Do all Snails eat plants?

[Tn23]

Hi there,

Just wondering if all snails will eat the plants in your tank. I have some random snails that came with the plants. Should I be pulling them out or leaving them in? Thanks

[killer007]

endless snail battle...
will never get them all out...

i think they do eat a little...cuz i see some holes on the leafs
but they do eat up extra food and degrade plants which keep the tank clean...

[retardo]

Snails generally will not eat live healthy plants; they do eat decaying leaves. You may see your snails move all over live plants and seemingly munching on the leaves, but are in fact, eating the micro-algae on the leaves.

If you are noticing holes in the leaves of plants, it is likely not snails, but a nutrient deficiency of the plants.

[pappyy3]

Not all snails eat plants.

There are however some species that are ravenous plant eaters. I've seen a friends beautifully planted tank destroyed in under two days by a group of Apple snails he had purchased from a local LFS.

He was told that Apple Snails don't eat plants .... so much for bad advice.

I have kept common pond snails and red ramshorn snails in an aquarium and have never known them to eat plants. But they do breed like rabbit!!

[Tn23]

So don't keep apple snails if I want my plants to live? Keep red ramshorn snails?

Thanks.

[killer007]

ah...nutrient deficiency?
ah...do you know which nutrient i missed?
i used API leaf zone and just stared to use some Excel few days ago
but holes in the leafs are like that for more than a month

[retardo]

Holes in leaves usually indicates K (potassium) deficiency. Any idea what the concentration is of K in API leaf zone (I don't use this personally)?

[pappyy3]

:undecided
So don't keep apple snails if I want my plants to live? Keep red ramshorn snails?

Thanks.

It is possible to keep Apple snails in a planted tank (I have done it many years ago), but you need to keep them very well fed, so that don't show any interest in your plants.

Red Ramshorn snails won't eat plants, but you will have a battle keeping them under control as they breed so quickly !! Soon you tank may become over-run by them ..

[Tn23]

I'll just buy an assassins snail then? and it'll Assassinate them all!!!

[killer007]

ya the assassin snail will suck them all up ahahhhaa


ah...the leaf zone has the following:
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS 0-0-3
Soluble Potash (K20) - 3.0%
Iron (Fe) - 0.1%
0.1% Chelated Iron (Fe)
Derived from: Potassium Sulfate and Iron EDTA.

um...or after i use up my API Leaf Zone should i get another brand and another fertilier?
for example: Seachem Flourish and Seachem Flourish Excel and
Seachem Flourish Iron and Seachem Flourish Potassium and Seachem Flourish Nitrogen and Seachem Flourish Phosphorus?
Do i have to buy all those bottles and add them to the tank?
that seems a lot of bottles, is there a bottle that is all in one?

[Red Bee Shrimp Fan]

Here is a good reference for plant and non-plant eating species:

Physa - 'Pest Snail' or 'Pond Snail'
Planorbid - 'Ramshorn' or 'Pest Snail'
Melanoides tuberculata (MTS) - 'Trumpet Snail'
Melanoides granifera
Known Brotia species - 'Thorny Snail'
Pomacea Bridgesii - 'Spiketop Applesnail', 'Applesnail' or 'Mystery Snail'
Asolene Spixi - 'Spixi'
Neritidae - 'Nerites'
Viviparid - Most common is the 'Japanese Trapdoor Snail' or more recently the 'Zebra Snail'.
Anentome helena - Assassin Snails


Plant-Eating Snails

Marisa cornuarietis - 'Giant Columbian Ramshorn'
Pomacea canaliculata - 'Cana', 'Channeled Applesnail' 'Applesnail' or 'Mystery Snail'
Pomacea haustrum - 'Titan Applesnail', 'Dr. Seus Snail' or 'Applesnail'
Pomacea insularum - 'Applesnail'
Pomacea paludosa - 'Pal', 'Florida Applesnail' or 'Applesnail'
'Salton Sea Applesnail' (As yet not scientifically ID'ed)


Eloeda Densa, 'Anacharis' has been reported repeatedly as safe with even the plant-eating snails. My experience with Marisas, Canas and Haustrum backs that observation. I read a study that indicates Water Hyacinth is also safe from plant-eaters, but I haven't tested it. Tropica says that the herbivorous fish don't eat the following plants. Snails can be pretty relentless but it's worth a shot with the plant-eaters. I know that Anubias is safe with Marisas, or mine was, but I'm not sure you could trust anything with a Cana.

