Parasitic Snails

[colesea]

I was at this sister store today (don't ask), and their fish "specialist" made a comment, "the one thing I like about these filters is that they kill the snails." They have these really, really, =really= old powerhead driven sponge units that would be really cool to work with if they weren't so broken from improper maintance.

But anywho, I asked, "What do you mean?"

She said, "They're parasitic, they'll climb on to the body of a fish and suck the life out of it. I've pulled them off fish before."

I kinda gave her a quizzical look and said, "Really? The only time I see snails on a fish is if it's a dead body. I've never had a problem like that, and I've got snails all in my tanks."

Personally, I love my snails. When I've got a good number going, they keep the glass clean of algae, they eat the fish uneaten food at the bottom of the tanks, customers find them really cool, and they don't seem to harm nothing except maybe the live plants. Even that's debateable since when I had them in a planted tank, all they seemed to do was cruise the leaves and eat algae off the plants, leaving the leaves intact.  Hell, the fish in overly snail populated tanks seem healthier than the fish in non-snail tanks. And the loaches love 'em. Regular water changes and food harvesting keep the population in check.

Now, I could see where if a fish were weak from illness, barely clinging to life, and was caught up against the filter overflow or just resting against the glass a snail may happen upon it and crawl on it to eat, and the fish wouldn't have strength to get away. But that's if a fish is already 2/3rds dead and would be a body on the bottom in the morning anyway. But I've never seen a healthy, actively swimming fish have a single snail upon its body.

I don't know what species of snail they are, except that they aren't Malayan. They came in on my freshwater plants, and population exploded from there. I believe they're just common mud snails, but I haven't found a reliable source to look them up.

Do I have anything to worry about from parasitic snails?
~~Colesea

 

[clothahump]

I would not worry about it Cole.
I have never heard of snails being parasitic, I dont think she knows what she is talking about.

 

[colesea]

Okay, so I was overreacting a bit, but I truely care about my fishies. I know snails can carry a host of icky diseases, but the snails I have in my tank have to be one hundreth generation by now, and they're treated with Rid-Ich once a week (although, if the Rid-Ich don't kill the snails, it makes me wonder if it actually does anything at all). If they're harboring disease and parasites themselves, *shrug* too late now.

Yeah, I got that impression too, except I didn't really want to make her feel like it. Especially after she wanted to place oscars on crushed dolomite gravel. At that point all I could do was chant my mantra of the day..."It's not my store...It's not my store..."
~~Colesea

 

[ronrca]

I hear you Colesea! My wife actually mentioned something similar from a piano student mother of hers. When the mother came in and saw my snails, she right away said that snails kill fish because thats what happened to her fish. I just laughed. I told my wife to tell the mother next time that snails are veggie eaters. I dont think they would be too interested in fish. I also mentioned to my wife that she is suppose to ask if she (the mother) has read any 'fish' books. If not, she could borrow one of mine. Some people are sooooo misinformed and it seems that they have to desire to even learn. All a fish needs is water anyways.  :

 

[dattack]

I have never heard of parasitic snails in the freshwater aquaria but in saltwater there are some that will do.

They are called pyramidellid snails and eulimidae snails.

From Dr. Ron:  Various different species of Pyramidellids will attack clams, snails, worms (feather dusters), sea anemones, zoanthids, sea cucumbers and corals.

 

[colesea]

Oh, I know of some nasty marine snails. I don't know specific family names, but the common name is cone snail.  Their radula is shaped like a little spear, and one jab is enough neurotoxin to kill a human. That's more predatory than parasitic, but it's cool anyway.

As far as FW sails being veggie eaters...yes they do eat that, but they also eat meat. Pretty much from what I see of they way they can desimate a dead fish, they're omniverous scavengers. The best way to rid a tank of snails if you can't put in a clown loach or dwarf gourmi is to tie a piece of boilded chicken to a string, sink it in your tank, and then remove it the next day and dispose of the collected snails. I find chicken works better than cucumber or zuccnni at snail attracting.

But I can see where people might get the misconception of snails being parasitic. They do always eat the dead bodies. It's like the whole mealworms eating reptiles thing. Mealworms that escape into bedding and hide there in an unclean cage, will feast upon a lizard that died in its cage. People automatically assume because the worms are eating the dead lizard, that's what must have killed the lizard, when all the worms did was climb out of the bedding for a free meal.

Tis a sad thing when people have to blame other circumstances other than their own neglect to feel better about how their ignorance killed a living thing.
~~Colesea

 

[colesea]

Oh, I know of some nasty marine snails. I don't know specific family names, but the common name is cone snail.  Their radula is shaped like a little spear, and one jab is enough neurotoxin to kill a human. That's more predatory than parasitic, but it's cool anyway.

As far as FW sails being veggie eaters...yes they do eat that, but they also eat meat. Pretty much from what I see of they way they can desimate a dead fish, they're omniverous scavengers. The best way to rid a tank of snails if you can't put in a clown loach or dwarf gourmi is to tie a piece of boilded chicken to a string, sink it in your tank, and then remove it the next day and dispose of the collected snails. I find chicken works better than cucumber or zuccnni at snail attracting.

But I can see where people might get the misconception of snails being parasitic. They do always eat the dead bodies. It's like the whole mealworms eating reptiles thing. Mealworms that escape into bedding and hide there in an unclean cage, will feast upon a lizard that died in its cage. People automatically assume because the worms are eating the dead lizard, that's what must have killed the lizard, when all the worms did was climb out of the bedding for a free meal.

Tis a sad thing when people have to blame other circumstances other than their own neglect to feel better about how their ignorance killed a living thing.
~~Colesea