POND SNAILS UK BRED TRAPDOOR SNAILS EAT ALGAE

Trapdoor Snail-(Viviparus viviparus) – The BEST Algae eaters by Far

Snails Manage Algae

Trapdoor snails go around the edges of your pond / Tank; they eat algae off the bottom, rocks, and sides. Trapdoor snails are also friendly to plants, meaning they will clean the stems and leaves without eating or damaging the actual plant. Indeed, they will only eat decaying plants. Colours vary but normally dark in colour.

DO NOT PUT THESE IN INDOOR TANKS. THEY ARE UK NATIVE POND SNAILS AND WILL NOT SURVIVE. POND OR OUTDOOR TANK/CONTAINER ONLY

Not all snails will consume algae as effectively as a Trapdoor snail. Therefore, this is truly where the little scavengers stand out, as they are known to be the biggest algae eaters in the family.

Furthermore, Trapdoor snails are careful when it comes to grazing algae of a plant. Indeed, many are found of Trapdoor snails because they do not harm the plants in the pond; they merely scavenge around the stems and edges whilst only actively feeding on decaying plants.

Trapdoor snails reproduce rather slowly, meaning that you won’t need to worry about the number of snails in your pond, to begin with.

Unlike most snails, Trapdoor snails are not asexual, meaning they need to breed and find a mate. Therefore, their chances at reproduction are already reduced, to begin with.

Snails Reduce Levels Of Ammonia

Ammonia is an invisible killer for your pond / Tank. It is highly toxic and harmful to your fish. As such, it is better not to leave this hazard unchecked. But how does ammonia even enter your pond / Tank, to begin with?

In short, ammonia, a compound made of nitrogen and hydrogen, is released into the pond through waste. More specifically, it is spread through the breakdown of organic material. This includes various forms of waste and dirt, such as fish excrement, leftover food, dead plants, and decaying algae.

The Nitrogen Cycle

The Nitrogen cycle refers to the process that transforms ammonia into nitrate, which is eventually used to grow plants in your tank. However, a high level of nitrate in your pond will be harmful to the fish. Therefore, it is advised to clean the water and reduce the amount of nitrate in your pond.

As snails assist in reducing waste, thereby cleaning water overall, they indeed are a plus when it comes to safeguarding a healthy nitrogen cycle. Although snails can surely not take up the job themselves, they are natural and convenient little helpers nonetheless.

Average Size

Your snails will be a minimum of 12mm  1/2”. These grow on average to around 2”. While there are instances where this species has exceeded this, it’s quite rare. There are a number of factors that influence the size of this species. The main ones are water quality, diet, and how well they were raised or bred before you got them. 

In short, freshwater snails are great for the ecosystem of your pond / Tank. As such, Trapdoor snails keep your water clean, take out the trash, eat organic leftovers, scrub the surface bottom, manage algae, reproduce at a slow rate, and reduce levels of ammonia. A must in pond or tank.

Allow 5 snails per m². 

Acclimation On Arrival - When your snails arrive, we advise that you float the snails in your tank / pond to allow them to adjust to your pond / tank’s temperature after their time in the post, slowly adding your pond / tank water until the snails are fully submerged. Please allow the snails up to 24 hours in your pond /tank once acclimated to emerge from their shells. These snails are often mistaken as dead and disposed of however they have the ability to retract inside their shells, closing off the entrance to their shell with a hard flap in order to enable them to survive in less-than-ideal conditions for extended periods of time.

Delivery & Returns (Sent Monday – Thursday to minimise stress or courier next day for large orders)

These snails will be sent in a fish safe bag with water and oxygen, inside a carboard box for the best possible protection, hence the slightly higher price, not in padded envelopes as ive seen before. All snails will be sent RM24 SMALL PARCEL. 

WE OFFER A LIVE ARRIVAL GUARANTEE ON ALL OUR LIVE STOCK BUT YOU MUST GIVE THEM TIME TO RECOVER FIRST AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.ANY PROBLEMS WITH LIVE FISH OR INVERTS YOU MUST PHOTOGRAPH BEFORE OPENING THE BAG THEY ARE PACKED IN.

We can not be responsible for live stock that has been in your care. There are just too many variables, water quality, conditions ect.