Maybe it wouldn't hurt to send them out to forum members that want or need them. Is it terribly hard to send them out? Maybe you could also find a local fish store that wants them? Just some uncruel 
suggestions.
suggestions.War with snails
- Thread starter Mordred
- Start date
Just how big is your tractor Tando? If it's too small I got a JD 4440 you can borrow. You want a plow, harrow, or Bush Hog attached to it?:dance
This is not really a viable solution as this does require manually removing the snails, but I thought I would share what I do with the snails I get in my 25 gallon tank. I actually like having the snails in there as they are excellent treats for the mantis shrimp (Neogonodactylus wennerae) I keep in a 10 gallon tank right next to the larger tank. I just pull one of the bigger guys off the glass, toss it into the other tank, and watch the mantis go crazy. He picks up the snail and carries it back to his cave and you immediately hear the *POP* *POP* *POP* as he smashes the shell open.
I understand that. I'm simply stating that your reasoning for smashing an animal is elitist and disgusting. K? tks.
Edit: And sure, send your Darwin book. If you're referring to On the Origin of Species, the word "evolution" is used once. Geez, I hate it when people talk about things they don't understand...
Here's another idea that I've been using to get rid of snails.
Take an empty film canister and cut some holes in the bottom and lid of it (about 1/8 inch around or a little bigger). You could put a few holes on the side of the canister too.
Put a little gravel/sand in it and 1/2 an algae tablet. Sink it to the bottom of the tank on its side and leave it there until the next day.
You will find lots of snails in it; just don't leave it there for more than a day because they seem to eventually find their way out.
Keep doing this every day for a few days and the population will decrease quite a bit.
I also smash a few of the little ones for my glowlight tetras. If they see me squishing one they come over and wait for their treat. Didn't think those little fish were so smart.
Take an empty film canister and cut some holes in the bottom and lid of it (about 1/8 inch around or a little bigger). You could put a few holes on the side of the canister too.
Put a little gravel/sand in it and 1/2 an algae tablet. Sink it to the bottom of the tank on its side and leave it there until the next day.
You will find lots of snails in it; just don't leave it there for more than a day because they seem to eventually find their way out.
Keep doing this every day for a few days and the population will decrease quite a bit.
I also smash a few of the little ones for my glowlight tetras. If they see me squishing one they come over and wait for their treat. Didn't think those little fish were so smart.
Snails have a mysterious attraction to common cardboard. Cut a small piece, maybe 2"x2", and float it in your tank overnight.
In the morning, remove the cardboard and the attached snails.
Repeat as needed.
Bill in WI
In the morning, remove the cardboard and the attached snails.
Repeat as needed.
Bill in WI
Ok - thanks for all of the comments - controversial or otherwise.
Firstly - the reason why I was worried about the snail population was that the rate of growth was litterally staggering - i was coming home to find 200 new baby snails per day. Far too many to easily remove etc.
I dont belive that overfeeding was the cause - I suspect that the massive overavailability of algae was the trigger. During this time I tried the lettuce trick with no joy, but didnt get round to trying cucumber or lettuce.
However, since this thread has been running a few things have changed. Over the last few weeks I've been through blooms of each type of algae, followed by the snails - however the algal blooms have now all subsided completely, and the plants are back in control.
The gouramis have spent a lot of time digging in the gravel and picking at plants and seem to have nailed a lot of the snail eggs.
Additionally (apologies to those offended) - but I have squashed a lot of snails. The tetra (cardinals particularly) loved them.
I now have very little aglae and the snail population seems relatively static. The snails are still very much there in the tank but the rate of population growth has slowed right down, so I am now quite happy to leave them in there.
Firstly - the reason why I was worried about the snail population was that the rate of growth was litterally staggering - i was coming home to find 200 new baby snails per day. Far too many to easily remove etc.
I dont belive that overfeeding was the cause - I suspect that the massive overavailability of algae was the trigger. During this time I tried the lettuce trick with no joy, but didnt get round to trying cucumber or lettuce.
However, since this thread has been running a few things have changed. Over the last few weeks I've been through blooms of each type of algae, followed by the snails - however the algal blooms have now all subsided completely, and the plants are back in control.
The gouramis have spent a lot of time digging in the gravel and picking at plants and seem to have nailed a lot of the snail eggs.
Additionally (apologies to those offended) - but I have squashed a lot of snails. The tetra (cardinals particularly) loved them.
I now have very little aglae and the snail population seems relatively static. The snails are still very much there in the tank but the rate of population growth has slowed right down, so I am now quite happy to leave them in there.
I admit that my post could have been more level-headed, and I debated whether or not to edit it after I reviewed what I had posted. However, your comment about the Darwin book irked me to say the least, especially in light of your use of the term "evolutionary ladder." If you want to discuss phylogenetics of dogs and snails, the works of Darwin, or evolutionary theory in general, we can certainly do that via private messages.
That said, I apologize for judging you.
Here I disagree with you.
I still think that's exactly what you did, as evidenced in this post:
If the net result of smashing snails is that your fish get to eat snail guts then use that to illustrate why "cruelty" is not a factor. In that context, it's the same as feeding live foods with the added benefits of manual labor and hand-washing. However, justifying such actions with snails' relative position on the "evolutionary ladder" doesn't sit well with me.
tks
