Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello All,

I have read alot of the older posts concerning snails but find no definite answer on wether they are beneficial or not. My system has been running since march or so this year, water quality doing well, it has 100 Blue/White Tilapia around 15g average size. It has 2700 total gallons, DWC/NFT Hybrid. We started with a small amount of water from an established system and the little black snail were introduced at this time. The fish keep them down in the FTs but they are really starting to acculmulate in filters and espescially sump. Would it hurt to drop a Tilapia in the Sump (safegauarding from pump)? or is there a better way of cutting down numbers? Or am I being paranoid?

As always thanks ahead of time!

Matt O.

Snails in my system create the biggest problems with plumbing and valves. I've seen the most dramatic reduction in the population by decreasing the amount I feed the fish. Snails are also in the roots of my DWC plants. Overall they don't seem to bee harmful, just an annoyance. And when I was using valves to reduce flow they would get in the valve and clog the pipe, so I would have to turn the valve full open twice a week to clear them.

Red eared sunfish can help with these if they are the small aquatic snails. Actually even my bluegill seem to have wiped them out anywhere they can reach them.