Pest snails

[david.molloy2009]

I've just upgraded from a biorb 30ltr to a 60ltr terra tank. Second hand and it came with a few fish.
However I did not realize when I bought it it has loads of Malaysian Trumpet snails. The tank seams overrun with them. I counted about 30, plucked out about 20 but then there seams to be more and more the more I look.
I have read that assasin snails are good for pest control
I currently have a zebra snail ? in there.

Is it advisable to get assassins or are they likely to take out my zebra too (as well as the pests).

 

[FishGuest5123]

I've just upgraded from a biorb 30ltr to a 60ltr terra tank. Second hand and it came with a few fish.
However I did not realize when I bought it it has loads of Malaysian Trumpet snails. The tank seams overrun with them. I counted about 30, plucked out about 20 but then there seams to be more and more the more I look.
I have read that assasin snails are good for pest control
I currently have a zebra snail ? in there.

Is it advisable to get assassins or are they likely to take out my zebra too (as well as the pests).

Move the zebra first.

 

[OliveFish05]

I believe assassin snails will clear any kind of snail from a tank, so the zebra snail would not be safe. I have heard that you can drop a slice of cucumber into the tank and the snails will eat it and you can lift the cucumber out and throw it away with the pest snails on it, though i am not sure how well it works

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Some of us add Malaysian Trumpet snails on purpose

They really are useful. They burrow in the substrate, so they help to keep that turned over and prevent gas pockets from forming, especially useful in a sand substrate. They're also good clean up crew, getting to all the bits your fish miss. They can let you know when you're over-feeding a tank too, since they can only survive, thrive, and produce loads of young if there's plenty of food for them, so a population explosion is a sure sign that you're over-feeding and/or under-cleaning.

Having said all that, I get population explosions with the MTS too, and it is unsightly and annoying. Assassin snails definitely can't be trusted to leave your zebra alone, so I'd go with manual means of removal. Whether that's picking them out by hand, and/or using a snail trap. Leaving a long halved piece of cucumber or courgette overnight in the tank does work to remove a load at once, and you can continue baiting them out like that until you've made a good dent in the population.

I would just caution you to avoid any chemical snail killers... apart from the safety of your zebra snail, you don't want those chemicals in your aquarium.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

The assassins will take out the Zebra as well.

Best way to get rid of pest snails is to manually remove them, or make a trap. (A piece of iceberg lettuce works best. Put it in the tank and wait for a ton to get on there. Then gently remove it and throw it away)

 

[mbsqw1d]

Some of us add Malaysian Trumpet snails on purpose

Earthworms of the aquarium ??

 

[Abaddon]

Tbh unless they're getting up on the glass and obstructing the view or something, I don't see any immediate need to remove them. They're useful critters, cleaning up debris in all the little nook and crannies you can't reach Besides, they're hermaphroditic, so it's enough to leave one in the tank and the population can reestablish itself. Short of picking them all out by hand, there's no reliable way to completely eliminate them (without endangering the nerite as well); but you can control their numbers by making sure you don't overfeed the tank or leave too much organic matter lying around.

 

[david.molloy2009]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will leave the assasin snails well enough alone. I like Bob (my zebra snail?) a bit much to have him killed by pest control ?Go with a manual removal when needed. Especially if they are really beneficial to the tank.

I think the lady I got the tank off hadn't cleaned it or looked after it for quite some time. A huge build up of algie on glass and everywhere else so if I get a cleaning regime going and start looking after the tank it should help too

 

[Abaddon]

I think the lady I got the tank off hadn't cleaned it or looked after it for quite some time. A huge build up of algie on glass and everywhere else so if I get a cleaning regime going and start looking after the tank it should help too

That explains it. Once you get it under control it should definitely help. Good luck

 

[vanalisa]

I've just upgraded from a biorb 30ltr to a 60ltr terra tank. Second hand and it came with a few fish.
However I did not realize when I bought it it has loads of Malaysian Trumpet snails. The tank seams overrun with them. I counted about 30, plucked out about 20 but then there seams to be more and more the more I look.
I have read that assasin snails are good for pest control
I currently have a zebra snail ? in there.

Is it advisable to get assassins or are they likely to take out my zebra too (as well as the pests).

They come out at night for prime plucking removal.
Not that it will help much!
Wish I could find a way to have big one or two in a tank. They are quite interesting looking. Nature hit the lotto on that design, and they just wind away wgen you think you've grasped one
They are the most reproducing little.....snails I've ever had.

 

[Colin_T]

The best thing to do is empty the tank, boil the gravel, stick plants and ornaments in a container of water and rinse them a few times before moving to a different container of water and rinsing again. Maybe use copper or salt on the plants and ornaments. Flush the tank and filter out. Let everything dry for a week and then start again.

You can't control Malaysian Livebearing snails (aka Malaysian Trumpet snails). Kill them and start again.

Most assassin snails won't be able to take out the MTS.