Over-run By Snails....

[JollieMollie]

I'm having a bit of a problem with snails right now. I know a few ways to get rid of them, but those don't seem ideal for me... I'd love to be able to add a snail-eating fish, but I have a community tank (as opposed to semi-aggressive) and I also have aquarium salt added at the rate of 1 tbl/5 gallons of water. I don't know if there are any mild, salt-tolerant or brackish water fish that could eat my snails? I also don't really want to add chemicals that kill the snails, because I'm afraid the decay will cloud my water badly, especially since I just have an underground filter without carbon. Also, the snails like to hang out at night especially above the waterline and I feel like chemicals wouldn't get those snails.

What are some options for me?


I have a 29 (US) gallon tank with a variety of livebearers, a couple bbg's, and a plec (who is thriving despite the saltwater). THe only water perameters I have for you is that I have hard water.

Thanks for your time (-:

 

[stang1]

Is there any reason you are using salt in your aquarium?
Your Pleco may be thriving but it's not healthy for him in the long run to stay in that tank.
Any of the Botia loach family will keep your snail population down but I don't think they will work in your tank because of the salt.

 

[dane261]

The salt will kill your fish before it kills the snails im afraid your best bet is to have a read of this

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=41473

cheers dane

 

[JollieMollie]

To reply to two posts, the salt is not to kill the snails, it is because I have livebearers including a handful of mollies, which do much better with some salt in their water (-: I always have salt in the tank, I didn't put it in because of the snails.

I appreciate the link, but I have already read it and I hoped to hint to that effect by mentioning reasons why I didn't think those methods would work well for me. (-: I was wondering if anybody has a different solution, or if maybe the qualms I have with those problems aren't as bad as I think they are, or something to that effect?

Again, thanks for the help!

 

[stang1]

I appreciate the salt isn't to kill your snails and that Mollies do a lot better with it in their water.
The point me and Dane were trying to make is that the salt isn't good for your other fish, especially the Pleco. Loaches won't be suitable because of the salt so the only other option is to either siphon them out or remove them by hand.

 

[dane261]

put a lettuce leaf in your tank at night and remove in in the morning snails will be feeding on it and eventually they will be gone


cherrs dane

 

[divisible by zero]

if you have a nice lid, a few crabs might do it.

 

[three-fingers]

and a plec (who is thriving despite the saltwater)

IMO that's because the main purpose of aquarium salt at 1 table spoon per 5 gallons is so your LFS and the company that packages/distributes the salt can make money .
Have a read through this thread, tis a good read: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=196353&hl=.

The salt that your live bearers like is marine aquarium salt, and much more of it at that. See here: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=137887 .


Basically, go with stang1's suggestion (my yo-yo loaches Botia almorhae demolish snails), stop adding salt and don't worry about it .

if you have a nice lid, a few crabs might do it.

Afraid that not the best option, while they would deal with the snail problem, the fact that they need both access to land and marine salt in the water makes them less than suitable .