MTS, good or bad?

Malaysian Trumpet Snails (MTS) are considered pests by some and a welcome, sometimes needed, addition by others. Are they good or bad for a Dwarf Shrimp aquarium? I think they are great, and here are a few reasons why:

Great Clean Up Crew
MTS are very good at cleaning up uneaten food. They will come out from under the substrate when it is feeding time and join the shrimp while they are eating. Anything that is not eaten by the shrimp, the MTS will get!

Great Health Indicator
MTS populations will spike when an aquarium is over fed. A population can quickly become an infestation when an aquarium is cared for poorly, and this is a great indication of overall tank health.

Substrate Oxygenation and Mixing
MTS spend most of their time under burrowed into the substrate. This keeps the substrate mixed up, not allowing the substrate to settle into divided levels, and they also allow oxygen to get to the bacteria found in the substrate!

Some don’t like them because their population can explode and they are livebearers so it is hard to control population spikes, but if they are not over fed the population will stay in check and there are some great benefits from having them!

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