11 replies to this topic

[bmach]

Last summer I drained my pond completely and cleaned it all out. There was absolutely nothing in the pond and I then started it back up and everything is fine. Today I was scooping out some leaves that got in it over this fall, I always check what I scoop out to make sure I did not catch any small fish (which I have) and I found a snail. Any idea how it got in the pond?

Thanks
Brian

[j.w]

Parachute?

[oldmarine]

bmach said:

Last summer I drained my pond completely and cleaned it all out. There was absolutely nothing in the pond and I then started it back up and everything is fine. Today I was scooping out some leaves that got in it over this fall, I always check what I scoop out to make sure I did not catch any small fish (which I have) and I found a snail. Any idea how it got in the pond?

Thanks
Brian

It never left your pond, it was always there. I.E., You missed it in the cleanup. That is the only way it could have servived.

Happy ponding,

Rich

[bmach]

If I had not been inside the pond and scrubbing it on my hands and knees with a scrub pad and vacuuming out all the water from scrubbing it I would agree with you but there is no way I missed it. Besides I have never put snails in my pond. It is on my list for this year but I have never added any.

On that note what would be a good snail to put in my pond that would survive New England winters.

[DrCase]

I have some in my filter
Birds bring them in is what i think

[koiguy1969]

those little black pond snails are worse than cockroaches..its like, once youve got em your stuck with em..

[stroppy]

eggs on plants perhaps

[undrtkr_00]

stroppy said:

eggs on plants perhaps

Bingo!

[undrtkr_00]

koiguy1969 said:

those little black pond snails are worse than cockroaches..its like, once youve got em your stuck with em..

Do you not like them? I think I'd like to have a bunch of snails. Do they eat up your plants or something?

If you want to get rid of them, you could add a clown loach or some similar fish that will eat them. Would have to be during summer when temps are higher, though, as I think they are tropical.

[koiguy1969]

the tiny black ones reproduce so fast they can over run a pond in a couple years..my first year i found a gel sack on a rock and offed it as the summer went on i cant tell you how many gel packs i pulled off border stones lilly pads as i pruned. as far as live snails i still see them in my basement pond filter because they thrive in a filter. i saw at least a dozen on the inside of my filter this morning ad ive killed 100s if not 1000s of them since september when the guys came in for the winter. when you buy pond plants you have to repot them and hose them down before putting them in your pond for some protection..or you may be killing them forever. . if i remember i will wipe them off the inside wall of the filter and take a pic next water change. trapdoor snails are live bearers and do a pond good

[DrDave]

I had to steilize all my tanks to get rid of them.

[poodles-ponds and gardens]

The tiny black ones (river snails) are also part of the chain in a fish disease called Black Spot. It is actually a parasite that plants itself under the scales of the fish causing a little black spot. While it is said that it is not usually harmful to the fish, it makes them look like they have been smudged with soot!