WTB Malaysian Trumpet Snails

[TW]

Hi

Does anyone have any for sale, or know where I can buy them. Not really interested in the other sorts (get enough free of them with my plants LOL) but have heard the Malaysian Trumpet Snails are good cleaners & great for helping keep a sand substrate aerated.

[ILLUSN]

I've got a tank full if you want some, warning they can become a plague if left unchecked.

[chorrylan]

hmmm I recommend you think very carefully about whether you really want trumpet snails.
It's not so much that they're horrificly nasty or anything but that this will be your very last opportunity to back out of such a decision.
Once you've introduced them to even one of your tanks you will never ever get completely rid of them so you had better be darned sure you like the little blighters.

[TW]

Hmmm, whenever I ask this on an Aussie forum, I always get left feeling negative about them. But I read on US forums about what a great job they do cleaning the tank & that you never see them during the day as they are nocturnal.

Then, I get worried & forget the idea for a while.

[ILLUSN]

TW they are semi nocturnal, but you do see a few during the day, they are good for keeping a deep substrate bed healthy but once they get going (if your over feeding) their numbers just keep going up, and NOTHING eats them.

[Rod]

There seems to be 2 camps...

Some hate all snails with a passion and will nuke a tank to eliminate them

or

Those who look at them as part of a balanced system...

I find MTS great for cleaning up uneaten food.....they do aerate the gravel and they can get high in numbers but they don't eat eggs or plants and are easy to trap to remove if numbers get excessive.....great in fry tanks as scavengers

If you have a canister filter or sump it is desirable to put a sponge on the inlet so they don't get into the filter....they will damage/stop most pump impellers

Let me know if you get stuck and I'll post you some down....I throw out a handfull most weeks

[TW]

Thanks Rod - still unsure. Thanks for the offer. I'll come back to you if I think I really do want them.

Cheers, Robyn

[albatrozz]

I have MTS in my tank, introduced about 10 into my tank 3-4months ago. IMO they don't breed alot... i only ever see 1 or 2 at a time. I barely see them when the lights are on. I'd say to go for it

[TW]

Thanks for your advice, albatrozz.

[bartek]

I have seen then get out of control in tanks but they are good for the substrate.

If oyu want snails in your tank try some mystery snails. These get quite large but they are great to watch and easy to stop from breeding as they lay their eggs above the surface of the water on the glass so when oyu see them just remove them if you don;t want any more.

I have plenty if you want any as well.

[zar]

Just get some african buttefly cichlids if you want to get rid of them, i had heaps of mts in a small planted tank, bought the butteflies because i liked them but the guy in the lfs told me they suck the trumpet snails out of their shell and eat them...well , after probably one or two days i coudlnt see any trumpet snail crawling anywehere in the tank, it was a small tank, 1ft cube but still, it had tons of snails.
but as soon as i took the butterflies out the snails reappeared again after a couple of days, they must just dig themselves deep into the gravel or have laid eggs that hatched later on.
still, while the butterflies are in a tank, no snails visible..