Snails? Yes? No?

[addy1]

I bought a 100 trap door snails when I first set up the pond, have not bought any since. They do their thing and multiply nicely.
I don't buy plants, fish, anything for the pond anymore, it has been years since I did. The last time was some really neat shubunkins that are doing great. No more adds, keeps the pond healthy.

 

[ChrisP]

Another vote for Japanese trapdoor snails. They crawl (slither?) up and down the walls eating algae.

 

[adavisus]

Ramshorns snails are, almost perty..

 

[ChrisP]

This year I added snails. They are too good. The liner is stripped of any camouflaging layer of algae such that every fold of the liner is visible. I think I might give away some of them.

Or maybe move a couple into the waterfall? They should be fine among the river rock and pea gravel, right? There's TONS of algae in that area.

 

[tbendl]

This year I added snails. They are too good. The liner is stripped of any camouflaging layer of algae such that every fold of the liner is visible. I think I might give away some of them.

Or maybe move a couple into the waterfall? They should be fine among the river rock and pea gravel, right? There's TONS of algae in that area.

Send 'em to me.

 

[morewater]

By Snail Mail?

 

[tbendl]

By Snail Mail?

 

[Tfisher]

I purchased Japanese trapdoor snails a state away via mail and all survived - no experience with other snails : purchased from big auction site

 

[Carla]

This doesn't fit the snail category, but still relates to keeping the algae at bay and pond cleaning.
Has anyone added a Chinese High Finned shark to their pond? They get quite large (3 feet) and can survive cold temperatures, They eat algae and forage off the bottom. The do need a large pond and do well with other fish; they are not aggressive (despite the 'shark' part of their name). They are an expensive fish though.

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Sharks, Banded Chinese.htm

 

[Faebinder]

This doesn't fit the snail category, but still relates to keeping the algae at bay and pond cleaning.
Has anyone added a Chinese High Finned shark to their pond? They get quite large (3 feet) and can survive cold temperatures, They eat algae and forage off the bottom. The do need a large pond and do well with other fish; they are not aggressive (despite the 'shark' part of their name). They are an expensive fish though.

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Sharks, Banded Chinese.htm

I added the shark.... they are fragile but do well in big ponds.

 

[DeepWater]

I was getting a little excited to obtain some Japanese Trapdoor Snails for my newly remodeled pond, but quickly discovered they are non-native invasive species and on the Restricted list in Wisconsin. I imagine other states are similar?

USGS Fact sheet on them:
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=1046

WI DNR aquatic invasive species list:
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/species.asp?filterBy=Aquatic&filterVal=Y&catVal=AnimalsReg

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I was getting a little excited to obtain some Japanese Trapdoor Snails for my newly remodeled pond, but quickly discovered they are non-native invasive species and on the Restricted list in Wisconsin. I imagine other states are similar?

USGS Fact sheet on them:
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=1046

WI DNR aquatic invasive species list:
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/species.asp?filterBy=Aquatic&filterVal=Y&catVal=AnimalsReg

Did you notice that Koi carp are also on the Wisconsin DNR list?

 

[DeepWater]

Did you notice that Koi carp are also on the Wisconsin DNR list?

Yep I see that, clumped in the "Common Carp" category. I'm now wondering what their true definition of Restricted really means. In googling "Japanese Trapdoor Snails", the first online petstore I looked at said unavailable to ship to Wisconsin. That was the only state listed. Garden centers and petstores sell Koi here.

One of the listings does include Koi in a special Restricted category (and look, there's the Chinese banded shark):

2. Nonnative viable fish species in the aquarium trade
a. Acipenser ruthenus (Sterlet)
b. Carassius auratus (Goldfish)
c. Cyprinus carpio (Koi carp)
d. Leuciscus idus (Ide)
e. Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Weather loach)
f. Myxocyprinus asiaticus (Chinese hi-fin banded shark)
g. Rhodeus spp. (Bitterling)

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Yep I see that, clumped in the "Common Carp" category. I'm now wondering what their true definition of Restricted really means. In googling "Japanese Trapdoor Snails", the first online petstore I looked at said unavailable to ship to Wisconsin. That was the only state listed. Garden centers and petstores sell Koi here.

One of the listings does include Koi in a special Restricted category (and look, there's the Chinese banded shark):

2. Nonnative viable fish species in the aquarium trade
a. Acipenser ruthenus (Sterlet)
b. Carassius auratus (Goldfish)
c. Cyprinus carpio (Koi carp)
d. Leuciscus idus (Ide)
e. Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Weather loach)
f. Myxocyprinus asiaticus (Chinese hi-fin banded shark)
g. Rhodeus spp. (Bitterling)

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/classification.html

Under the Business Resources tab, click on NR40 compliance for pet stores (PDF).

This basically is what other states mean when they speak of restricted species of fish.....that they not be released into the wild. If too many are, and they thrived, then that particular specie would be moved to the invasive list and any possession, without a permit, would be illegal.

 

[DeepWater]

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/classification.html

Under the Business Resources tab, click on NR40 compliance for pet stores (PDF).

This basically is what other states mean when they speak of restricted species of fish.....that they not be released into the wild. If too many are, and they thrived, then that particular specie would be moved to the invasive list and any possession, without a permit, would be illegal.

Thank you! That Business Resources tab is the one I ignored, (I'm a consumer) but it's the one that contains the most relevant info for ponders. There are some good PDFs on there!

Even though the pet store fish are allowed in the WI aquarium trade, they make no exception for the Japanese Trapdoor Snail. The Mystery Snail or Apple Snail are listed as non-invasive snails that are OK to sell. In briefly reading about them, I see they've wreaked havoc on other parts of the world, oh the irony!)