Questions RE:Snails in my tank

[MillsK]

Snails All Over The Place!@#$$@!

My tank is COVERED in snails... I have a 72 gallon lightly planted tank. I have 2 rainbow fish, a nice green terror, a small cat and 3 loaches in this tank. I also have about 300 snails, with snail eggs all over the tanks glass.

My local pet store said that if I added salt to the tank it would kill off the snails. I added salt per the instructions on the box, 13 tablespoons of salt. The snails seem happier then ever. I'm afraid if I use the biocide my fish will suffer.

Any suggestions?

 

[geoffgarcia]

My tank is COVERED in snails... I have a 72 gallon lightly planted tank. I have 2 rainbow fish, a nice green terror, a small cat and 3 loaches in this tank. I also have about 300 snails, with snail eggs all over the tanks glass.

My local pet store said that if I added salt to the tank it would kill off the snails. I added salt per the instructions on the box, 13 tablespoons of salt. The snails seem happier then ever. I'm afraid if I use the biocide my fish will suffer.

Any suggestions?

what type of loaches do you have? how large are your snails and of what variety? Perhaps invest in a different type of loach, my clown loaches used to destroy my snail population, as did puffer fish

 

[Timmain42]

what type of loaches do you have? how large are your snails and of what variety? Perhaps invest in a different type of loach, my clown loaches used to destroy my snail population, as did puffer fish

Agreed, esp. on the puffers. These are my favs:

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/puf-trav.htm

When I get tired of smashing snails, I bought one of these guys. They don't get very big, and in a couple of weeks' time, she had the tank free of pond snails. At that point, I recommend trading her back to the LFS (they can get fin-nippy once they run out of easy-to-find food).

 

[MillsK]

My loaches are clown loaches. I have no idea if they are eating snails or snail eggs, they don't seem to be affeting the population much. Mostly they seem to just hide out in my Java fern.

I'll look into a puffer, not sure I'm going to be able to find them around locally however, I don't have a great selection of fish.