snails snails snails

jdcreigh

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Aug 22, 2005
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help me!!!! how can i control the snails that came with my live plants.do they make a chemical that maybe will prevent them from breeding?i have been catching them and freezeing them but i cant keep up(i do this everyday).and how do i buy plants(live) with out snails or eggs.i did not see any on the last ones which was the only time i ever got live plants.i want more live plants but NO MORE snails.thanks
 
As far as stopping them before they get into your tank you need to give all new live plants a bleach bath (like 9 to 1 bleach to water I think) and just rinse them thouroughly.

If the snails are overpopulating then something is wrong in your tank. Whether it's water levels out of whach, overfeeding or the tank is overstocked. Take a look at all of these and see what's causing them to overpopulate. Snails will only reproduce to the amount of "waste" they can consume, so to speak. Not literally waste, meaning excess food, etc.
 
Depends on the plant. some can be dipped in a 1:20 bleach solution--mostly the tougher plants, like anubias, money wort, etc. I wouldn't try it on any fine leaved plantes. Potassium permagrante works as well to disinfect and kill snails.

Or, just have a few snails. They aren't bad, and the common hitch hikers don't eat healthy plants. They only get out of control if the tank isn't kept tidy.
 
I've used a salt water bath to remove snails. I put about 1/4 cup salt to a quart of water and swished the plants around in it for a few minutes, then rinse in clear (dechlorinated) water. The snails will drop off in the salt water. I also check for eggs and remove them or the whole leaf.

N.
 
Copper kills them real fast, but also anything with a shell (shrimp, crabs, ect).
 
You can put lettuce (a hunk) in overnight and it will collect them up. Remove in the morning. That along with fixing your imbalance will help.

If the tank is large enough you could get a school of clown loaches.
 
Wow, good article RTR!!!
I would discourage getting a fish to controll your snail population. It will work, but it is kinda backwards to me(also, a lot of the fish you can use are very big e.g. clown loach, or incompatable e.g. puffer) . Like "gosh I accidentally bought cichlid flakes, now I have to go buy a cichlid". The method of removing them with food, then correcting your tank practices to limit thier reproduction is, I feel, the better way.
 
jdcreigh said:
how do you do it?

Years ago (when I was young) I would clean and put a penny into tank every 3 days till all snails gone, then remove pennies and did a big water change (tank was a 55gal). Now you can buy copper for tanks at LFS.
 
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