Now I Know The Snail Dilemma Has Been Done To Death But...

[Minstrel]

I am going to have to ask the question, I know its a question and I have done a search as well but as it turns out I have been leaving in courgette in for my plecs on a daily basis as I know they should be grazing all the time and they are still acclimatising as well so I am reluctant to remove them. But unfortunately this appears to be causing a major issue with the pest snails. I have seen the various options there is treating with a snail killer which I could do but I know of the problem with that which is the dead snails lying on the floor and rotting. There is assassin snails which tbh I am not keen on having because I am not a big fan on snails.
Then there is clown loaches who are too big for my tank, and yo-yos I am not really sure of sizes and things and if they are actually good enough at the job.

So what would you do?

 

[Akasha72]

simples ... hand in tank, pick up snail between finger and thumb and squeeze

 

[Minstrel]

simples ... hand in tank, pick up snail between finger and thumb and squeeze

I tried that, my fish aren't very clever as they didn't eat it

 

[Akasha72]

still dead though and therefore unable to multiply ... seriously, if you don't want snails killing them is the only way you will get rid of them and the kindest and quickest way is squashing IMO

 

[Minstrel]

still dead though and therefore unable to multiply ... seriously, if you don't want snails killing them is the only way you will get rid of them and the kindest and quickest way is squashing IMO

But would that no add to the ammonia thing the same as the treatment?

 

[Akasha72]

good question and my answer is I don't know. I suppose it depends on how many snails you have. You could pick them up and throw them in a bucket and squash em, that way they're out of the tank completely.

 

[Primous]

Cut off the food source and they will die off. Snails eat everything including algae you cant actually see. Including the invisible see through film that builds up on the aquarium glass so make sure to wipe it twice weekly.

I went through the same problem a while back and cutting off the food source reduced my snail count by about 98%

 

[Minstrel]

Cut off the food source and they will die off. Snails eat everything including algae you cant actually see. Including the invisible see through film that builds up on the aquarium glass so make sure to wipe it twice weekly.

I went through the same problem a while back and cutting off the food source reduced my snail count by about 98%

So wipe the inside of the glass but the courgette would be alright?

 

[Primous]

No the courgette is far from ideal seeing as you already the snails. Remove the courgette as that is their food source. All fish poop contains bacteria/cells that can grow into pests and parasites if there is a food source like your courgette available.

 

[Minstrel]

No the courgette is far from ideal seeing as you already the snails. Remove the courgette as that is their food source. All fish poop contains bacteria/cells that can grow into pests and parasites if there is a food source like your courgette available.

Right then I cannot take away the food source at the moment as the plecs are still acclimatising!

 

[soybean]

Pick em up and chuck em out the window!

 

[pablothebetta]

dead snails lying on the floor and rotting.

You could perhaps try sucking up the bodies with a siphon when doing a water change if the bodies are small enough