snails, snails, everywhere...

[Katz]

Hello again.

So I wanted some snails to breed in my 20gal, to feed my Puffer in my 10gal. Of course, they have taken over. Mostly those little cone shaped snails, the rounder ones are not as bad. It looks like my gravel is alive!!!

I have to stop this. My preferred way of doing this would be to add three kuhli loaches. The problem is, that the tank is stocked up, even though I am able to keep the nitrates around 20ppm.

Here is the list of inhabitants:

2 Otos
3 Serpea
3 Black Skirts
3 Cories
3 bloodfins
2 Dwarf Gourami
1 Minnow (came as food, stayed)

I realize that's a lot of fish. All the tetras have been with me for almost a year, so I don't know if the LFS would take them back. They are so much older than what they have at the store.

Do you think the kuhli's will eat those snails? Would it be ok to get them, and maybe take them back when the problem is under control?

Thanks!!!

 

[Leopardess]

Snails will not overpopulate a tank unless there is enough food to sustain them. This usually indicates too much excess food or wastes present. Lighter feeding combined with more gravel vac-ing can help get rid of them.

You can also take a piece of lettuce or zucchini or something similar and place it in the tank when the lights go out. After a couple of hours, or in the morning, the snails will be all over the lettuce and you can take it and the snails out.

Some suggest using a small glass shotglass and putting an algae wafer in it to collect the snails.

*Definitely* no room for loaches.


EDIT: Okay there, Leopardess. "Too much excess?" As opposed to not enough excess?

 

[snakeskinner]

problem is those "cone shaped" snails are likely trumpet snails and you cannot use them for puffers since their shells are so hard. I assume this would go for loaches as well. if you'll notice, You can't even squish them with your fingers. as leopardess said, overfeeding and undercleaning are likely the reason for the snail outbreak. Kyle

 

[OrionGirl]

Depends on the puffer. Dwarf puffers seldom crunch the shell, but actually slurp the snail out, and can eat any kind you offer--mine get lots and lots of trumpet snails. I have to remove empty shells each week. They usually can't pull the largest ones out of their shell, but anything under 3/4 an inch is fair game. The South American's are a little less gungho, but they will also eat the smaller trumpet snails. Bigger ones, they just pull out of the shell, so while it is good food, the big ones are not useful for teeth maintenance, IMO.

Kuhli loaches are the same way, don't crack the shell, just pull the snail out. They are tricky buggers--mine have learned how to gang up and kill large snails that have the operculums--they wait until the snail is on the ground, and then go after it before it can retract and protect itself.

Otherwise--I agree with Leopardess. Reduce the available food, siphon the substrate regularly, and the snail population will dwindle.

 

[Clownloach458]

i dont think the "shells" would be an issue..most "snail-eating" fish turn the snail over then slurp it out..as the above post said before. sorry for not realizing what orion girl said before ..lol

 

[Leopardess]

And even if they could - there's no room for them!

 

[snakeskinner]

I was under the impression that puffers chew the shells open, this is the whole reason for giving them the snails. my dwarf puffers don't crunch the shells but pull them out of the shell like oriongirl said. If this is normal and they can eat the trumpets, I'll start feeding them since I have more of those than anything. I just didn't want them causing problems. KYle

 

[Katz]

Thanks everyone.

I'll reduce my feedings to every other day. The Puffer is a red eye puffer, and he does slurp them out for the most part. I just don't like feeding him too many, because the leftovers (what he didn't get out) cause my nitrates to go too high sometimes. I consider too high >20 ppm for the puffer.

I won't add the loaches, I know there's no room.

The war is on!!

 

[OrionGirl]

Some puffers do crunch the shells--I've never seen any damage on the snails shells from my dwarves. The South Americans chew on the common pond snails, but not the trumpets.