Page 1 of 1
Keeping snails safe under gravel
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2023 4:40 pm
by fancy
I've recently updated the substrate in my shrimp tank to a small black gravel.
I took my time with the change and was pretty meticulous about adding the new gravel.
If a tiny snail - they're roughly the size of jelly beans - got buried during the process, do you think they'd be able to dig their way out of the gravel?
Re: Keeping snails safe under gravel
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2023 10:15 pm
by FishArch
I'm no expert on the type of snail you've got, but in my experience, most snails seem to handle being buried just fine. Pond snails, for example, are always burrowing into the gravel or substrate.
Re: Keeping snails safe under gravel
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2023 2:39 am
by sidthy
MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails) are comfortable living both in and on the gravel, they seem to adapt pretty well.
Re: Keeping snails safe under gravel
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2023 7:11 am
by coltin
A visual of the snails would be helpful in determining their ability to move through the gravel.
Re: Keeping snails safe under gravel
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2023 11:55 am
by fancy
sidthy wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 2:39 am
MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails) are comfortable living both in and on the gravel, they seem to adapt pretty well.
These are Nerite snails, I'm wondering if they're capable of digging themselves out if they got buried in the small black gravel.
Re: Keeping snails safe under gravel
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2023 12:17 pm
by BadgersSong
I think they'll be fine. Snails are pretty resilient, and Nerites seem to adapt well to changes.
Re: Keeping snails safe under gravel
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2023 4:00 pm
by fancy
Thanks for the reassurance. Hopefully those little guys just kept on going until they made it out. I'm guessing they're pretty resilient. Now, I'm curious - is it 'crawled' or 'slimed along' when describing snail movement?
Re: Keeping snails safe under gravel
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2023 11:16 pm
by sSjey
I've got a few different types of nerite snails in my tanks - way more than just two. I've got a zebra nerite, a red onion nerite, a wagaiensis nerite, a Clithon nerite, a black military helmet nerite, and a king koopa nerite in my main tank, and another Clithon nerite in my shrimp tank. No olive nerite for me yet, but I'm working on it. I've skipped using the Latin names since they seem to vary depending on which website I'm looking at.
Re: Keeping snails safe under gravel
Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:59 am
by fancy
sSjey wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 11:16 pm
I've got a few different types of nerite snails in my tanks - way more than just two. I've got a zebra nerite, a red onion nerite, a wagaiensis nerite, a Clithon nerite, a black military helmet nerite, and a king koopa nerite in my main tank, and another Clithon nerite in my shrimp tank. No olive nerite for me yet, but I'm working on it. I've skipped using the Latin names since they seem to vary depending on which website I'm looking at.
You have quite the snail collection, I'm curious - what size tank do you have them in?
My younger zebra nerites are pretty energetic, whereas the olive nerites were always more laid-back, but they seem to be doing alright.
And then there's the bonus of having a steady supply of bladder snails.
Re: Keeping snails safe under gravel
Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:17 am
by sSjey
My tank is 223 litres or 59 gallons, but that's just the space it takes up - it's a custom build. Actual water volume is around 180 litres or 47.6 gallons.