Problem With Snails

[TEDFISH]

AFTER PURCHASING AN ALREADY SET UP TROPICAL TANK 2 MONTHS AGO EVERYTHING HAS BEEN GOING FINE UNTILL LAST WEEK WE NOTICED A SNAIL AND NOW WE HAVE A BIG SNAIL PROBLEM, NOTHING NEW HAS BEEN PUT INTO THE TANK SINCE WE BOUGHT IT, OUR PLANTS NOW ARE LOOKING TERRIBLE AND LEGGY IS THIS CAUSED BY THE SNAIL? AND HOW DO WE GET RID OF THEM WITHOUT HARMING THE FISH? MANY THANKS TO ANY ONE THAT CAN HELP!

 

[malakye]

First off, its considered rude to type it capitals, its like shouting at someone.
As for snails, it could be there were eggs on the plants that have hatched and are now causing problems. What kind of fish food do you feed? It could be over feeding.
You can get products which knock the snails out and you can then vac them out the tank which claim they don't harm fish but would harm shrimp but what I tend to do is pick them out and crush them. My fish usually eat them before the bits reach the bottom of the tank.
I have heard of people putting a lettuce leaf under a slighty raised plate so as only snails can get under and collecting them up that way but I in honesty haven't tried that, so don't know if it would work or not.

 

[TEDFISH]

First off, its considered rude to type it capitals, its like shouting at someone.
As for snails, it could be there were eggs on the plants that have hatched and are now causing problems. What kind of fish food do you feed?
You can get products which knock the snails out and you can then vac them out the tank which doesn't harm fish but would harm shrimp but what I tend to do is pick them out and crush them.
I have heard of people putting a lettuce leaf under a slighty raised plate so as only snails can get under and collecting them up that way but I in honesty haven't tried that, so don't know if it would work or not.

Sorry for shouting at you earlier! thank you for your advice we feed them dried food called
nutrafin max and algae wafers for the pleco etc... do you think the snails are damaging my plants as well or do you think that is a seperate problem? regards tedfish

 

[malakye]

I would say its definately the snails damaging your plants. A couple of years ago I bought plants and stupidly put them straight into the tank without doing anything with them, with in a couple of month I went from having a lush green tank to a snail ravished mess.

 

[bae1994]

about the lettuce trick you can also use cucumber

 

[malakye]

If you go here there is a full section on problem snails.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=41473&st=0

 

[xmurdererx]

you can either get a clown loach.it will eat the snail or 2nd you can crush them and throw them back in as the fish will eat them

 

[doresy]

Feed a bit less, crush every snail you see (corys love em!!) after a week or so problem solved.

Try to avoid any snail remedies as I'm sure they contain copper sulphate properties which arn't good for fish stock

 

[fifefish]

Feed a bit less, crush every snail you see (corys love em!!) after a week or so problem solved.

Try to avoid any snail remedies as I'm sure they contain copper sulphate properties which arn't good for fish stock

crushing the snails doesnt do the job that well since there still eggs in the snails when are crushed..
try turning the light off for an hour or so and put a piece of lettuce weighed down with a stone and they should mostly go on to it..
repeat this daily for a week and there should be less snails, a loach might be a good idea what sort of fish are you keeping in your tank currently?

 

[rdd1952]

The number 1 cause of snail overpopulation is over feeding. How much and how often do you feed your fish? They particularly love the sinking wafers like you are giving your bottom feeders.

 

[doresy]

I find that if you have Cory (or most greedy fish) then by the time a crushed snail hits the substrate then they are onto it, eggs and all! If not then I suspect over-feeding which, like I mentioned before, is most likely the original cause of problem snail infestation.

Usual thing, prevent the cause, solve the problem

*edit* I also have found (IME) that the lettuce leaf thing at lights out is a fantasy theory

 

[malakye]

Be aware of the size clown loaches can get and make sure you can house them comfortably before going that route or you will be just giving yourself more problems trying to rehome it/them when bigger.

 

[pippoodle]

my amano shrimp eat baby snails - even my baby apple snails - cos no one ever believes me i will post a pic when i see them doing it again

i am totally with doresy as long as you dont over feed your fish every snail you squash will get eaten right away -especially by corys they love them -so you wont have the problems with the eggs i now only have a handful of ramshorns from the squashing method , i also removed some to go in mother in laws pond - before weather got too cold

so do the squashing method , i feed my fish every other day (apart from baby cory tank that gets fed every day and minnow fry net gets fed more regularly) (feed bottom feeders and shrimp first then the others what they can eat in 2 mins)and then and that way they manage the numbers of baby fish born (even in planted tank) and also eat any snails that are crushed

cheers sarah xx