Anubias barteri ''coffeefolia''
Anubias barteri var. angustifolia
Anubias barteri var. barteri
Anubias barteri var. caladiifolia ''1705''
Anubias barteri var. nana
Bolbitis heudelotii
Crinum calamistratum
Crinum natans
Crinum thaianum
Echinodorus osiris
Echinodorus x barthii
Microsorum pteropus ''Undulata''
Microsorum pteropus
Microsorum pteropus 'Narrow'
Microsorum pteropus 'Philippine'
Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
Staurogyne sp.
Vallisneria americana (gigantea)

Marisas are not avid plant eaters in my experience. They eat plants, no doubt about it, but they don't mow them like other snails and they don't eat all plant species. I have had an Anubias in with them for well over a year now, for example. I do feed fresh vegies, so that may make a difference as well.

ID Tip: The most commonly confused snails in stores are the most dangerous to confuse. One eats plants (Cana) and one doesn't (P. Bridgesii). Both are often sold simply as "Applesnails" or "Mystery Snails". It is difficult to tell the difference between the two as they both come in gold and dark striped color.

Best Regards,

Stuart

[killer007]

ah excellent excellent...
so much information
maybe i get some of those plants in my tank

[retardo]

ya the assassin snail will suck them all up ahahhhaa


ah...the leaf zone has the following:
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS 0-0-3
Soluble Potash (K20) - 3.0%
Iron (Fe) - 0.1%
0.1% Chelated Iron (Fe)
Derived from: Potassium Sulfate and Iron EDTA.

um...or after i use up my API Leaf Zone should i get another brand and another fertilier?
for example: Seachem Flourish and Seachem Flourish Excel and
Seachem Flourish Iron and Seachem Flourish Potassium and Seachem Flourish Nitrogen and Seachem Flourish Phosphorus?
Do i have to buy all those bottles and add them to the tank?
that seems a lot of bottles, is there a bottle that is all in one?

If that's the concentration of K in Leaf Zone, it very likely is a trace mix and you are in fact starving your plants. They are not getting enough of the necessary nutrients to grow properly. The liquid ferts you listed are what you will need to add to get proper growth.

If you can find sources of dry ferts, that may be the best way to go. Dry ferts are cheap and you can mix the dry ferts to the concentration you need and dose that way. Or you can add the dry ferts directly to your tank. Otherwise you are just paying for water.

[killer007]

ah thanks...didn't know that
i will try to get some dry one when i am done with the leaf zone

[retardo]

Leaf zone wont' cut it; you will continue to have leaves in your plants and stunted growth across the board. It is a trace/micro minerals mix. In order for your plants to thrive, they need N, P, and K (macro nutrients) in larger quantities. Ca, Mg, Fe, B (boron), and a bunch of other micro nutrients are needed as well. You will also need carbon (either in the form of Excel or CO2).

That said, you're better off getting the ferts sooner than later, even if it's in liquid form.

[killer007]

ah... after intense reading hahahahha, i summarized the following:
for growing healthy plants in aquarium, there is 3 main fertilizers needed, they are:
1. nitrogen
2. phosphorous
3. potassium

Also, we need some trace elements like retardo stated.

ah...my question are:
Phosphate (KH2PO4) = phosphorous = Mono Potassium Phosphate?
nitrogen will get it from shrimps, snails, and fish's waste? so i don't really need to buy that right?
potassium is make up of Potassium Sulfate (K2SO4) and Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)?

so what i need is the phosphorous and potassium and some trace elements?

