Snails! How!!!

[NY Detailer]

OK, today while i was not "drinking" anything i was watching one of my rocks clim up the glass wall.
I was like WTF is that.

I noticed it was a snail, i guess it got smuggled in with the plants, should i keep it or get rid of it.

how do i control it

[RTR]

http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/snail.shtml

HTH

[sman91wing]

Snails taking over a tank is pure nonsense to me. They can reproduce quickly and in large amounts, but everybody always makes it seem like once they have numbers you can't control them! Like their tiny little selves are stronger than you. Put your hand in the tank and squish them, or take them out. I kinda like them, they don't kill fish, they only eat dead ones. They also keep the tank clean. Also if you have cichlids they can be used as a food source.

[NY Detailer]

I like the idea of using an empty bottle and throwing an algae wafer in it. then in the morning take it out with the snails in it and through it out.

I will try that, my main concern is that they eat all the algea and my pleco has nothing to eat.

[1tankneverenuff]

Originally posted by sman91wing
Snails taking over a tank is pure nonsense to me. They can reproduce quickly and in large amounts, but everybody always makes it seem like once they have numbers you can't control them! Like their tiny little selves are stronger than you. Put your hand in the tank and squish them, or take them out. I kinda like them, they don't kill fish, they only eat dead ones. They also keep the tank clean. Also if you have cichlids they can be used as a food source.

I agree with you 100%. People act like these snails have more power than God himself. Reach in your **** tanks and remove them...

[sman91wing]

Originally posted by 1tankneverenuff


I agree with you 100%. People act like these snails have more power than God himself. Reach in your **** tanks and remove them...

Exactly. I really hope the population of aquarium people aren't becoming so worried about snails... Its like discovering you've got some ants in your kitchen. its not the end of the world, deal with it

[belmont0182]

I went to petsmart and asked for those "bad snails" they were free and keep my tanks so clean.

[Leopardess]

The problem is that they CAN take over a tank. Yes, they don't hurt anything, but they can be an eye-sore, if you will. They also make a lot of poo and some eat plants. I had some snails devour an entire clump of grasses in...I dont know...two days.

I had a picture of a 55g that was OVERRUN by MTS lol. So many. Needed to be thinned down. You could hardly see through the glass but the picture has been removed from the server.

I think its pretty darn near impossible to have a planted tank without snails. They end up in there one way or another unless you religiously potassium permangenate your plants. I like my snails:)

Just don't overfeed, squish eggsacs if need be. Use the lettuce method or the algae wafer in a shot glass method.

[snakeskinner]

I don't like the look of them and we fought a severe snail outbreak for 5 months in our 55 gallon before giving up. We would kill/remove at least 50 snails per day and never seemed to get ahead of them, they were reproducing under and inside decorations faster than we could get them out. we stopped the hunt after deciding to set up a puffer tank. A couple weeks ago we set up our puffer tank and discovered our snail population has all but disappeared. I attribute this to controlling our feeding better. We just went to petsmart and gathered a bag of snails to start a 1 gallon colony for feeding the puffers. 4 puffers eat a lot more snails than I ever imagined. KYle

[NY Detailer]

WOW, 50 snails, screw that, I only see one right now. I pulled him out before it can reproduce, i hope. There may be more, but not really sure.

If i see some more I will get a clown loach to eat them, i dont now about a puffer, or if there is even a freshwater puffer, or if a puffer would get along with my fish.

[Leopardess]

I wouldn't personally do either of those things. Clown loaches prefer to be in groups of at least three and will grow to a 1' each. Plus, your tank is fully stocked as it is.

As for the puffer, yes, there are fw puffers. But they are known fin nippers. Big time.

All you need to do is make sure not to overfeed. Without excess food there will be no excess snails. Some snails can be a good thing. They help clean algae and the excess food/poo that is to be expected.

If you do end up having a problem - which I don't foresee - just stick a piece of lettuce or zucchini in the tank when you go to bed. Then take it out when you wake up. That simple:)

[1tankneverenuff]

Originally posted by snakeskinner
I don't like the look of them and we fought a severe snail outbreak for 5 months in our 55 gallon before giving up. We would kill/remove at least 50 snails per day and never seemed to get ahead of them, they were reproducing under and inside decorations faster than we could get them out. we stopped the hunt after deciding to set up a puffer tank. A couple weeks ago we set up our puffer tank and discovered our snail population has all but disappeared. I attribute this to controlling our feeding better. We just went to petsmart and gathered a bag of snails to start a 1 gallon colony for feeding the puffers. 4 puffers eat a lot more snails than I ever imagined. KYle

Puffers eat alot...PERIOD. ;)

[snakeskinner]

Leopardess, I tried the lettuce and the zucchini and most I could ever catch was 1 or 2 snails at a time. I floated them, sunk them, everything. Do you guys do something special with the lettuce? maybe the lettuce we get is coated with anti-snail juice or something. Kyle

[LGooley]

I have the little critters in my tank also. They came on my plants. The do reproduce like vermin!!! When I do my water changes I suck them out with my gravel vaccuum. That usually cuts the population back. Gouramis will also eat the snails if you squish them. I have 2 small plecos and they have plenty to eat. I figure that it is a more natural setting with them in the tank. (And they were free!!)

[RioXingu]

I also gave this advice on the General Freshwater forum.
Snails will attach themselves to a floated piece of cardboard left floated in a tank overnight.
In the morning, simply remove cardboard and snails.
Try it, it works!

Bill in WI

[johnnyxxl]

I have never had that sort of problem maybe my fish liked eating the eggs or something. I had guppies, zebra danios, swordtails, and platties, a few kulhi loaches. in a 20 gallon tank with a couple of tiger botia, They unfortunately never did well other than the guppies there were only 2 or 3 of each in the tank