Snail infestation. Are chain loaches the answer.

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Lots of snails = lots of food. Traps will only help for a while, but if you don't get a handle on the food source then traps will become a regular part of your maintenance. Check to see if you're over-feeding, check to see if any plants are decaying. My suggestion is to attack the food source.
 
I agree with post 16. Aquarists sometimes forget (or may not realize) that these small snails will reproduce to the level according to their available food. If they have no food, they cannot survive. So if you see dozens or hundreds, it means they are eating organics. Fish excrement, dead/decaying plant matter, uneaten fish food...this is all food for snails. And it is beneficial they eat it. But the point is that the supply of food will determine their numbers. Major water changes including good cleaning into the substrate and keeping the filter well cleaned will aid in removing their food.
 
Hi all, thank you for the messages. Just thought I'd reply with an update seeing as you were all good enough to offer advice. As suggested we cut back on food and increased the gravel vacuuming which has made a huge difference. The snail trap arrived today and that is how in the tank too. Baby snail numbers have dropped dramatically.
We rehomed our neons because we found that they would sit at one end of the tank and the xrays at the other end. We noticed that some of the neon tetra had nipped fines so decided for the good of the neons to rehome them with a friend with sparsely populated tropical tank. We also sent all but three of the guppies with the neons, keeping the older three.
We have since added a dwarf honey gouramis and a flame dwarf gouramis. Along with the gouramis we have added a couple more plants and hiding areas for the gouramis and bristle nose.
Since rehoming the neons the xrays have come out of there shells and seem alot happier and more around the tank a lot more.
One further question for you. Is 9 enough pristella for them to feel safe and school?
 
One further question for you. Is 9 enough pristella for them to feel safe and school?

Yes. By the way, just so you know, freshwater fish that live in and need groups of their species are termed shoaling fish. This is different from schooling fish, which applies more to marine (ocean) fish that live in groups and hunt prey together.
 

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