Snails with incoming plants

9 years ago

I've just started a pond about 10x3, with about one quarter of that being setup as a bog filter with pea gravel. The bog filter area and a shelf on around part of the open area are a foot deep and the middle of the open area is 2 feet deep. So far the hole is dug, the liner is in and I've had a dozen rosy red minnows swimming around for about a week.

I just came back from a local plant seller - really an advanced hobbyist - with two coolers full of plants. Of course I want to put them right in, but I know there are snails in with the plants. I realize most ponds wind up with snails and they aren't necessarily a bad thing, but since I'm just starting I'm wondering if there is something I should rinse the plants with (or add to the water in the coolers for a while before putting them in the pond) before putting them in my pond since once I have snails they'll be pretty hard to ever get rid of...

Any thoughts?

I thought that maybe I would just go ahead and put in the plants and then add a couple weather loaches to keep them in check. Is that crazy?

For reference I have graceful cattail, pickerel rush, water iris, japanese rush and pennywort to go in my big area. And water hiacynth, frogbit, floating heart, hornwort, water hawthorn and momo botan lotus for the open water area. I'll probably add a hearty water lily in a few weeks when I decide which one I want.

This post was edited by zendog on Fri, May 23, 14 at 5:58

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Comments (4)

waterbug_guy
9 years ago
Everyone has very different goals for their pond. I've never heard of snails becoming a problem in a pond, but assume there must be some people who don't like them.

There are treatments that can be done to plants to reduce risks of parasites, bactertia, snail eggs, etc. To me, a 10x3 pond and Rosy Reds I wouldn't. I would welcome the organisms. In a Koi pond with $25,000 worth of fish I would have different view. We have a lot less control over these things than most people seem to think.
Sandy62
9 years ago
Hi Zendog, Certain snails can be horrible and yes, I would be concerned. In a matter of a few short weeks, you could have thousands of them. I say this because I have that same problem with my bio filter. One cup of non-iodized salt in a gallon of water or two cups for two gallons will kill the snails. The salt has been in my pond for over 20 years and I have Lilies, and Iris and lots of water plants. Leave them in the salt solution for a couple of hours, take and rinse them in clear water and you're good to go. If you'd like to leave them in the salt for a shorter time, than that's fine but the salt will not hurt your plants. Water Lettuce and Anacharis are the only two plants that don't like salt. Alum by McCormick's which is a pickling spice will also work in sterilizing plants brought home from questionable places. One tablespoon per gallon of water.works like a champ in killing diseases that can be transferred from plants to fish. Happy ponding.
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hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
9 years ago
You can also treat the plants with potassium permanganate to kill the snails. Google around to find the method, and follow all precautions and safety warnings with potassium permanganate.

I have a few in my pond. The population is largely killed off when I have to use Algae-Fix on the string algae, but enough manage to survive until the next time I have to use Algae-Fix. I haven't seen more than a dozen in the sieve the last time I used AF, so maybe in the long run it will get them all.
nkm56
9 years ago
I've had snails in my pond for 7 years (hitched in on plants), and there has never been a population explosion. I'm assuming the fish are keeping them in check. There are some in the filter, some in the stream, but not much in the pond.