snails in a cichlid tank? good or bad

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

so ive recently heard that my fry tank might benefit from the addition of a few snails. i dont really know crap about snails and never really looked into them before. i also have a 125 tank that i was wondering if snails would benefit in there. which kind are best for my situation with the fry? will snails survive my 125 (there is a common brown Petsmart pleco and a green phantom in there currently)? do they easily over run tanks? are they like duckweed? the herpes of fish tanks, once you get them they are in there for good?

[four_by_ken]

All I hear about snails is how they multiply and how they are so hard to get rid of.

This completely turns me away from them.

I am sure there are certain species where this doesn't hold true... I just haven't looked into them enough to find out which is which.

[Loon36cf]

I know that nerite snails can only reproduce in saltwater I have a few in my tank and they do a decent job with the algae. But unfortunately they don't just go in straight lines so cleaning the glass is still going to be something you would have to do. The fish were curious at first but pay no mind to them now.

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

Well that means the are not going in the 125 for sure. The 15 gal fry tank is what i was thinking, mainly to clean up any excess food. This is my first try with fry so I am exploring a few options. Any suggestions for helpers? Are the nerites pretty common?

[Loon36cf]

I don't see them in very many fish stores but I know a lot of places that have them online.

[Dan K]

I have  had rams horn and spixie snails in fry tanks and find that cleaning up their poo is no better than cleaning up excess food. I just have bare bottom tanks and siphon out the junk with airline for small fry and 3/4 or 1 inch hose for tank with larger fry.

[jwalser18]

well, if you have sand look into Malaysian trumpet snails, they do a wonderful job keeping the sand loose and they're almost always buried in the sand.

[jamarini]

Keep in mind that Malaysian Trumpet Snails are EXTREMELY hardy and nearly impossible to control once they get established.  Even crushing them and feeding them to the fish doesn't control their population growth.

[four_by_ken]

Keep in mind that Malaysian Trumpet Snails are EXTREMELY hardy and nearly impossible to control once they get established.  Even crushing them and feeding them to the fish doesn't control their population growth.

And this is the reason I will never purposely get them.

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

Well I'm glad I asked about them. I think I'll pass on the snails. Thanks for all the info from your experiences. I don't want my tanks to get snail herpes that won't ever go away.