# Isopods and Snails



## arkay (Dec 26, 2007)

I've been noticing these little buggers in one of my tanks and was searching today on what they are and how to kill them all off. While reading about CO2 bombing I came across two things that I'm a little confused about:

1. It appears these are isopods that I have. And if I'm reading these articles correctly they are good? Is that correct? They're all over the place... Do the frogs eat them?

2. In my other tank long before I had put frogs in it I noticed snails. No idea where they came from but they wonder around the tank. I thought these were good because they seem to eat the algea buildup and they are pretty tiny. I even went to petsmart and got one of the larger underwater snails to eat the algea under my water. After searching on how to kill the isopods I seemed to find everyone was trying to save the isopods and kill the snails. Whats so harmful with a few snails running around?

Last thing, if I want to CO2 them all, do you just buy a CO2 tank from the hardware store or is there a specific something I can get for this?

Thanks


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

The frogs will consume the isopods that are small enough to capture. Many people seed their tanks with a variety of small isopods such as the dwarf whites, dwarf striped and/or purple isopods. 

People tend to not like having snails as they can predate on the eggs, and can be a problem with plants. 

Ed


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## arkay (Dec 26, 2007)

Thanks Ed. My isopods appear to be little black bugs. Matched up the pic with images on google. Disguisting looking buggers. When I originally setup my tank I used a log from outside. I baked it for a few hours to kill everything off. The bugs that fell to the foil are these so I'm guessing I either didnt get them all or I got more somehow. Its been a few years but they are just now becoming more prevelant. I guess I wont worry about them unless they begin to overrun the tank. (I have a RETF in this tank)

On the snails (Dart tank), they help keep the algea down and havent harmed the plants that I know of. I doubt I'll have baby frogs so I'll leave them for now. We'll cross the egg road if it comes. i would also suspect they would help spread the pollen of the plants so new plantage would grow better.

In any event, thanks for the info, I wont worry about it just yet.


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## B-NICE (Jul 15, 2011)

arkay said:


> Thanks Ed. My isopods appear to be little black bugs. Matched up the pic with images on google. Disguisting looking buggers. When I originally setup my tank I used a log from outside. I baked it for a few hours to kill everything off. The bugs that fell to the foil are these so I'm guessing I either didnt get them all or I got more somehow. Its been a few years but they are just now becoming more prevelant. I guess I wont worry about them unless they begin to overrun the tank. (I have a RETF in this tank)
> 
> On the snails (Dart tank), they help keep the algea down and havent harmed the plants that I know of. I doubt I'll have baby frogs so I'll leave them for now. We'll cross the egg road if it comes. i would also suspect they would help spread the pollen of the plants so new plantage would grow better.
> 
> In any event, thanks for the info, I wont worry about it just yet.


All plants don't flower, and only flowering plant in a viv might just be an Orchid. Snails/slugs are not pollinators.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

There's no such thing as "a few snails". Most snails will soon reproduce by the hundreds. If you wait till then you will certainly see the plant damages that Ed mentioned. Put lettuce leafs in your viv. That will attract the snails. Pull the leaf of lettuce along with the snails on it and put a new leaf in. This will do a lot towards keeping them under control.


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