Snails or no snails that is the question

[scottishwildcat]

Good morning all from the Highlands of Scotland. I've a small garden pond that's been running for a year. It's 10x5x3. A few marginal plants and 2 planted water lily's plus 6 goldfish. I'm looking to add some snails but not sure what to buy ? They need to be able to handle freezing over in the winter

 

[GBBUDD]

trapdoor snails

 

[addy1]

Love my trap doors! Some are huge!

 

[j.w]

All I have are small snails that came from who knows where. I hear the Trap Door ones are pretty cool tho!

 

[Guestie]

I plan to re-add some Japanese snails.

The first six came to horrible endings at the wee hands of raccoons.

Now I have a protective screen ....

 

[j.w]

@Dukku

 

[GBBUDD]

I myself don't like the idea of snails in my pond as i have a epdm liner and as the snails may die or as i get in the pond and set on one of them i can crush the shell and making for very sharp little knifes that could cut the liner with ease

 

[Lisak1]

I"ve stepped on those empty shells with my bare feet @GBBUDD - they won't cut anything. They're more brittle than they are sharp.

 

[GBBUDD]

I"ve stepped on those empty shells with my bare feet @GBBUDD - they won't cut anything. They're more brittle than they are sharp.

living on the sea shore ok i'm not a thousand miles to the shore, i have stepped on many shells that's no picnic , that's been my experience, i guess fresh water is different , i stand corrected. but still no shells for me

 

[Lisak1]

They're so fun to watch though... like watching paint dry! haha! I don't know if it's freshwater that matters though - I had to get a half dozen stitches in my foot as a kid after stepping on a freshwater clam shell in a pond. Trapdoor snail shells are very thin by comparison.

 

[j.w]

living on the sea shore ok i'm not a thousand miles to the shore, i have stepped on many shells that's no picnic , that's been my experience, i guess fresh water is different , i stand corrected. but still no shells for me

I don't know how you will stop them from coming as they can come on bird legs and plants and who knows what else? They might even be in your pond right now and you just don't know it. There are some really tiny varieties

 

[GBBUDD]

I don't know how you will stop them from coming as they can come on bird legs and plants and who knows what else? They might even be in your pond right now and you just don't know it. There are some really tiny varieties View attachment 161208

I dip my plants in a potassium pergonite bath before they go in the pond. I have seen them and leeches and loaches come in with plants. So far so good.

 

[j.w]

I dip my plants in a potassium pergonite bath before they go in the pond. I have seen them and leeches and loaches come in with plants. So far so good.

Just set out a tray of that PP stuff by the pond w/a sign so when birds, critters go in they can dip there feet into it

 

[GBBUDD]

JUST LIKEV THE JAPANEESE KOI DEALERS