I've noticed that baby snails don't stick around long in my tank with amano shrimp. I don't know if they eat them or out-compete them. Also, did you blanch the lettuce a bit before you put it in? My vegetable clips always have snails on them.
I'm getting fed up...
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I just scoop mine out every other day or so with a fish net. Right now after doing this for a couple of weeks I hardly have any snails. I know they will repopulate again and again I will scoop them out.
I read on the net a lady would crumble old lettuce on the top over the weekend and then scoop them all out. Using a regular fish net makes it easy and you get a lot that way. I have to do the same thing with the duckweek, grrrr.
Good luck,
Kim
I read on the net a lady would crumble old lettuce on the top over the weekend and then scoop them all out. Using a regular fish net makes it easy and you get a lot that way. I have to do the same thing with the duckweek, grrrr.
Good luck,
Kim
hmm. My black kuhli's never touch snails. Even if i crush them. The stripey kuhli's might be different though. Or maybe mine are just being annoying since thats what i bought them for. 
The yoyo loach is a good bet. it was listed somewhere as one of the top 5 snail control fish. It might eventually wipe them out though. I have never had them before but I plan on it when the kuhli die.
Dwarf puffer yes. It will eat snails like there will never be any again... literally. IF you can get them to eat in first place. One problem though. These are devil fish. Very aggressive and territorial. The will eventually destroy anything in the tank with them. Some might disagree because puffers have the most personality of fish ive seen. some are nice and very tolerant. Mine is evil incarnate. It has has raped and shredded 5 female puffers i tried to put in with him. He is in solitary confinement for life now.
I would never use chemicals. Most are copper based and can become fixed in the tank to be released at a random future time. Basically, never plan on having any inverts ever live in that tank again if you do. If there is a new product (someone mentioned something that prevented breeding), might be worth a shot. I wonder if its a one shot medicne that destroys the reproductive organs or if its a regulatory hormone that must be dosed continously(IE "the pill" for snail).
ROFL .. that brings an image. they have a birth control "patch" now also. thousands of little snails with a little patch on thier shells. yes i know it requires dermal contact, but the visual doesn't work if its inside the shell
The yoyo loach is a good bet. it was listed somewhere as one of the top 5 snail control fish. It might eventually wipe them out though. I have never had them before but I plan on it when the kuhli die.
Dwarf puffer yes. It will eat snails like there will never be any again... literally. IF you can get them to eat in first place. One problem though. These are devil fish. Very aggressive and territorial. The will eventually destroy anything in the tank with them. Some might disagree because puffers have the most personality of fish ive seen. some are nice and very tolerant. Mine is evil incarnate. It has has raped and shredded 5 female puffers i tried to put in with him. He is in solitary confinement for life now.
I would never use chemicals. Most are copper based and can become fixed in the tank to be released at a random future time. Basically, never plan on having any inverts ever live in that tank again if you do. If there is a new product (someone mentioned something that prevented breeding), might be worth a shot. I wonder if its a one shot medicne that destroys the reproductive organs or if its a regulatory hormone that must be dosed continously(IE "the pill" for snail).
ROFL .. that brings an image. they have a birth control "patch" now also. thousands of little snails with a little patch on thier shells. yes i know it requires dermal contact, but the visual doesn't work if its inside the shell
God that has me laughing. Actually - even the concept of each little snail having its packet of Monday to Friday pills is quite amusing. Imagine 'Bert. I've missed a pill. We could be parents of thousands by the weekend'. Oh god - I've just moved onto pregnancy tests too.
on a more serious note - I'm with the above. When in the midst of my over-run, I tried one of the chemical treatments with several effects:
1) lots of snails died, rotted and caused an ammonia spike
2) but not all snails died (particularly malaysian trumpets - which apparently can seal their 'doors' and stay safe until the coast clears.
Result? Sick fish, water changes and no change on the snail front (back as it was within 2 weeks).
Ho hum.
R
on a more serious note - I'm with the above. When in the midst of my over-run, I tried one of the chemical treatments with several effects:
1) lots of snails died, rotted and caused an ammonia spike
2) but not all snails died (particularly malaysian trumpets - which apparently can seal their 'doors' and stay safe until the coast clears.
Result? Sick fish, water changes and no change on the snail front (back as it was within 2 weeks).
Ho hum.
R
Skunk botias will eat snails as well. Feed less, frequent water changes, and good algea eaters to outcompete them should keep them under control. I like having a few snails. gives my tanks some depth. Every once in a while I crush the pond snails agianst the glass and watch my angel devour them.
This DID get rid of the snails for me. I used to have a DP, so I'd get a few snails when I saw them at the lfs. I would slightly overfeed so they would be able to reproduce. Sadly she diedRipples said:
Since I don't overfeed now that the need to do so is gone, the snails have completely vanished from my tank. It only took 3-4 months.
Yoyo loach don't get very large and they love snails...
sorry if someone already mentioned them...I'm in a hurry and didn't have time to read all the posts...
sorry if someone already mentioned them...I'm in a hurry and didn't have time to read all the posts...
The chemical method is out, I don't want to mess with that. I can't see how I could put something in the tank that is meant to kill something but yet it won't harm the fish. The lettuce method is out because there are plenty of other plants for them to munch on. The overfeeding thing is uncertain because I could have sworn I was giving them the right amount, but then again, there are plenty of plants to munch on. I need more information on that. Also, I need more information on these fish. :help: :duh: :help: :duh:
I guess I don't understand why you're saying that the lettuce method is out. Are these snails actually eating your plants? Even if they are I think they would still fall for a piece of blanched spinach or lettuce. Mine go around all day eating other things (algae), but as soon as I put any kind of semi-prepared veggie or tablet into the tank they hunt it down and start eating. You've had several good suggestions but if you're not willing to consider/try any of them I don't see an immediate end to your frustration.