[babykhan]

Cheers

Not quite...
You are missing a couple of two other huge elements, CO2 and light!
As for CO2, you should add all the inverts and fish can stand (without hurting them), as for light it depends on how much your plants need to 'eat up' all of the fertilizers you add...
If the balance of what your plants 'eat' and what you add to the aquarium turns negative (you don't add enough ferts) algae will take over, on the other hand if you add to much ferts your inverts or fish will dye!

Check this - Chuck's Planted Aquarium Calculator (Google it up...) - it will tell you what to add to achieve optimum levels, buy the tests and double check your shrimps and fish for poisoning symptoms (that shouldn't occur if you keep the given levels).
Your shrimps, snails, and fish's waste will not give you enough NO3 most probably, but the tests will show it...
Trace elements (all you need) come from tap water, you don't need to buy that!
A good deal would be to buy dry ferts (on a drug store) and prep them all by yourself, it's easy and a lot cheaper!!!
For CO2 injection, google for CO2 The Yeast Method.

When you'll see the plants growing greener, the algae disappearing and the intense pearling, you'll be happy you wasted a few hours looking all that info up!

One last thing, my snails all eat up Crinum calamistratum, Echinodorus and Vallisneria I have Physa, Ramshorn, Melanoides tuberculata and Pomacea Bridgesii, however they only eat the damaged parts of the plant, never the 'green' part. They never 'made' holes on any leaf...

Hope this has been helpfull.:bs_spam:



Regards

[killer007]

ah excellent, its very helpful...
thanks

[retardo]

Cheers

Not quite...
You are missing a couple of two other huge elements, CO2 and light!
As for CO2, you should add all the inverts and fish can stand (without hurting them), as for light it depends on how much your plants need to 'eat up' all of the fertilizers you add...
If the balance of what your plants 'eat' and what you add to the aquarium turns negative (you don't add enough ferts) algae will take over, on the other hand if you add to much ferts your inverts or fish will dye!

babykhan makes some excellent points regarding light and CO2 being the missing elements, which I did neglect to mention. In a low light, low tech setup, you will not need to add too much as far as ferts go. As you increase your light, you need to adjust CO2, NPK, and micros accordingly... but that is a large topic to cover. To guide you better, what is your current lighting setup? CO2 is not required necessarily, if you have another carbon source (ie., Seachem Flourish Excel--also an excellent algae killer at the right dosage). >>Here (http://www.tropica.com/go.asp?article=835)<< is an excellent primer on CO2.

If you go low tech, this wiki article (http://theaquariumwiki.com/Walstad_method) is an excellent place to start.


Check this - Chuck's Planted Aquarium Calculator (Google it up...) - it will tell you what to add to achieve optimum levels, buy the tests and double check your shrimps and fish for poisoning symptoms (that shouldn't occur if you keep the given levels).
Your shrimps, snails, and fish's waste will not give you enough NO3 most probably, but the tests will show it...
Trace elements (all you need) come from tap water, you don't need to buy that!
A good deal would be to buy dry ferts (on a drug store) and prep them all by yourself, it's easy and a lot cheaper!!!
For CO2 injection, google for CO2 The Yeast Method.

Chuck's calculator is an excellent place to start, but his calculator is a little outdated. His calculator was the first when planted tanks were just starting to take out. Check out the >>fertilator (http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/fertilator.php)<< which is much more accurate and relevant. The Fertilator has numerous commercial products, as well as dry ferts (KNO3, K2SO4, and KH2PO4), and their nutrient content programmed in; it also provides you with the target levels you should be adding to your aquarium. This may be a little more for the advanced aquarist and it may be easier for you to buy the liquid ferts and follow the recommended dosing on the bottles to start. You will still need to figure out the lighting issue.

[killer007]

the Fertilator is calculate the dry fertilizer that measure in "g" that add straight to the aquarium without mixing in bottles?

for Chuck's,
how come i read somewhere said that when you add just the KN03, you are also adding Potassium at the same time become its come with KN03?
the Potassisum is the K2S04? so by adding KN03 you also adding some K2S04?

[fanecchissimo]

i read about plants and apple snail, i would like to say that i have 10 apple snail and not even 1 leaf eaten...


pomacea bridgesii is not dangerous in my opinion (i well feed them though)