Japanese Trapdoor snails

[AnthonyRibis]

What can you all tell me about these? I am thinking about adding these to my pond to try to knock the algae back some. I understand I can't total eliminate it but I would like to be able to control it better.

 

[Mmathis]

Gee, wish I had a link handy, but sure that someone else will find one and post it. Have you been following my posts regarding the size of TD snail babies? I think I have a link in there somewhere.

Japanese TD snails are live-bearing snails, and unlike egg-layers, are easier to keep their numbers under control. They do well over-wintering in colder waters, also unlike other snails. In my limited experience with them, they tend to just go after the "crud" and algae in the pond [and I have some in my indoor tank] and leave the plants alone -- but if there was no algae for them to consume, I'm sure they would eat your pond plants.

Those who keep koi say that koi will eat them, so guess it depends on what kind of fish you have [and the size of their mouths].

The only place I've seen them for sale is online. None of our local pet stores carry them. Shop around for pricing, 'cause some places are way higher than others.

 

[sissy]

Check local garden centers that sell pond plants .My local garden center has them and the sell pond plants and even tadpoles

 

[AnthonyRibis]

Yes I have been looking around I found 12 for $30 and 3 for $198... Too early in the season for any local shops but I will check around here before I order anything.

 

[addy1]

They sell them here, http://www.tricker.com/, they come a nice size. I picked up a 100 a few years back, more than 100 were sent and there were little ones in the box too

 

[Mmathis]

They sell them here, http://www.tricker.com/, they come a nice size. I picked up a 100 a few years back, more than 100 were sent and there were little ones in the box too

I think I got a batch from them, too, or at least considered it -- can't recall.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I used to have them years ago, but they don't survive the extreme cold that we get and then no snail lives in the top pond cause the koi are just to big and they will eat anything that fit's into their mouth!
String alage is common this time of the year as nothing else is growing but the algae! I need to give my big filters a good cleaning soon as they have sucked up lots of loose string algae. The algae in my pond will be gone as soon as the big yellow flag gets growing again as that things starves it out and the fish eat lots too once the water gets a little warmer... Oh Spring where are you!!!

 

[koiguy1969]

i believe they are live bearers, so they arent prolific reproducers like regular pond snails. once you get the pond snails, good luck getting rid of them. they lay eggs in fairly large numbers.(contained in gel sacks, like frog eggs) dont mistake pond snails for trapdoors. the pond snails can easily be mistook for baby trapdoors.

 

[addy1]

Yep live bearers, they don't overwhelm the pond easily.

 

[AnthonyRibis]

Yes I made the mistake when I was younger putting pond snails in my indoor fish tank and I had thousands... Took me a looong time to get rid of them. I figured I would get of the trapdoor ones to add to the pond, figure it cant hurt.

 

[addy1]

I have a mix of normal snails, rams horn snails. trap door snails. I don't see an overwhelming population of any of the snails.

 

[Mmathis]

Ever since I found those little trematodes burrowed under the skin on a couple of my fish last year, I've been fighting a war against the Ram's Horn snail, as they are one stage in that trematode's life-cycle! Though it probably was just a coincidence, but still scared me!

 

[taherrmann4]

Yes I made the mistake when I was younger putting pond snails in my indoor fish tank and I had thousands... Took me a looong time to get rid of them. I figured I would get of the trapdoor ones to add to the pond, figure it cant hurt.

I had some small snails in my aquarium that came with some live plants and they started to take over. I ordered some assassin snails and they took care of them in relatively short time.

 

[addy1]

I need to get some assassin snails, got way to many snails in my house tank.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

put a piece of cucumber or zucchini in your tank and in no time it will be covered in snails. Then just take it out and get rid of them.

Personally I enjoy watching the snails in my tanks.