Are snails good or bad for a pond?

[barb]

I just bought one from the garden center I always buy my plants and fish from.  I am hoping I did a good thing, and not a bad thing....my pond is about 700 gallons.  What kind of snail experiences has everyone had?  Aside from eating them with garlic and butter.   

[Bonnie]

Well it depends on what kind of snails but I get them for free.

They plug up the filters, grow on the lilies, etc. etc.... 

[barb]

He/she is a Trapdoor snail.  Hopefully it's a he, and won't lay eggs.

Uh-oh!  Editing to say I just googled them, and they are live-bearers.

[CT]

Once there was one, now there are thousands.. if you are talking those little ones with the pointy shell. They are on everything and a pain to get rid of if that's even possible. I'm sure they have good points but .. then there are the bigger ones that don't seem to be as much of a problem. Lots of people actually like them. Trapdoors are one of the bigger ones, yes?

[barb]

Yes, very big, black, with the pointy tail. 

[miguynmkoi]

Snails are suppose to eat dead vegetation and algae.  Don't know the name of the ones growing in my pond from piggybacking (off store bought plants) but when there are too many for my taste, I schmoosh them in the pond.  The fish love escargot 

My penny size snails look like a flat coil.

[Teresa]

Yes, very big, black, with the pointy tail. 

Nope, not the same snail at all.  Trapdoors are indeed livebearers and I always believed that the mother died after having babies - and all mine did die after giving birth - but was told by several people that this was not true.  They do give birth to lots of babies, but only if there is enough food in the pond to support them.  The new babies are tiny, but fully formed replicas of mommy.

As snails go, the trapdoor is a particularly nice type to have . . . . if you have babies, I would love to have some of them.  (Yes, they can be mailed - I got my first ones by mail and shipped some out to friends via mail as well.)

[the Julles]

The little bitty snails in my pond eat the algea growing on my waterfall and decorative thingies.  There never seems to be an overabundance, so I suppose the koi eat the extras.  I also like them in my tadpole tubs.

I bought a blue and a yellow Mystery Snail at PetSmart (about 1½" round), to keep in my betta tanks indoors.  MISTAKE!  What nasty, filthy, heathen smuckers!  They do nothing but eat and poop, the water fouls quickly and had to be changed every other day - and stunk! 

I tossed them in the pond, where their poop will help feed my bog filter plants, and the snails are happily eating away on the sides of the liner... guess there's plenty of algae growing on it.

[karen J]

Trapdoor snails shouldn't be a problem. "Great Pond Snail" can definitely be a problem. Those are the ones that are very small, pointy, and infest filters and ponds. Nasty little buggers!

I had a trapdoor snail that hitched a ride on a trade, and it was very well behaved. I wish they'd survive the winters here because I really liked them.

[barb]

I think I will buy another one or two then, thank you all for your advice.  And Teresa, I could buy them from the store and ship them to you as well, let me know.  They had another 10 or so left.  Hopefully there will still be some left today.  But otherwise, if I do get babies I will be happy to give you some.   

[barb]

Uh-oh, I just checked the pond and he's floating.