Many aquarists wonder if snail reels are useful. Rejoice at their appearance or immediately get rid of in any way possible? They, like other mollusks, are just orderlies and are too small to harm plants. In addition, they serve as a valuable source of food for many species of fish, which naturally regulates the number of individuals.
Habitat
Coil snails (genus Planorbis) - these are freshwater mollusks. The size of the spiral-wound shell is small, up to 35 mm in diameter. Easily adapt to environmental conditions (water temperature, degree of pollution), breathe both air and oxygen dissolved in water.
Snail-coils move in the aquarium with the help of a wide leg, characteristic of mollusks. They live on their own, regardless of all other processes occurring nearby.
Types of Coils
This genus includes quite a few species, most of which are found in all natural reservoirs. It is not recommended to run snails taken from nature into the aquarium, as they become carriers of dangerous diseases.
The most popular among aquarists are the following snail reels:
- horny;
- horny red;
- Far Eastern
- keeled;
- wrapped up.
Content
Aquarium Snail Coils good for beginners who want to get mollusks, but have no experience caring for them. No special care is required from the owner, so you can focus on precious plants and fish.
An important factor is the beauty of the snail shell. With a lack of calcium in the water, the growth of the shell slows down, reproduction stops, flaws appear on the surface of the "house". To prevent this, it is necessary to put several large shells at the bottom of the water area, or add calcium purchased in a pet store to the water.
Dangerous neighbors for these mollusks are the fish themselves. Young individuals become easy prey even for guppies, not to mention large cichlids. They may well eat an adult reel. The fragments of the shell of the fish just spit out.
Coil Disease
The most common are helminthic infestations. Coils serve as an intermediate host of parasites, which, leaving the snails, migrate to fish. To reduce the risk of this disease, buy shellfish only from trusted breeders.
Another parasite that appears in the aquarium with live food is an aquarium leech. It penetrates the shell of the cochlea snail and feeds on its blood. In order not to turn the aquarium into a breeding ground for leeches, all mollusks bought and moved together with plants, quarantine them for a couple of weeks - a small aquarium or a jar.
For prevention, you can use salt baths. Pour 400 ml of water into a vessel and dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt, and then transfer to a solution of snails for 10 minutes. Leeches at the same time leave the shell. In addition, in pet stores there is a special drug for removing leeches.
Breeding
These mollusks are hermaphrodites, that is, each individual is capable of breeding. In order to breed this species, you need only one coil-snail. Reproduction occurs by laying eggs on the leaves of plants.
Shellfish are extremely prolific, so aquarium owners often clutch their heads: what to do with so many coils? In fact, the number of underwater inhabitants should be regulated according to the volume of the aquarium. So, for every 8-10 liters of water there should be 5 coils. A large population may not have enough food, and then they will take over the plants.
There are many ways to keep the number of coils under control. One of the easiest is the purchase of catfish anticyrus. They clean the walls of the aquarium from algae, and for one eat the eggs of mollusks.
Fish also maintain the balance of the ecological system by eating young snails. If there is global overpopulation in your tank, run barbs or cichlids, they can clear the area in a matter of days.
Another effective way is to collect snails using a trap. This is a small metal net in which they add banana peels, apples or potatoes. At night she is left in the aquarium, and in the morning they are pulled out together with coils. Catch can be used as fish food.
This is one side of the problem, but there is also the opposite situation, when with all the efforts the number of coils is reduced. Whether diseases or predators are to blame, the solution can be one: to collect a dozen individuals and place them in a separate aquarium or jar. With abundant nutrition and regular water changes, you will be provided with a good offspring (do not forget about quarantine: in the first few weeks, remove all snails that do not show activity). Already from here, you will be able to piece them into a common aquarium.
In the absence of more efficient guards of purity, such as ampoule, an unpretentious coil can very well cope with the function of an orderly. While maintaining a reasonable number in the aquarium, it will only bring benefits and will present many interesting points while observing her leisurely walks.