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Can I use pest snails to cycle a aquarium.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

Done it. A few problems though. Snails don't produce much ammonia. You get a very small cycle and therefore have to stock the tank very very carefully. A tank full of well fed snails only equals about 2small tetras. Also it doesn't work in tanks over about 10g. You won't get a noticeable ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate level unless you leave a bunch of excess food rotting in the tank. By that point your no longer cycling with snails but with the food your leaving in there. For a tiny tank like 5g and under that is going to be stocked with only a small fish or 2 or some shrimp it can work but for anything bigger the snails won't produce enough waste. When you go to add fish you'll end up with an ammonia and nitrite spike almost as if you never cycled the tank.

You can just throw in some fish food frequently and let it sit. That will cycle the tank the same as having fish in there and when your tests are all good you just do a light gravel vac to remove the excess food with a water change to lower the nitrates and add fish the same day.

I go to the LFS and get some stuff called "cycle" and let it run for a couple of weeks, then add fish slowly - just a few at a time, testing the water along the way.You don't want to add a lot of fish at one time to a new tank. I have never tried snails, but don't think it would work that well.

Maybe you can use Apple Snails......... they are bigger than the "pest" Snails & produce more ammonia. I have done it with good results.


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Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

Products like Cycle do not completely cycle an aquarium. They can help shorten cycling times but you still will have ammonia and nitrite spikes. I noticed it mostly helps with nitrites and it only slightly affected the ammonia. Also when using those products they do absolutely no good if you leave the tank empty. Bacteria starts to die within about 24hours of no food source. As soon as you add bacteria to the tank you need a food source which means ammonia. Either you have to add fish, snails, fish food, or liquid ammonia right away or what you just added is wasted. Leaving a tank empty for a week with bacteria starters does nothing but test that your equipment is running.