Get Rid Of My Mts Problem

[stanleo]

I have tried assassin snails, leaving a cucumber in over night and a homemade trap that I made with holes in a tupperwear dish with algae wafers as bait. The cucumber caught 5 and the trap ten. I have hundreds. 
 
Tank is 55gl with shrimps and good snails. Also 9 harlequin rasporas, 8 albino flame tetras, 4 pearl gouramis, 1 angel, 5 otos, 15 corys and a clown pleco. So I am a bit over stocked but is there a fish I could get that would eat them? 
 
Does anyone have a better idea for traps? I am all ears. Thanks

 

[AshleyNZ]

I haven't had much experience with pest snails (I only have the mini ramshorns) and I've heard many people recommend loaches to help eat the snails, but since you do sound overstocked I would advise against adding any more fish, hopefully someone else can be of more help to you  

 

[Byron]

There are a few fish that will eat snails, to varying degrees of controlling them, but fish bring with them specific needs and requirements.  Unless one is prepared to maintain the species as it should be maintained to be in the best health, and really wants the species as part of the aquarium, I would not consider fish.
 
I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating...keep in mind that these Malaysian Livebearing Snails are performing a very useful function that would not otherwise occur.  I have thousands in my larger tanks.  And remember that they are only at their present level because they are finding food, namely fish excrement, decaying plant matter, algae and any uneaten food.  They will not overpopulate beyond the available food.
 
Byron.

 

[stanleo]

So I really don't need to worry about them over populating the tank? They are ugly in this many numbers and I know they do a job in the tank but I worry that they add to much to the bioload. I don't want to get rid of them all but at least cut them in half. 

 

[Byron]

So I really don't need to worry about them over populating the tank? They are ugly in this many numbers and I know they do a job in the tank but I worry that they add to much to the bioload. I don't want to get rid of them all but at least cut them in half. 

 
I have attempted a couple times to count the visible MLS in my 115g tank, as sometimes more seem to be out than at other times, and there are definitely more in this tank than in any of the other six tanks.  I got to over 800 I think once, and this didn't take into account the hundreds in the substrate, behind plants and wood, that I couldn't see.
 
As I mentioned, snails will be there only if they have food, so obviously they must be getting it.  And just imagine how much fish waste accumulates every day.  The snails are eating all this, breaking it down so the various bacteria can get at it quicker.  I have relatively fewer snails in my 20g that I keep running for new fish acquisitions, and it can sit without fish for many months.  The snails are still there, but not in great numbers, which shows that even without fish or fish food entering the tank, there is still food.  I have a few plants in this tank.
 
Byron.

 

[Baccus]

I have struggled with this nemisis MTS and with what is available in Australia I have not found a sure fire way of getting rid of the pests. How ever a higher pH (if your fish can handle it) may cause the snails shells to degrade, but this probably wont be good for your shrimp.
Because of the shrimp any snail killer chemcials are out, so sadly it looks as though the only option for you is to keep manually removing the snails as you can, to limit their number to a dull roar instead of the heaving population they can become.
Some of my tanks have sand substrate and this I have found makes it easy to net out a scoop of sand and MTS, sift the sand back into the tank and then dispose of the now netted snails. This technique wont ever totally remove them, especially with a planted tank, but it does severly limit their numbers. And becuase I keep shrimp in almost all of my tanks I have come to the uneasy conclusion that I will just have to put up with a certian number of snails.

 

[Akasha72]

I also have far too many trumpet snails and I'm currently trying to get their numbers under control. Byron is correct though in what he says - they are doing you a favour in many respects. They are keeping your substrate clean and preventing gases from building up by keeping it turned over but ... as we know their number can get out of hand and they become a problem. 
 
I have one of these http/www.amazon.co.uk/Algarde-42150S-Power-Cleaner-Single/dp/B000S5JMZ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429106439&sr=8-1&keywords=algarde+power+cleaner+filter+bagIt attaches to an air pump and you can use it to suck up things from the substrate - including any snails sat on the surface. Because any debris is sucked into a cotton bag no water is removed. It will suck up some sand along with the snails but I tip the bag contents into a plastic pot and allow it to dry out. I then tip it all into one of my nets - the sand is fine enough to fall through and leave the snails (now dried up and dead) and any other debris behind. The debris and dead snails go in the bin, the sand is returned to the tank.
 
It's time consuming but it does keep the snail numbers under some control

 

[TwoTankAmin]

This wont help, but I had an MTS invasion years ago. They came in with used flourite. The tank was destined to be anchored by clown loaches. Once set up it took very little time for the MTS to completely vanish. Decent sized clowns have no problems getting the trap door open and the dinner out.

 

[Akasha72]

the only problem with clown loaches (putting it out there in case the OP doesn't know) is they need such a large tank. It's a shame really cos I've heard they're great snail eaters. If I had the tank size I'd get some clown loaches myself. As a fish I think they are lovely but I don't have the space for a 6ft tank!

 

[Ch4rlie]

As a fish I think they are lovely but I don't have the space for a 6ft tank!

 
Do you really need that sofa setee or perhaps do you really need that bed? .........
 
You can always sit or sleep on the floor whilst admiring that stunning 6 foot tank with clowns......
 
 

 

[Akasha72]

lol! but .... but ... but the sofa is comfy and the floors are concrete 

 

[attibones]

if you have a large population of snails and want to set up a puffer tank, you've got an unlimited food source for the puffers! Ramshorn and pond snails are beg for puffer fish, but MTS should be no problem for some species. You can also bag up fifty or so of the little buggers and offer them up on facebook or craigslist/gumtree. I bet you'd have some takers depending on the hobbyists in your area. When I had my puffer fish and was only running the one tank plus a tank with only nerite snails, I was always looking around for people who had snails like these to give away until my snail tank could sustain the population.

 

[BiggTexx]

I once heard the only way to completely get rid of MTS was to demolish your tank, take a shower in bleach, set your house on fire and move to another country.
 
When you did your trap, how long did you leave it in?  It may take a few days to catch a noticeable amount.

 

[Ch4rlie]

I once heard the only way to completely get rid of MTS was to demolish your tank, take a shower in bleach, set your house on fire and move to another country.

 
Is that all?

 

[Baccus]

The best trap I had for MTS was a home made one, I made out of a shallow lidded tub (that my fly pupae for my birds arrive in, so recycling), and I made a ring of holes arond the tub near the top. I then baited it with an algea wafer and then waited for the droves to clamber in. They did and it worked at treat, but you have to be quick to get the trap out before the snails scoff all the bait and start wondering off again.
I also had a commercially made trap with the little swinging doors, but I found really small MTS could just wonder through the curtian door that was designed to trap them inside. I also discovered that endlers are not only always hungry but also incredibly stupid, in that they too swam in through the swinging curtians into the trap.