setup did not go well), and I won't put fish in until parameters (ammonia, etc.) are clear, I figure a month or so. Thx!


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

If you have snails and decide you don't want them there are some really attractive small loaches that eat snails. I have completely eliminated snails in a tank by adding 5-6 loaches - Yoyo loaches are one of the good small ones, but there are others even better looking. The problem is how to feed the loaches after they remove all of your snails.


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## TankPlanter (May 31, 2015)

Hm, web says minimum tank size for yoyo loaches is 30g and I've got a 20... Good idea, though.

Well, I picked up 10 MTS and the woman at Petsmart giving them to be for free was like "Really??! Are you sure you want these in your tank?" 

Thanks for the input, all!


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

I am anxious to get mine! I hope to have them Wednesday. I ordered 10, not 5. I think my tank will benefit from them in the gravel. It's pretty gross if I move a plant or something.

Loaches can get big too.


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## TankPlanter (May 31, 2015)

Last Q, I promise: should I quarantine? No fish in the tank yet.


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

TankPlanter said:


> Last Q, I promise: should I quarantine? No fish in the tank yet.


I don't think there are any diseases of snails and fish- I'm sure we would have heard something about that. Personally, I think quarantining snails is overkill.


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## Method (Feb 13, 2011)

I always quarantine fish, but I haven't quarantined snails. No losses due to disease in a tank full of pygmy corys, ottos, and shrimp.


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

I got free trumpet snails from chain pet store, then my fish all got ich. I think the snails were carriers.


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## bigtrout (Sep 6, 2014)

I am pro MTS, they turn over the black diamond i have, eat excess fish food and dying plant leaves and turn all that into the sand...natural mulm! I rarely see my MTS in daytime unless there is something really good laying on the substrate. Heck, I collect native plants and even pond snails occassionally find their way in, never had them eat leaves that were not already dying anyways...plus if you squish pond snails against the glass or a rock, shell sinks to the bottom where the MTS 'eat' the shell and the squished snails are a great treat for the fish, the pleco and corys love it, I have never had either one of these get out of control, a few here and there but then again I cant see how many MTS i really have, and pond snails get squished before they are pencil eraser size. Like anything else, excessive snail outbreaks usually show up because of some other big inbalance in an aquarium.


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## MJB13 (Jun 30, 2015)

Will they bugger up a dirted tank?


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

MJB13 said:


> Will they bugger up a dirted tank?


See post 20.


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## whitepapagold (Aug 19, 2010)

I LOVE MTS and won't have a freshwater tank without them.

They are so beneficial to the tank and ecosystem, the only legit complaint is numbers. When I feed, literally hundreds (a 125 gallon planted) come up from the sand. A truly silly number. And yes, after a while they mound on any food- but the shrimp and fish knock them around and eat just fine.

BUT... They eat all leftover food. They aerate the soil. They consume dead fish.

I put 3 assassin snails in my tank for fun. They DECIMATED the MTS population... Not 100% but 95% easy...

I then had to pull out (about 6-8 months later) over 90, yes 90, assassin snails. Over 3 days of constant looking. Then over the next month or two, pulled any stragglers. SO if you want to keep assassin snails, MTS are perfect for a continuous food source. Im sure my 90 would have died back as the MTS had dropped in numbers, but, over time, they would balance each other just like a good ecosystem.

I sold my 90+ to a local guy for 20 bucks- he sold them and made a killing!

But assassins do an amazing job in keeping them in check- for too amazing. I pulled them all for good.

I've had MTS as a fundamental part of my tanks since the late 90s. Never a problem, only a solution!

If hundreds of snails appear, eat ALL leftover food, clean all my sand, aerate it, then disappear again after the food is gone, whats not to like? LOL


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

I got my order today and they are so tiny, I'm disappointed. They sent 12 and the biggest one isn't even 1/2 inch, they are pretty little. I wanted something I could see, lol! I guess they should grow fast though. I hope!


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

schnebbles said:


> I got my order today and they are so tiny, I'm disappointed. They sent 12 and the biggest one isn't even 1/2 inch, they are pretty little. I wanted something I could see, lol! I guess they should grow fast though. I hope!


Don't worry, they will grow. You may not see them growing, but eventually you will see more than 12


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

I may try to find some bigger ones in the meantime. I see them already burrowing 

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## RogierFvV (Dec 16, 2014)

*MTS experiences...*

Amazingly, I've never had MTS before, and I used to have 4-5 tanks, up to 125G planted tank in my living room.

