Ramhorn snails is taking over!!

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Temo

Joshie BaoHuu Tran
Jun 27, 2007
887
0
16
Grand Prairie ,Tx
Real Name
Joshie BaoHuu Tran
I don't mind them at all, but ever since I start discus again, I've noticed that they multiplied really quick and it went from 4 -7 now and then to over 20+ small ones in a given area.
I have discus and a very heavy planted tank.
Is there a way to some how get rid of them?
I've heard of putting a trap(bottle with food inside) over night(s) and catches them. However my tank is completely covered with plants so Im not sure if that will work.
Then I've heard of putting clown loaches in to eat the snails. I am not really fond with loaches. I think they kind of look weird and just really not a big fan of them.
I don't really want to use any chemicals or anything that will harm my plants and fish.
Do you guys have any suggestions or different ways to remove a large amount (90-95%)of the population?
 

authmal

Pseudonovice
Aug 4, 2011
2,621
62
51
Phoenix, AZ
Stop over feeding. They don't eat live plants, so they need an abundance of food (or algae) for the population to explode. Without it, they first stop breeding, then die off a bit.

Other than that, manual removal, trapping, or squishing.
 

Glabe

River Rat
May 10, 2011
1,353
1
0
37
Would assassin snails be an option? They might require help with getting the population under control at first because they aren't an instant solution, but they're a solid long term solution.
 

Temo

Joshie BaoHuu Tran
Jun 27, 2007
887
0
16
Grand Prairie ,Tx
Real Name
Joshie BaoHuu Tran
I have bad lucks with them in the past, They never seem to do well in my tank.
As of tonight I added a bottle with 2 pieces of lettuce and turned off the lights.
about an hour after I walk to check, I ended up netting out over 10 snails on one part of the glass wall. and I scan the rest of the tank. I felt like i've hit that rock bottom. I just see snails and snails everywhere I thought about just take everything out and restart the whole tank but then I dont really have the time for that since classes started today and I will be too busy to re started an aged tank. so I really hope this lettuce thing will work and I will continue doing this every night for a week or two and see how that does. and WILL definitely cut down on the feeding and see if they stop taking over. my 50 gal in my room barely have any snail at all.
 

authmal

Pseudonovice
Aug 4, 2011
2,621
62
51
Phoenix, AZ
All pest snail populations can be curbed through judicious feeding. Little to no food equals little to no breeding.
 

Temo

Joshie BaoHuu Tran
Jun 27, 2007
887
0
16
Grand Prairie ,Tx
Real Name
Joshie BaoHuu Tran
so I tried the bottle trap last night and I didnt have any lucks. I mean some pieces of lettuce doesnt seem as appetizing as a tank full of lusty colorful plants.
I will try the Zucchini tonight and see how it will work.
I WILL definitely do a hardcore cleaning my ground cover during today water change.
 

authmal

Pseudonovice
Aug 4, 2011
2,621
62
51
Phoenix, AZ
You realize that they're not interested in eating healthy, live plants, right?
 

pbmax

AC Members
Aug 18, 2009
350
1
0
Olympia, WA
You have to pick your battles in this hobby. Personally, I find snails to be a valuable part of the ecology in each of my tanks. They're a fantastic indicator of over-feeding and provide valuable waste-processing services. I use assassins for control if I'm intentionally over-feeding a tank.
 
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