We have had a much wetter than normal summer for SW Arkansas this year. My daughters and I were putting our AM500 feed into the feeder yesterday and they asked what the black things were on the shore. In an inch or so of water. I looked and they were very small snails. I have read about RES controlling these. I stocked 50 last year. I know they may not have made it with my GSF population but should I be alarmed. Do I need to do something about them?? Is the wetter than normal year why they are in the pond? I have never seen any before, but the pond is only a few years old. I will try to get a picture today and post it. Could I have done something to cause them?? All the work I've put in the last year, I hope snails don't ruin it!

Thanks guys!

Some snail species are better than others in respect to the fish's ability to eat and control them. When you get a picture I can elaborate.

Okay, here are the snails. Hop you can tell something from the pic. They are relatively small. The sizes range from tiny to a little larger than the end of a pen. That is a BIC pen. They are black and are in very shallow water. They are also crawling around on FA. Most are on the bottom though. Thoughts?? Are they harmful?

Thanks guys!

Physa sp. (aka Pond Snail).

Can be host for White Grub Metacercaria. You have likely seen fish infected with those already.

so are RES the best recourse for these or what should be done. What do we (I) look for in the fish to see if they are infected.
Not to hijack Peachgrower thread but I have these as well and I am hoping he wanted to know too.
thanks
Dave

Yes, I would love to have a description of the White Grub Metacercaria. Maybe some images if you have them.

Will the snails leave or die out, or are they here to stay? Are there any other means to get rid of them besides predator? I stocked 50RES fingerlings last year, but who knows if I have any left.

Custom, no harm done, this is to educate us, feel free to post on this thread all your questions and or your situation. You may ask a question that I don't and help someone else out. I don't see a hijack as when you jump in with the same question/problem. Its when the topic gets taken off somewhere it never intended on going. LOL

The Physa genus of snail aka as common pond snail has a relatively thin shell, thinner than most of the other aquatic snails. Numerous fish species will eat the Physa snails because the shells crush easily. But by far, the best sunfish to eat these snails are the redear and pumpkinseed sunfishes. I have also seen these snails in yellow perch stomachs. Snails of other genera usually have thicker shells and are not as well eaten by fish except maybe RES & PS.

Bill, noticed that when gathering. They were VERY easily crushed. To the extent I had to very careful. Do you think GSF would eat them? Reason I ask, is it seems they frequent the same place in my pond. Very shallow water.

Looks like I may need to find some adult RES also along with the adult BG.

Out of curiosity, how does one get these snails?? Probably the bucket stocking? From an outside source? Could birds bring them in??

Thanks Bill

Did some googling. Those are some bad dudes. Here is what I found on the life cycle. I do have some herons...so I'm guessing that maybe where they come from??

I caught two or three adult RES out of a neighbor's pond and stocked them along with my adult BG in winter of 2015-16. I had already stocked about 50 or so 1.5" RES a few months prior. I have not seen any snails, but have seen a GBH and some very small herons.

Is the Clinostomum marginatum more present with very warm water?

I have cleaned many yellow perch in early summer with these snail in them.

Cheers Don.

Would you look at what I found. Tee he he.

Pond snails can also be consumed by BG. The fish need not crush them to get nutritional benefit. I like RES but do not think you get effective control of pond snails in a typical pond. It is not just about the fish and the pond, IMO it is also a function of bathometry.

We had these in abundance, before introducing yellow perch. All snails were gone within a month of stocking! Probably because I wasn't feeding more than a handfull of food every other day or so. Haven't seen a snail since.

FWIW We also had tons of these last year. Now that the PS have had time to establish, I have yet to see one this year.