Snails?

[Luciole]

Hi guys!

I was wondering if I could really add snails to my tank?
I was looking at the website, with disasters and mixing species and I got scared a little.
I have a small tank ready for 2 tiny newts (which I haven't got yet since mines died recently and I need time).
It has a lot of plants, ghost shrimps and 3 white-lipped snails (Cepaea hortensis) since they don't have that rigid trap door that can hurt newts and terrestrial.

I was wondering if I could or should add aquatic snails too, so that they clean everything else everyone else doesn't eat.

By the end of the year I will upgrade to a large tank and I always keep filters running, always bigger than what it is made for since I am used to keeping fish and I have the bad habit of sometime over feeding a little.

Thanks in advance!

 

[sde]

So are the salamanders your getting are aquatic or terrestrial? What species?

You can have snails in there as long as they are either much larger than the newts head, or much smaller just to be safe. Even if they are the same size I doubt the newt would even try and eat it. I really don't have any worries about snails and newts. There are all different sized snails in my newt tank with no problems. -Seth

 

[Luciole]

I am trying to get fire bellies (orientalis) or something of similar in size and habitat, so 90% aquatic I would say.

The pictures I saw was the one of the snails that shut it's trap door on a newt's head and basically decapitated it, and another one of a newt with a snail stuck in his mouth, so that really scared me, especially that it's hard to get healthy newts in Quebec as far as I know, so it would blow to nurse one back to full health just to see it die of snail murder!

Are there any type of snails you guys suggest or just anything I can find is OK? I used to keep apple snails with my fish and the fish would feed off the eggs, which would keep the population in check and feed my fish a special treat once in a while for free

 

[sde]

Well, I don't really have an suggestions as to which snail species are ok with the newts, but I do know that the snails in my tank are really great. They are small, reddish, and have curly shells. They usually don't get any bigger than your fingernail, and as far as I know are harmless.
I got them from a pond so that's why I don't know the species.

Like I said in the last post, jut make sure that if your newts tries to eat it the snail will either become a snack easily, or not fit in the mouth of the newt. So either bigger than the head of the newt or smaller.

Knowing how fire bellies are small, I would say probably pond snails are ok. They should be bigger than the newts head and eat algae and plants so they wont harm your newt. -Seth

 

[Bellabelloo]

I have regular pond snails in all my aquatic tanks.

There are a few points that however need to be made The first is that you can not rely on snails to keep a tank clean. All they do is eat various detritus and produce droppings.. which could be great plant food for a planted tank. Regular tank cleaning/ maintenance is down to you
If you are in the habit of over feeding, then you really need to stop doing it. If you overfeed. either your animal becomes obese or your water quality will suffer.
Many newts do not like water movement, so using too strong a filter may well stress your newts.
Keep an eye on the 'For sale ' section of the forum, research the species advertised and decide if you can provide a lovely new home or it.. and when you get your newts take lots and lots of photo's so we can admire them.

 

[Luciole]

You guys are amazing!

My little over feeding problem never really caused any trouble with my fish since I LOVE plants, I always had snails and other bottoms feeders and I am very diligent on water changes so I think I will be OK, I just need to learn my feeding dosage better And the filter I use is made for small animals and there is no big flow of water in the tank.

As for the selling part... well, I live in Quebec, Canada, which seems to be a dead zone for breeders!

And I will take pictures as soon as I get something going on newt wise

Thanks so much for being so helpful!