Malaysian Trumpet Snails, yes or no?

I've found a few trumpet snails in my 20 gallon tank, who obviously hitchhiked in with plants in the past. What surprised me was finding them as very large ones, not babies. I have 1 assassin snail and it took 2 days to take care of one right up front so I could sort of watch it. 2 or 3 weeks ago I found an adult and put it into my 10 gallon QT since it was empty. I have not fed it at all, except for leaving some catappa leaves on the bottom. There's a sponge filter and heater in there as well. Honestly I pretty much forgot about it, only looked a few times to make sure it was alive - I didn't care if it was or not, honestly. I consider it a pest.

Then I read where someone was putting 20 in their tank. Let me say, I hate pest snails. I know some like them, some don't, and I'm in the latter camp. The young man at the LFS told me he likes them because they tell him how his tank is doing. If he sees a few, all is well. If he sees many, he knows he's overfeeding. Since I've had trouble with overfeeding and am making a conscious effort to stop that habit, I think my 20 gallon has less lately. I'm talking about the little black snails.

Anyway I'm taking forever to get to this, but I FINALLY am changing the water and cleaning this small tank out, and when siphoning, I found a lot of young trumpet snails. Kind of shocked since there was only the leaves to munch on, I wasn't feeding it. Would putting the one adult in my 40 gallon with sand be of a benefit to the tank, or another pest I have to deal with? What's the benefit of this snail? I'll save the adult out right now as I'm emptying the water, but do I really want to save it?

 

Benefits include mixing the substrate, extremely beneficial if you have sand because of possible buildup of toxic air pockets in the sand. I'm actually looking for MTS now for my new sand tank. Another thing, not really positive or negative, is that you hardly even know they're in the tank. You could have 100 and think you have two, haha. They dig during the day and come out when lights go off. They also eat up any leftover food, any dead plant matter, anything that could make your tank gross if left unchecked. A negative is that you could end up with a ton of them. But like I said, you don't see 'em anyway so it's barely a negative. I can't really think of any other negatives to having them.

 

Okay thanks - just the 1 is going in, seems babies happen easily, and I don't have to look at them! I only found 5 young ones, I threw the leaves in the trash, maybe some were on it. If you're in the States and want the babies, I'd send them to you. I've never shipped anything aquatic before but these seem like they're hardy enough to survive some travel.

 

Okay thanks - just the 1 is going in, seems babies happen easily, and I don't have to look at them! I only found 5 young ones, I threw the leaves in the trash, maybe some were on it. If you're in the States and want the babies, I'd send them to you. I've never shipped anything aquatic before but these seem like they're hardy enough to survive some travel.

Omg that would be so nice of you! Snails are pretty easy. Stick them in a baggie with a wet paper towel, I’ve heard. I’m not sure if you’ve posted enough to use private messaging yet?

Edit: I sent you a PM.

 

Just a heads up, I have a 20 liter tank in which I placed one single MTS, 6 months later there's hundreds of them! This tank was over fed (I just do the maintenance on this one, grandma feeds them) , I added the same one MTS in my own tank, and I barely ever saw them, had to get some more from the other tank.

If you over feed you get hundreds, if not, they'll breed just a bit.

They're pretty good, I always keep seeing bubblss coming off the sand, it's them. When the lights go off they crawl all over the glass.

 

I’ve had mine a few months now! I see 2-3 all day long, not just at night, and that’s it. I think it’s because I underfeed the tank so they’re always out looking for food. Nothing in the substrate because my fish spend all day combing the sand for the leftover food that reaches the bottom! I don’t even think I have enough to properly mix the sand up haha. I might have to start feeding more.

 

I’ve had mine a few months now! I see 2-3 all day long, not just at night, and that’s it. I think it’s because I underfeed the tank so they’re always out looking for food. Nothing in the substrate because my fish spend all day combing the sand for the leftover food that reaches the bottom! I don’t even think I have enough to properly mix the sand up haha. I might have to start feeding more.

I'm glad they have survived, and bet they've gown from the tiny babies I sent you! I still pull them from my tanks when I see them, I find all sizes. I'm starting to breed guppies and have just a few males in my 20 with cories and shrimp. I know I'm overfeeding because it's hard to get used to the small number of fish! Working on that!

 

I'm glad they have survived, and bet they've gown from the tiny babies I sent you! I still pull them from my tanks when I see them, I find all sizes. I'm starting to breed guppies and have just a few males in my 20 with cories and shrimp. I know I'm overfeeding because it's hard to get used to the small number of fish! Working on that!

Yes I am still so happy and grateful to you for your tiny snail gift! They are so big now. I love them