Having kept them for five years, I can say that it is a bitter-sweet experience to pet snails. At the time of reproduction, they lay a huge number of eggs in a single shot.
I used to struggle with the same thing until I came across a guide that helped me out. I applied the tips mentioned and voila! Everything changed.
Read through the article to make an informed decision about baby snails in your aquarium.
Snail Eggs In Fish Tank: How Snail Lay Eggs?
Not all snails lay eggs in the same identifiable spots! Most of them lay eggs on the hard surface in the tank, such as the base, decor, live plants, walls, and substrate like rock and sand while others lay above water or on floating plants.
Ramshorn snails, for instance, like to lay eggs on aquarium glass, while Mystery snails lay eggs above water.
Regardless, all snail eggs contain a glue-like substance that holds them together. The eggs are laid in clusters and can be found sticking to surface like glass, plant or other objects.
Snail Species and Eggs
Aquarium snail eggs are small, round, often translucent, and in jelly-like sacs.
If you have different types of snails in your aquarium, you may find their eggs in your aquarium of different sizes and color: The eggs of Ramshorn snails are tiny, while those of Apple snails are large.
I once kept Ramshorn snails, and to my astonishment, they laid 200 eggs at a single time! The eggs were 3mm each. However, they grew 3X within 72 hours. In contrast, my Assassin snails laid 1 to 4 eggs.
How Aquatic Snails Reproduce?
Most species reproduce quickly, but some take months to lay eggs. Species like Malaysian trumpet snails reproduce sexually, while some can breed asexually.
It takes weeks for snail eggs to hatch. Eggs are hatched into baby snails. Once baby snails are born, they breed for a specific number of weeks. Their growth rate depends on water temperature, pH levels, and food availability.
FYI- Overfeeding leads snails to overpopulate.
Pros and Cons of Removing Snail Eggs from Your Aquarium
If you’re on the verge of removing eggs from your aquarium, I’d suggest you consider the following aspects:
Pros
The upsides of removing snail eggs are:
Fishes in the same aquarium as snails, love to snack on their eggs. Removing the eggs is a good option if you intend to breed snails in another tank.
Removing pest snails and keeping eggs separate will get them to hatch in a cleaner environment, as snails produce a lot of waste.
Ensure high aesthetics by removing eggs from the aquarium.
Eliminating snail eggs helps prevent overpopulation, which can harm the aquatic ecosystem in your aquarium.
Cons
With benefits come drawbacks too. Below are some downsides to snail eggs removal from the aquarium.
The process is more time-consuming than you think, especially if there are hard to reach places in the structure.
Some snails, like pond snails, are great algae eaters. They also feast on fish leftovers or uneaten food. Snails can keep your tank clean from any toxic buildups.
Scraping them off the glass can damage the aquarium surface or decoration.
Snail farming is a low-risk business that can yield greater returns. Removing the eggs will restrict the opportunity.
Here’s How To Remove Snail Population
If you don’t want to keep snail eggs in the aquarium, remove any snails you see using these tips:
Scrape Them Off
Remove eggs to prevent hatching. Use a thin, flexible card or anything similar you have. For Nerite Snail Eggs, use a razor blade as they are hard to remove.
Let the Fish Clean it Up
Freshwater pufferfish, like tiny pea puffers, loaches, and zebra and crown loaches, are good examples for snail eggs removal from the aquarium.
I would recommend keeping fish inside the tank that love eating snails as well as their eggs. Trust me, once you do that, you will not have to worry about snail infestation at all.
Starve Them To Death
Snail eggs rely heavily on nutritious food to grow. If you don’t have any other pets in the aquarium and you don’t want to breed them, restrict their food.
Found Snail Eggs In Your Tank?
Being an aquarist, I have provided sound tips to keep your tank clean and safe from snail eggs.
I hope you found them helpful in making your decision. If you decide to keep them, do your research for the type that’d suit you better or if you want to remove them, do as I did!
