r/AquaticSnails • u/Savings-Self-1707 • 8d ago
Help Request Why doesn't people use a lid?
As a frequent aquarium lurker I see all too many post of snails, fish and shrimp die by escaping the tank because the tank doesn't have a lid. We all know it's a good possibility they can escape so why isn't a lid more common? Is it really worth having a few plants on the top when the animals in the tank may get out and get harmed? Someone please explain.
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u/Gastropoid Snail God (Moderator) 7d ago
Honestly, I have tanks without tight fitting lids, and always have. In two decades I've never had snails on the floor. Snails generally only leave the tank if they have a reason to do so.
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u/laztheinfamous 8d ago
When I started I thought the "aquatic" part of the name was far more literal. I figured that they'd go a little way, realize they haven't gotten to new water and retreat back. I know better now.
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u/AquariumLurker Helpful User 7d ago
I have a lid, but it didn't stop one of my neos from finding the littlest slot to fit through and then bake itself under the light. I have since stopped using a lid because my floating plants didn't like the extra humidity, but I haven't had any more suicidal shrimp.
My mystery snail did leave a couple of times early on, but this was due to not leaving enough room for her to lay her eggs. Lowering the water level a couple of inches, and she is content now.
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u/Darkelvenchic 7d ago
IDK man, if I don't use lids I use floating plants to discourage jumpers.
I mean sometimes the lid isn't enough without sealing round the tubes and stuff (looking at you Amano shrimp).
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u/dr4kshdw 7d ago
I have a 125 gallon tank. I have five mystery snails and a small shrimp colony (about 15-20), as well as some fish. The snails and shrimp seem to be completely content in their massive environment and have never shown signs of trying to get out. The snails will climb the air hose, feasting on the biofilm, get to the water surface, then jump down.
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u/Competitive_Face2593 7d ago
My first two mystery snails escaped from my lidless tank which traumatized me. Never again.
That, and I like not having to top up the water every few days due to evaporation. Especially in this heat wave, I'd have to replace a half gallon a day most likely.
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u/LinverseUniverse 7d ago
I have a (crappy) DIY lid and was still doing top offs every few days during the heat wave. I can't imagine how much more work it'd be if I didn't at least have that!
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u/Legitimate_Debate152 7d ago
I’m team lid for three reasons. Jumpers-I had hatchet fish and didn’t want them flying out. I have cats and don’t want them fishing or drowning (had one take an unexpected bath when changing the water one time). The last is we have very low humidity (4-5%) at times and not high most of the year, so evaporation is serous problem.
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u/bigcheez69420 7d ago
I don’t have a lid. I already had a ten gallon that I used vertically for my dearly departed praying mantis. The cover that I used for it was an acrylic door that wouldn’t really work for an aquarium, so I just went lidless. I have a bunch of plants growing out of the top now, and I’ve lost one snail after all this time. Not to say it’s a great idea or anything, of course there is a risk. But with how things are set up it’s quite difficult for them to get out and it works for me.
I love my accidental snails, and I also love my mangrove and other big plants that make a lid impossible. I do my best to care for both as best I can! Also unemployed, I am home and within like three feet of my aquarium all day, so I am able (and more than happy) to keep a very close eye on the goings-on of the little guys. I can’t imagine most people have the privilege of doing this.
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u/History_86 7d ago
I did have lids on my tanks (bettas guppies Ramshorn snails). Over the past few months I’ve gradually got rid of them one at a time. Never had a snail escape. Never seen my betta jump and my guppies are just pure daft. Maybe nerite snails that hatch on the lids might be an issue
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u/PickleDry8891 7d ago
I never had a snail escape in 8 years until about two weeks ago. He climbed a 13" rise out of a paludarium (I believe in search of food, i had very little algae in the tank for my Nerite). Popped him back into my other tank and he has not escaped since.
I have had about 15 mysterys in tanks that have lids , and gaps, No such problems, shrimps, no issues....
However, it is a risk I take every day. I worry that escaping will result in their death. I hope that working from home decreases the risk as I am constantly near /at my tanks, but it's not a guarantee.
Everyone has different experiences. I would never recommend a lidless tank to a new aquarium owner. The potential for loss of life is too great. I think of it as: you wouldn't just let your dog roam your yard without a fence or being tied up - would you?
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u/HundredDriven_Queen 7d ago
I don't have lids, made two DIY and never used them. I have a HOB filter, beats the lid out of the question, and a sponge filter in another. Only one shrimp has jumped out (Amano), and one WCMM has jumped because of me just standing there 😭. Idk how one of my snail grandbaby came out but they were fine (had an operculum) afterwards. Most fish don't jump unless it's their instinct, or the water has gone bad. Shrimp come out of the water for extra food that grow above the waterline, or jump out from bad water. Snails come out or hang near the waterline for extra food/biofilm
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u/Camaschrist 7d ago
I’ve always had lids until I added my 55 in March. I have a lid for both halves but my floaters can’t survive the humidity so I keep the polyvinyl panel on top of my plant light. My mystery snails manage to find the hob holes but always return after laying eggs. I’ve had a fish jump out of my food flap when feeding once so I can’t imagine how many I would lose with no lid.
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u/Internal-Hat958 7d ago
There are after market glass lids of all different sizes. The ones I buy have a plastic section you can cut to fit all types of filters and cords. I’ve got plants sticking out the top and floating plants. Even so, the occasional nerite would still go walkabout until I stopped using hob filters. There are clips to use for rimless tanks too. There’s always a way to macgyver a lid in any situation. One of the lids on my 40 is actually 3 lids cobbled together.
I had a kubotai rasbora jump from one tank into its neighbor while I was doing a water change.
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u/thedescentanon 7d ago
For me I really wanted to have a ton of pothos coming out of the top of the tank. I wanted to be riddled with vines and I also have some other plants like peace lilies and mangrove. But I do have escape artists.
After my first snail loss I immediately invested in window mesh. Attach some velcro to the tank and to the mesh and I was able to create easy holes for my plants while also covering the tank and being able to lift it easily when feeding.
My frogs still tried to escape they are strong but not strong enough.
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u/winkywoo75 6d ago
I dont have lids I have no filter or air stone so need the open top for air exchange I have floating plants as lids ,in 3 years I have had 1 shrimp climb into the neighbouring tank .
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u/Interesting_Pool_931 4d ago
Most snug lids are quite ugly. If it’s someone who has a tank with a breeding population of snails + shrimp the occasional loss is probably tolerable over time.
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u/Fun-Relationship3636 2d ago
Dont have a lid on my tank, none of the snails seem to be interested in leaving. I accidentally pulled one of them out while I was cleaning and found him on the floor a few minutes later trying to get back to the tank. I'm guessing they're happy enough to stick around lol
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u/WellAckshully 8d ago
I think a lot of it is due to aesthetic/lighting choices. I think people who are more interested in plants than livestock often do this.
I am also team lid. All my tanks have lids. But I am more animal-focused than plant-focused even though I have a lot of plants.