Trap Door Snails good idea or bad?

[campingcreecher]

I purchased some snails for my pond, thinking they would help keep the algae in check. Now I'm really worried about parasites from them. I've never lost a fish in my pond due to bad water quality, parasites, fungus or bacterial until now. Shortly after I introduced these things to my pond. I started noticing changes in my fishes behaviors. Now several things were going on. Spring always bring spawning and algae blooms (which for me, in my pond was causing wide ph swing) and I know that causes added stress on the fish. We had also brought in some new plants (which can carry, who knows what), also purchases some new koi (no gasping please), I did quarantine the new fish for 3 weeks in my quarantine tank, in a product call de-los and then, put them in the pond. I lost 4 koi, clearly due to fungus and bacteria problems. Its been 3 weeks sense all this started, all fish look great with no visual signs of health issues. The (reaper has gone) lol. We fed the fish with koi fix in their food and treated the pond with Nitrofuracin Green as recommended for our pond size. Then have sense followed up with 2 treatments of Potassium Permanganate and hydrogen peroxide.
My question is, should I put the Trap Door snails back in my pond?
Advise from the guy who advised us on the potassium and hydrogen peroxide treatments said, "pray for death to my snails" they carry parasites that just can't be killed and will reek havoc on the health of my fish. I remove the snails from my pond before we started treatments because I was worried the meds would kill them.
Is he correct telling me this?
I'm wondering if the snails could have been what caused all this?
Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Priscilla]

I don't have any trapdoor snails, but a few people on here do. You could do a search of trapdoor here on this site and see what other people have experienced with them.

I don't remember anyone else having a bad experience.

Sorry, wish I could offer more.

 

[CometKeith]

Re Trap doors, We have a lot of raccoons in our area. Whole families come to munch out when they are available in my pond so I have stopped getting them. Also I have had disease problems a few times after I introduced other kinds of snails like apple snails into my pond. I don't know if it was coincidence or not. My guess is that some sources are better then others.

 

[mtpond]

I added a couple trap door snails to my pond when I started my pond up 3 years ago. I haven't had any issues having them. I hadn't seen them for a long time so figured they died, but this spring I saw two of them eating on the bottom of the pond.

 

[Lisak1]

I think, like anything else you add to your pond, make sure you know your source. Parasites are always a possibility, but the same is true for the snails who crawl in their on their own I would imagine. Or the birds or the frogs or anything else that helps itself to your pond.

We got snails because we thought they would be rather fun to watch, but turns out they don't enjoy being watched all that much! We see them every now and again, usually by following an abnormally clean trail on a rock. They do eat algae, but not enough to make a real difference. I think you would need A LOT of snails to notice a reduction in algae. And they work slowly... don't pay them by the hour, whatever you do!

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I added trapdoor snails to my pond and my stock tank recently. Personally I am not worried about any kind of disease. I have three other types of snails in my aquariums and I find them a positive thing and not an annoyance. Plus they are interesting to watch The trapdoors will not multiply as quickly as some of the other types of snails so you really don't have to worry about a huge population explosion.

 

[campingcreecher]

I think, like anything else you add to your pond, make sure you know your source. Parasites are always a possibility, but the same is true for the snails who crawl in their on their own I would imagine. Or the birds or the frogs or anything else that helps itself to your pond.

We got snails because we thought they would be rather fun to watch, but turns out they don't enjoy being watched all that much! We see them every now and again, usually by following an abnormally clean trail on a rock. They do eat algae, but not enough to make a real difference. I think you would need A LOT of snails to notice a reduction in algae. And they work slowly... don't pay them by the hour, whatever you do!

Thank you for your post, lol on the don't pay them by the hour.

 

[icsd71]

I have them. Been re-populating them selves year after year. They have a huge appetite for algae. Never had a problem with them. Only reproduce live young and just a few at a time. It is up to you but I say get some. Really can't go wrong.