Now I have a 5G nano-tank, and got MTS with some plants. The tank has never been cleaner. Thinking of getting an assassin snail to balance things out, but... then I read that assassins can't stand hot water, well my tank is 78F normally,but in summer it hovers in the mid-eighties, which is not a problem with my betta (sole fish occupant).

Used to have some Aeneas Cory's but they outgrew the tank, so they had to go. Mr. betta was depressed for a week, but then he came around. Now I'm just watching the snail explosion, and curious what it will do for water quality.


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

I just ordered some more, supposed to be some bigger ones included.


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## Miki117 (Aug 29, 2014)

I'd say go with MTS. I love them to the point that I actually toss them back when they stick to my hand when I move/fix something. But I bought an assassin for pop. control. Might buy 2 more since 1 can't control it. I started with 3 large ones on my 15g. Now there are a handful 1.5 inchers and tons that are less than 1". Tons, like, they can actually cover my whole substrate lol!

They can't make a dent on my diatom algae though, same with my otos.


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

I just put another 45 in my tank. I just had a thought, I'm wanting to change substrate (could be a while because it will be a pain) but how will I save them!


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

45 trumpet snails? that's a _lot_. I started with just 3 trumpet snails in my 20gal and now I have more than I can count, in two tanks. I think if you just pick out a handful when you change substrate, they will reproduce to fill the tank again soon enough.


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

ohhh...well, I got 10 tiny ones and got anxious to have more so I got the 45. 

Can they really overpopulate? Considering how they work?


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

Well, they can certainly increase in numbers quickly. It doesn't bother me to have lots of snails, but some people find it disturbing to see the substrate moving, for example. I've read that when you think you have too many snails, feed less (if there is less extra food or waste in the tank, snail population will naturally die back). When I start seeing too many snails I hand-pick a dozen or so out and crush them, feed to the fishes or toss in my compost bin...


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## TankPlanter (May 31, 2015)

OP here. I started with 9, when this thread started, and now have plenty of midsize and babies. They've been great for cleaning the tank as the plants dropped their initial leaves. Not sure how much they aerate the substrate, as poking still produces lots of bubbles (dirt was < 1" thick, and cap about 1/2", so I'm not too worried).

So far they've been quite useful!


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

Cool. I think I will love them. I love snails. I have mystery and nerites as well. 

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## Smells Fishy (May 7, 2015)

Went to the LFS today and bought some guppies, I noticed there was a couple of MTS in the tank that's filled with plants so I asked the owner if I could have them and she said yes.  Got home floated them for 30mins then opened the bag, reached in and grabbed the snails (it was harder than it sounds) and plopped them in my black moor tank. Mr black moor only goes and attacks one of the snails, he sucked like more than half the snail into his mouth, then spat it out. The snails fine now though.


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

Lol! 

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## fjord (Feb 1, 2011)

Django is right. It only takes one. MTS are live bearers and not lay eggs.


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## NJAquaBarren (Sep 16, 2009)

I don't mind MTS per se, but I do mind their shells. In a year you'll have thousands of empty shells littering the substrate. That I hate.


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## Jcstank (Jan 3, 2015)

I like my MTS, they eat all the dead plant matter even when its still attached to the plants but never touch the live parts. I've also noticed that if I try to hover the vacuum over the substrate like before that I do not get any fish poo like I used to. Best part is they only come out at night so I hardly ever seem them and just to keep the checks and balances I added some assassin snails in there.


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## Maverick2015 (Aug 8, 2015)

I added a couple snails and already have quite a bit. They do their job and I am thinking of putting in a couple MTS as the one I had when I first set up my tank (free on plant) didn't make it. I think snails are great.


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## chanksta (Jan 1, 2015)

Anybody have a few to give away? I live in socal and can't find anyone who has these things. I've called 10 shops and went to at least 6 others.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

chanksta said:


> Anybody have a few to give away? I live in socal and can't find anyone who has these things. I've called 10 shops and went to at least 6 others.


There is no need to dredge up an inactive thread to ask for snails. 
You can post a thread in the:
WTB section:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/156-wtb-raok/

Or the state specific sub forums (ca sub forum):
California - The Planted Tank Forum


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

chanksta said:


> Anybody have a few to give away? I live in socal and can't find anyone who has these things. I've called 10 shops and went to at least 6 others.


I'm having the same problem no one on scape can share haha

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