Zebra snail - spot algae eater?

[fishnut]

Hi all,

Just bought a pair of zebra snails :P ... Was told that they feed on spot algae.. Wondering if there is anyone here who has them in their tank?

Are there any special care that I should take note to rear the snails in my tank such as water temperature, food (I certainly hope they don't eat moss), PH etc ? Thanks.

( I know that I should have read up before buying, it's just that I don't get to go to the farm often. )

[FC]

Wei Leong,

Lately, there has been much discussion on Zebra snails. I was in one planted tank fish shop where the snails were selling well there. However, the owner is honest enough to tell me that they do not really clean up the glass like many swear by it. They do help in keeping the glass algae in check but manual cleaning is still necessary.

As for keeping, snails, it should be easy. So long the water parameters are not extreme and not fluctuating too much, they should be fine.

[fishnut]

Thanks for the prompt reply, Freddy... Will look at other discussions on the snail (seldom go to other forums except this one).

Was kind of half expecting the snail not being able to really clean up the glass effectively, so thanks for confirming it. But it's still one cute little fella which I'll have no qualms about having in my tank. :wink:

regards,

[RonWill]

Wei Leong, I don't go shopping often either and did get a few of them, before knowing what they actually are (so you're not alone).

Mine didn't do well, despite the other ramhorns being prolific, so I can't say where the problem was either. I treated them like... urm... snails!

IIRC, the 'zebras' don't move around as much nor did I observe them rasping away at algae, so YMMV.

Kwek Leong and I bought these at the same time, perhaps he can update whether his snails are still kicking or have kicked the bucket!

[timebomb]

Kwek Leong and I bought these at the same time, perhaps he can update whether his snails are still kicking or have kicked the bucket!

Mine are, as you have guessed, all dead. I found many all dried out on the balcony floor. They were actually in the tanks but probably, they didn't like my water. If you're wondering how they got out of the tanks - they didn't jump, that's all I can tell you

As Freddy said, I don't think they can get rid of green spot algae completely. Not the hard sticky ones anyway. There are actually different types of green spot, if you don't already know. Some comes off easily but some stick to the glass so well, I have to use a razor to scrape them off.

Anyway, it's just a myth that some algae-eating creatures can solve your algae problems completely, unless of course, you can get a cow into your tank

Loh K L

[imported_subzero]

I bought 3 snails with different patterns, are these zebra snails? They're pretty tough guys..

[RonWill]

Those I bought resembles the snail in the middle with straight patterns.

Ben, have you been 'photoshopping' the other two? Looks cool!

[imported_subzero]

These pictures are just taken out from my hot compact flash. Middle one is a little dim as it is hiding inside a concave drift wood.

[BeyondGomer]

Don't lie...you know you edited it! For those who are curious, here is the unedited picture.

[kc]

I will swear by it that zebra snails are good spots algaes eater!
Of course, you still need to clean you glass, you don't expect it to go thru your aquarium glass like a lawn mower!

If you tank does not have a rim near the top, they are likely to wander off and lost their way. I just found one on the balcony floor yesterday. Without realising that it's dead, I put it back into the tank. Guess what happen when I switch on the light a night. I found a whole army of leeches gathering on it for a feast! Dead zebra snail are also useful for trapping leeches. :P :wink:

[kc]

Oh! Just to add, my snails look like the one on the right.

[FC]

Tony,

Ok, you "original" photos look much better after the highlightings .

Nice snails!

[fishnut]

Coming back from work and found one of my snails above the water level on the glass wall of my shrimp tank. Looks like it didn't like the tank water too.

There wasn't a rim on the tank, so I decided to move it to my other planted tank which has one. Hope the little fella is happier there. :wink:

cheers

[Green Baron]

I bought 3 snails with different patterns, are these zebra snails? They're pretty tough guys..

I have 3 with different patterns as well.

As others have noted, they won't remove all the spot algae but they are great at cleaning hard to reach places like behind moss wall, internal filter and corners. I also noticed they like to eat the bigger spot algae and ignore those tiny ones. They also occasionally munch on BBA on driftwood ! Now mine spent most of the time cruising underneath the drift wood.

Gan

[hwchoy]

I am extremely unhappy that I did not take a picture, but one of these zebra snail was sitting on a patch of green algae on my hang-on filter (Eheim Liberty), half an hour later that patch of plastic was COMPLETELY clear of algae. And when I say "COMPLETELY" I mean it is now cleaner than what would have been if I had used green wool on it. It is just amazing.

So, yes, they can COMPLETELY clean out the algae if they want to, but I find most of the time they simply eats patches of the algae so manaul scraping still required.

[kc]

Coming back from work and found one of my snails above the water level on the glass wall of my shrimp tank. Looks like it didn't like the tank water too.

There could been several reasons why they moves out of the water. I can only guess:

1. Need to rest? :wink:
2. Lay eggs? :wink:
3. Don't like the water?
4. Not enough food.
5. Looking for mate? :wink:

Any snail man here? Help!!

[Ghazanfar Ghori]

Do these snails breed in the aquarium? Very cooling looking!

[Slaigar]

From what I have heard, they do not lay eggs because brackish water may be needed. I do wish that they would breed in freshwater aquariums. They are quite expensive in my area- around $5CDN for one snail. It is worth it as they do clean the glass pretty well.

[hwchoy]

I have heard that too, and so far have not seen them lay any eggs.