A fish that will eat snail eggs

[Sean_Buckley]

I have rampant snails, and I dont know why, I don't over feed, but it could be that they get the food before the ghost shrimp....Anyway, they keep absolutely covering my Amazon Sword Plant leaves in eggs, and its really annoying. So, does anyone know of anything that will feast on snails eggs? Its a 10 gallon tank, and I have Kuhli Loaches, but they only eat them if I crush them up....picky little things. So, any suggestions?
Sean

 

[karrihug]

i have clown loaches, and i pick the snails out of all my tanks and put them in with the clowns. they eat them all. but you can't fit one in a ten gal. maybe your lfs would let you borrow a 1.5 or 2" clown for a week or so.

 

[SirMinion]

Any loach would do it, even kuhlies and they would be small enough for 10 gallons (but only just) remember that all loaches are social fish and need to be in groups of three or more.

 

[Sean_Buckley]

Yep, Clowns would be too small, I do have a 33 gallon (still too small in the long run), but I'm making (not planning, its a definite) a 314 gallon over the winter. It went from a 135 gallon (72"x18"x24") to a honkin' 314 gallon (84"x48"x18"). I've always like Clowns, but I've heard they are prone to ick due to them being scaleless, and around here, they are $12.00-$14.00. Decent price or no? And thanks SirMinion, I know they are social, I had 4 Kuhlies, but one climbed up the filter intake, and got stuck. He died while I was at school... I now have the remaining 3 in my 10 gallon, and am planning on getting more. They don't even touch the snails or snails eggs though.....
Sean
PS
Sorry about the long post.

 

[karrihug]

what do you feed your kuhlies? maybe let them get a little hungry. my clowns cost me $7.99 each. they were only about 1.5" when i got them. they are in my 55 atm, when they get about 3" i will move them to my 210. never had problem with ich, but i have a very good lfs and my water quality is good, and my fish very spoiled so the only stress is when the cats sit next to the tank and bat at anything that moves

 

[Sean_Buckley]

At $7.99 a piece USD, $11.99 each CAD isn't bad. And I think I will let the Kuhlis and Ghost Shrimp get a little hungry. Maybe they'll go snail hunting.
Sean

 

[freddyk]

Loaces will eat the snails, but not the eggs. Snails either lay the eggs under the substrate or above the water line, so they'll be perfectly safe from fish no matter what.

 

[kevin007]

Mine was $4 CAD they were on discount

 

[SnowyzMom]

Dang eet, loaches huh? I came on here going, "wow, something eats snail eggs?" and then it's loaches. I think they're fascinating and neat to watch but some of them are right bulldozers, uprooting everything(I saw this in my daughter's bf's tank). Hmmm, angel fish eat snails don't they? Maybe I should think about one of those.....

 

[enchanted]

Kuhli loaches are fine.

As for where snails lay their eggs it depends on the snails.

Some are at the top of the tank out of water, some under the sand, some on plants, etc... anywhere else.

 

[SirMinion]

what do you feed your kuhlies? maybe let them get a little hungry.

That's right, we have a trio of clown loaches on long-term loan from a friend because we had a snail problem. (eggs & hatchlings everywhere)

Then a week later they hadn't made any difference whatsoever so we didn't feed the tank for four days and suddenly there was a lot less snails in there.

It's now been several months since I saw a snail other than the benificial MTS that live in the sand.

No more ramshorns! woo!

Even if the loaches don't eat the eggs, they will eat the adults & hatchlings which means no snails to lay eggs which means no more eggs. Takes a while, but it works!

 

[Sean_Buckley]

Hmmm, angel fish eat snails don't they? Maybe I should think about one of those.....

I've got 3 in the 33 gallon, much to big for the ten gallon. Kuhlies don't seem to bother anything in my tank.
Sean

 

[Sean_Buckley]

Loaces will eat the snails, but not the eggs. Snails either lay the eggs under the substrate or above the water line, so they'll be perfectly safe from fish no matter what.

If you read my original post, I said they laid their eggs all over the plant leaves (which are under water).
Sean

 

[modernhamlet]

If they're laying eggs (annoying gel-like packs of eggs, right?) on plants, they're prolly pond snails. Ponds snails are even worse than ramshorns. Unfortunately, I don't know any fish that will eat their eggs.