# Getting Aquarium Snails



## Mr_Yellow_Shoes (May 28, 2008)

Well, i know lots of people usually ask how to get RID of aquarium snails, I am asking how to GET aquarium snails, Me and my cousin have a 5" Oscar in a 55 gallon tank (will be moving to a 125 when needed) and we know that they do eat snails, however upon going to our LFS, we realized snails were anywhere from .5-3 dollars a pop (don't remember which types) and i have heard that some snails lay there eggs on live plants which in turn go to your aquarium, however doing this is not sure fire, so basically i am asking what is a sure fire way to get a colony of feeder snails for an oscar (not as a daily meal, more like treats) thanks 

EDIT: BTW they will not be kept in the same tank (maybe in a spare 10 gallon)


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## Laurel (Jun 17, 2007)

I'm sure you could track down someone in the local aquarium club who has a Malaysian Trumpet Snail outbreak and get some of their sand to start your "culture."


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## Mr_Yellow_Shoes (May 28, 2008)

Sand? I thought they laid there eggs on plants? Another thing, would it be possible for one 5" Oscar to eat enough snails to keep the population steady (not out of control) but not too much to eliminate the population if i kept them in the same tank


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## Laurel (Jun 17, 2007)

Malaysian Trumpet Snails lay eggs in sand. I believe apple/mystery/trapdoor snails lay eggs on/eat plants.

The trick with an oscar eating fish in the tank is that the snails will get in your filter and infest it with eggs and babies.


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## Mr_Yellow_Shoes (May 28, 2008)

So that would be there way of escaping death lol? So i guess the best option would be keeping them in a separate tank, would just getting two result in a culture starting?


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## bulldogg7 (Mar 3, 2003)

I just ask when I go into an LFS, "do you have any extra feeder snails?" The owner knows me, he'll throw in a dozen or more just to get rid of them. Usually small MTS. Just be careful, they lay eggs everywhere, and grow in your filters and lay even more eggs there. 
If you really really want them, do what Laurel said, but ask for a filter pad, if you see some jelly on there, then it's probably eggs. The eggs get inside filter pads. And canisters. Sometimes if you're lucky, someone wants to get rid of their HOB that suddenly stops working every couple of days, there may just be snails in there.


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## Mr_Yellow_Shoes (May 28, 2008)

Lol, man that's lucky, I go to my LFS all the time, but never actually "meet" and get to know the people that work there, any ways would the best way to keep them be not having a filter in there tank and just changing the water every week or so, (a 10 gallon tank)


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## Mr_Yellow_Shoes (May 28, 2008)

Well instead of snails i decided to use guppies as feeders, is there any difference between feeder guppies and regular guppies? im just looking for a fish that makes baby fish relatively quickly, and color really does not matter, maybe i will keep some if they are very nice looking though


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## Donfish (Dec 24, 2007)

Just buy a cheap plant or a fish and ask the kid that bags it to throw in some pest snails while slipping him a couple of bucks. They'll be too happy to oblige this time and the next.

If not look in the plant tank and if you see any pond snails in there buy out the anacharis, you'll have snails in no time.


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## MetalHead06351 (Oct 3, 2007)

feeder guppies are smaller, less coloful rejects from spawning. you could get regular guppies and feed the babies to your fish. In a ten gallon you could go with 5 females and 1 male. maybe even more, but you will only need one male.


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