The Seminole Ramshorn Snail, Planorbella duryi, comes in a natural colored, a red, and a blue morph (right).
Aquarists using special salts with Tylomelania, such as those sold for Sulawesi shrimp, report varying results. Some specimens that had been doing well in regular tap water died after the addition of these salts. Other animals did well in the treated water, together with shrimps from the region. The
The Hairy Tower Lid Snail, Thiara cancellata, belongs to the same family as the Malaysian Trumpet Snail. However, it does not bear fully developed young, but releases floating larvae into the water.
WHEN SNAILS BECOME A PLAGUE
rates and can proliferate into nuisance-level populations. If plenty of food is available, they multiply to such an extent that they soon cover the entire tank. Getting rid of them or reducing their populations can be a challenge. First, you should reduce the amount of food offered or add it in several feedings so that everything will be completely consumed by the fishes. This method will not reduce the number of snails, but without an overabundance of food, at least they will not lay new eggs every three to four days. To get rid of the existing snails, you have to collect them by hand or add animals that feed on snails. However, snail eaters need to fit socially into the aquarium and might need replacement food after the snails are gone. Freshwater shrimps such as Macrobrachium spp. are suitable as snail eaters. With their claws they pull smaller snails from their shells, but can also capture small fishes if they are sleeping or resting on the bottom or between plants. For example, male Guppies can easily become victims. The predatory ASSASSIN SNAIL (Clea helena) hunts
snails and worms. It reproduces quite well and can completely wipe out other snails. The Dwarf or Pea Puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) is very effective against snails. These little fellows meticulously track down small snails and eat them, shell and all. However, after the snails are gone, puffer fish must be weaned onto a replacement diet. In my experience, the puffers consume live and frozen bloodworms, but do not readily accept dry foods. Assassin Snails and the Macrobrachium shrimps eat any food, and in this respect are easy to care for. But none of these predators distinguish between desirable and undesirable snail species.
AMAZONAS
TOP LEFT: M. WILSTERMANN-HILDEBRAND; TOP RIGHT: H.-G. EVERS; BOTTOM: M. HAKÅNSON
RAMSHORN, BLADDER, and MALAYSIAN TRUMPET SNAILS have very high reproductive
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