# Beneficial Snails - MTS (Malaysian trumpet snails)



## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

I have been useing MTS's in my tanks for many years with great success, helping my water quality and keeping the substrate turned, oxygen rich and eat organic waste.

MTS Video


----------



## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

Thanks for sharing that Pali. These things might help with aerobic bacteria too. :thumb:


----------



## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

Hiya LSboost your very welcome

They keep the substrate oxygenated, so aerobic bacteria can live there, preventing anarobic bacteria thats makeing ammonia gas.

I guess thats what you mean right?


----------



## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

Yea, there will still be anaerobic bacteria in the deeper part of the substrate. The snail will prevent deadly pockets of nitrogen gas from forming. Your substrate isn't that deep. If it's done correctly you may be able to make the anaerobic bacteria work for you in converting nitrate, yes nitrate into nitrogen gas. This is why I think the old school fishkeepers can make their aquarium work without water changes (anaerobic bacteria).

I'm still researching on this topic so not really sure if it will benefit us.


----------



## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

> prevent deadly pockets of nitrogen gas


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry, couldn't resist. Nitrogen gas (N2) is not deadly, or even remotely toxic at all. But the denitrification process doesn't transfer Nitrate directly into nitrogen gas, there are many intermediate steps, some of which are toxic when the anaerobic pocket gets stirred up into the water column. see here. Nitrogen gas, though, is not the toxin.


----------



## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

For some if not many people MTS are pests that will overpopulate and infest your tanks


----------



## Dook (May 13, 2009)

TKC747 said:


> For some if not many people MTS are pests that will overpopulate and infest your tanks


is this a problem if they are limited in the number of shells? Or do they produce their own? I'm not a snail keeper, so my knowledge is nowhere to be found.


----------



## sufcsam94 (Apr 14, 2010)

Is there any other types of snails anyone would recommend ????


----------



## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

TKC747 said:


> For some if not many people MTS are pests that will overpopulate and infest your tanks


Been keeping them for more then 6 years, have'nt overpopulated my tanks so far. I'll take my chance on it's not gonna happen anytime soon, have'nt killed any of my impellers either.

They clean up the tank, I don't see how that can be a pest. A pest is something that harm the ecosystem, I would say if something wrong it lies with peoples setups, water changes and/or filters.

I have read about people who have problems with these snails, but to be honest I have never seen any of the bad stuff people talk about. Where a lot of snails die and pollute the water, either my filters take care of it or one snail dies and another snail will eat it.

They don't crawl on the plants at all, I hardly ever see them on the glass during the day or above the sand. So as I hardly ever see them, I don't find em overpopulating my tank. I acctualy like the effect they make when there are alot of them and the sand looks like it's moveing around by itself, when the snail move around under the top layer the sand grains move a little.

So all the good they doo, is very welcome in my tank for the small price of seeing a small snail here and there once in a while. Besides it looks natural with a few snails here and there, some of my fish have fun with em too. Some of the shellies I have, sometimes stacked em and tryed to keep them in small areas - Fun to look at!

There are alot of snails thats bad for your tank, MTS is not one of them. I belive in trying to simulate a biotope as close as possible, is better, easyer and less work to maintain when it's up and running.

Everyone have the right to there own opinion, some don't like the look of the snails poping out of the sand once in a while. Shure fine - don't get them. But it's not a pest if you look at the deffinition of what a pest is/do. IMO just cos it's unwanted don't make it a pest in my book, it's more like Tax, some might think it's PITA to pay but it do a lot of good in the long run.


----------



## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

Glad they are not pest to you, but getting rid of the eggs are a real problem if you don't want them. Sorry for being so curt, but once you have them, they are extremely hard to get rid of  No offense intended. Rock on dude :fish:


----------



## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

TKC747 said:


> Glad they are not pest to you, but getting rid of the eggs are a real problem if you don't want them. Sorry for being so curt, but once you have them, they are extremely hard to get rid of  No offense intended. Rock on dude :fish:


No offense taken mate, we are all friends here right :thumb:

Let's say I wanted to rid my tank of MTS, I would first of remove my fish. Then simply just lower the pH till I have a nasty acid water, that will kill all snails in the tank and kill of the eggs. It might take a week or two, then I flush the tank and adjust the water and I have a clean tank, the bacteria culture should survive but if not it's easy to get it back on track.

I have done this to remove another kinda snail in a tank once, it works great aslong you quarantine the fish. :fish:


----------



## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

Thanks, I will remember that makes sense!


----------

