Fish To Take Care Of Snails?

[chadschuster0321]

Theres a small snail infestation on my tank right now, and I'm trying to take care of it before it becomes a total take over. I don't want to use chemicals or anything, and want to kill the snails naturally. Does anyone know of a good snail eating fish for my stocking other then Clown Loaches?
 
1x Segenal Bichir
2x Needlenose Gar
6x Discus
2x Gouramis
 
Thanks

 

[gmc1]

What kind of snails?how many?

 

[chadschuster0321]

What kind of snails?how many?

 
I'm not sure, but they have rounded shells so I'm guessing either Apple or Mystery snails. Theres probably 15-20 in there right now.

 

[Zante]

Snails are good, and you control their number by controlling the amount of food they have access to. If they multiply you're feeding too much and too much is left over for the snails to eat it.
 
I'd let them be but keep an eye on them. I wish I could have snails in my discus tank, but the soft soft water would melt them.

 

[NickAu]

 
I'm not sure, but they have rounded shells so I'm guessing either Apple or Mystery snails.

Are they yellow?
 
ramshorn snail

 
Malaysian Trumpet Snail

 
Pond Snail

 
Apple/Mystery snail

 
I love snails in my tank, A tank without snails is an unclean tank.
 
 

 
The Malaysian Trumpet Snail is actually a benefit to any aquarium for several reasons. It will not eat your plants at all. This snail also will not "muscle" your shrimp off of food meant for the shrimp. The Malaysian Trumpet Snail feeds on detritus and leftover food that is underneath the substrate. It actually burrows in the substrate and moves around throughout. You will rarely see this snail during the day. Occasionally it will emerge from the substrate. A cool thing is that sometimes you will see the substrate move and you will know that there is a Malaysian Trumpet Snail underneath doing its cleaning duties.
The fact that this snail burrows and eats detritus is an excellent perk to having it. Another great perk is that while it is underneath the substrate moving it is at the same time aerating the substrate. Substrate aeration is a great benefit to planted aquariums as it promotes air exchange and root growth. They will not disturbed any plant roots or move wood/rocks around your aquarium.

http/www.planetinverts.com/malaysian_trumpet_snail.html

 

[gmc1]

Yep.i agree.my snails are very handy to have in my tanks.its entirely up to you though.

 

[Ch4rlie]

You could try assassin snails to control your snail population. Though these do breed as well, albeit at a much slower pace than MTS and common snails.
 
The feeding tip given by Zante is decent advice, for as long as there is an abundance of food, snails will continue to breed profolically.
 
You can of course easily build a diy trap with bottles or plastic boxes and using lettuce leafs or algae wafers etc as bait, then simply take out the trap with the snails in from your tank, repeat as you feel is neccessary.

 

[NickAu]

 
You can of course easily build a diy trap with bottles or plastic boxes and using lettuce leafs or algae wafers etc as bait,

Tried that with algae wafers, Ended up trapping 4 Kuhli Loaches in stead lol.

 

[Fishmanic]

they tend to climb onto the front glass---when I see any there, I manually remove them, crush them, and dispose.   I have snails but population is under control using this method..   Not overfeeding is good advice.  

 

[NickAu]

 
I manually remove them, crush them, and dispose.

I do the same, By dispose do you mean feed to fish, I know all my fish love fresh snail.  My Kuhli Loaches just about fight over crushed snail.

 

[Far_King]

If you have pond snails and want to reduce them I'd recommend assassin snails and cut back on the food you put into the tank.
 
Assassin's take their time but they will do the job - I now have an abundance of them

 

[Byron]

Snails are good, and you control their number by controlling the amount of food they have access to. If they multiply you're feeding too much and too much is left over for the snails to eat it.
 
I'd let them be but keep an eye on them. I wish I could have snails in my discus tank, but the soft soft water would melt them.

 
Malaysian Livebearing Snails will do well in soft water.  I have very soft water at near-zero GH and no trouble with these, and they get everywhere to eat all the organics.
 
Byron.

 

[Zante]

 

Snails are good, and you control their number by controlling the amount of food they have access to. If they multiply you're feeding too much and too much is left over for the snails to eat it.
 
I'd let them be but keep an eye on them. I wish I could have snails in my discus tank, but the soft soft water would melt them.

 
Malaysian Livebearing Snails will do well in soft water.  I have very soft water at near-zero GH and no trouble with these, and they get everywhere to eat all the organics.
 
Byron.
 

 
Tried those. Appeared to do well for a short time then they all died out.

 

[NickAu]

 
Tried those. Appeared to do well for a short time then they all died out.

Wow somebody who managed to kill MTS.

 

[Byron]

Yes, that is rather unusual.  I would suggest there was something other than the GH involved.  My tap water is 7 ppm (according to the water authority) which is less than half of 1 dGH, and I do nothing in most of my tanks to raise this (I have mainly wild caught Amazonian and SE Asian fish) but the MLS thrive.  The only tanks in which they are not numerous are the two with loaches, and though the loaches have difficulty with MLS due to their "trap door" they do seem to get some.  I once had a dwarf puffer for several months in my 10g, and he kept them down; I thought they were gone, but after the puffer was removed, over a few weeks the MLS became more numerous, so obviously some escaped predation in the sand.
 
MLS will survive freezing, and near-dehydration (they can live for months in damp gravel without actual water).  Copper is said to be a problem for invertebrates, and this can occur from plumbing as well as medications if any were used.  The level of copper in liquid fertilizers is not sufficient to kill snails unless way overdosed.
 
Byron.