# slugs and snails



## CharValley (Feb 29, 2016)

I have an idea of the answer to this question but wanted to ask just incase...

I found a small snail cruising one of my new Varadero tanks and was curious to hear if there are positives and/or negatives to having one in the tank.

This appears to be a smaller species of snail based on the shell shape and spiral, sorry didn't copy the scientific name (I should have). I tried looking for what matched up with what I found and if it is what I think it is it is almost full grown at approx. 1/2" in body size.

How damaging to the plants and do they possible eat the eggs of my frogs? I guess are the 2 main questions to ask.

Thanks,
Charlie


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## Keeferd (Mar 20, 2016)

I am actually very interested in this. I would love to have some terrestrial snails in my vivarium as long as they are harmless to my frogs and plants.


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## CharValley (Feb 29, 2016)

It does add a little something extra to the tank, the additional "life" moving gives it a more "complete" feel to the environment. 

So far I have noticed that it gets on the glass and will seem to clean it. I'm not sure if it is eating the algae and detritus build ups, but the glass does look cleaner after it disappears.

This is the first one I have had pop up so I never really thought about the potential negatives or positives of keeping one with the frogs.

So hopefully we will both get some good answers Keeferd.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

There are a number of anecdotal reports of snails consuming eggs (and I've actually seen it personally but that is still anecdotal). 

some comments 

Ed


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## Keeferd (Mar 20, 2016)

do you have any pictures or videos of these guys? I am really curious now.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Sorry I didn't take pictures as I observed it happening with tinctorius about 20 years ago and have pretty much tried to exclude snails from tanks where I want breeding. 

They were the common tannish colored with small ramshorn styled shell. 

some comments 

Ed


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

In general snails and slugs eat plants. Of course that varies by species of slug/snail, but there is a reason slug/snail repellent and killer is frequently found in the garden section of your big box store. 

Mike


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## RabidSimian (Sep 25, 2015)

I've had a neon green bodied snail with a conical shell in some of my old tanks. I only found them on decaying and rotting leaves and never on new growth. 

Each snail species will have adapted to a specific niche and some will probably do amazing in a dart frog tank and not harm eggs and plants. Others however will destroy growth and be opportunistic feeders. It's a risk either way and once they have established in a tank it is quite hard to get rid of them.


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## CharValley (Feb 29, 2016)

Thanks for that RabidSimian,

The trick is to find that species that is like the one you found and avoid the others. Hopefully we can find out what the species is and bring focus to them. If it was beneficial in the tank for you, eating the dead and decaying plant material then it is a healthy thing for the eco system you establish. 

Of course even like some of the plants they can try to take over a tank and need to be weeded out but if it isn't too hard to do it might be worth the little extra effort.

Just like adding isopods, someone had to take the initial steps to add them to their viv's and find out for sure that the frogs would not try to eat them and end up choking on them.

Each detail we find along the way, or rediscover from the "old hats" helps to add a little depth to the environments we create and the over all health of the system as a whole.


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## pako (Apr 30, 2015)

During the last year I have found this kind of snail Check out this tiny Garden Snail | 4-5 times on the front glass of my tank and each time I removed it. All of them were at the same size 3-4 mm. It seemed difficult to be harmful at that size but I couldn't guess if they could get any bigger. But now that I have found quite a few always at the same size and at different times I doubt they grow larger than this.
Any ideas about the species?


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## r.mickaels (May 17, 2015)

Best remedy for slug and snail removal that is non toxic is putting some beer in small shallow dishes when the lights are turned off. They are attracted to it and end up drowning in the liquid. Just an FYI should you later have a population problem you would like to remedy. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## CharValley (Feb 29, 2016)

Coor's or Corona? LOL


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## mark c (Jun 17, 2010)

Yes, snails eat frog eggs, and if hungry enough, will start on your plants. They could also carry parasites. It makes no sense to purposely introduce them. 

Having snails in your tank is completely unimpressive. 

Here's a better challenge: maintain completely snail free terrariums, and completely managed to avoid them. That is an achievement. 

Mark C.


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## CharValley (Feb 29, 2016)

Thanks for that mark c,

Do you know if that is internal or external parasites and if it is only succulent plants?


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## pako (Apr 30, 2015)

Wow!! such a coincidence... look what I found today?? All the others were exactly like this. Same shape, color, size...


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

No matter the species, snails/slugs are going to cause some plant damage (the only exception are snail-eating snails - but these won't last long anyway unless other snails are around for them to feed on). Even those species that prefer to eat decaying material or biofilms will chew into soft plant tissue such as new shoots or flowers. The tiny species don't cause much damage individually but they can grow to epidemic proportions and start doing serious damage. If you grow mostly tougher plants like Bromeliads and Anthuriums, small snails might not be a problem - and your frogs may even develop a taste for them, too. Unfortunately, for most people who ask, this question is moot: If you have snails already, they are close to impossible to eradicate...


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## CharValley (Feb 29, 2016)

Thanks kimcmich,

The whole reason for asking the question was to help establish if there was a possibility for a positive result and add additional life and harmony to the environment.

I thought I had read that there were species of terrestrial snails that were predatory to other snails, I know there are salt water species that are. I was hoping that there was a benign species that would be non-harmful to the frogs and limited threat to plant life within the tanks. But with your experience with keeping the plants that you do I wanted your opinion and knowledge on this subject.

Thank you for your reply to this thread. It would have been nice to hear something different, I know some people view snails as a pest, period, and the only good snail is a dead one. But, they do have a place in the ecosystem just not one as small as what we create apparently.

Thanks again to those that responded and for your input. Fortunately for me of the 20 some tanks only one has ever had snails, unfortunately it is a "current" issue and looks like I will just have to remove them as they appear. Hopefully I found it before getting a chance to populate the tank and cause more stress. If they get too bad I will try the "beer" technic and throw the snails a "kegger" 

Charlie


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

For the beer technique, if you use something that has a lid and poke holes in it big enough for the slugs and snails to get into but small enough that the frogs can't get through, you can leave the trap in there for a day or two at a time.

Mark


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

The two times I dealt with slugs in an enclosure the population of slugs died off after a couple of years. 

There are predatory land snails such as Euglandina rosea but in the US their use is limited and controlled as they have caused extinctions of native species. 

some comments 

Ed


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

We hates them precious. Filthy nasty snail/slugs; we hates them.


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