Snail Problem

[D4N]

i got loads of snail in my tank how can i get rid of them

im still stocking the tank to any fish that can go in it

oh yea it a 20gal

Dan

 

[paulf]

Either add cucumber to attact them and take the cucumber out when they are on it, or buy some wormer plus or flubenol 15 and kill them with that, neither have copper in them, so thats not a problem you just need to check the water stats as they die

 

[Loko17]

Wait, first before you worry about killing them completely. Ever thought about setting up a small tank for a Dwarf Puffer and then just using the snails as food for the puffer. This way you can kind of keep the snail population from being a bother, and you can get the pleasure of keeping a Dwarf Puffer. Everyone wins. Just a thought.

 

[puddle_inc]

well....


i'll take them. you could also get a puffer to help get rid of them. but if you want you can scoop them out (if you can find them easy) and i'll tak'em (i'll pay shipping if needed)
but most people just use puffers

 

[tophat665]

If you go with the puffer, then you still have to fish the snails out. Some folks will tell you that clown loaches eat snails (and they do) but they also get about a foot long. However, most other loaches shaped like clown loaches also eat snails. I kept at 20 gallon high free of visible snails for 3 weeks with three young striped loches. They took it from biblical plague proportions to just enough snails left that they came back when I moved the loaches out.

So, if you have room for 3 fish that will top out around 4", stirped loaches (botia striata) are one way to go. Burmese Border Loaches and Yoyo Loaches also work, in my experience, but get slightly larger (5 and 6" respectively). Botia sidthimunki ought to work, but I don't have that kind of money to spend ($20+ each, and you need a school of 6 or more). They stay around 2". Skunk Loaches are in a good size range for a 20 gallon tanks (2-3") but they are pretty aggressive, and will put a hurt on any fish that they take a dislike to.

THe other thing about loaches and snails: If you have malaysian trumpet snails, loaches generally leave them alone-something about the shape of the shell usually defeats loach snail killing tactics. Also, loaches eat the snail out of the shell, so you'll need to vacuum up the empty shells to keep your water from getting hard.

 

[D4N]

If you go with the puffer, then you still have to fish the snails out. Some folks will tell you that clown loaches eat snails (and they do) but they also get about a foot long. However, most other loaches shaped like clown loaches also eat snails. I kept at 20 gallon high free of visible snails for 3 weeks with three young striped loches. They took it from biblical plague proportions to just enough snails left that they came back when I moved the loaches out.

So, if you have room for 3 fish that will top out around 4", stirped loaches (botia striata) are one way to go. Burmese Border Loaches and Yoyo Loaches also work, in my experience, but get slightly larger (5 and 6" respectively). Botia sidthimunki ought to work, but I don't have that kind of money to spend ($20+ each, and you need a school of 6 or more). They stay around 2". Skunk Loaches are in a good size range for a 20 gallon tanks (2-3") but they are pretty aggressive, and will put a hurt on any fish that they take a dislike to.

THe other thing about loaches and snails: If you have malaysian trumpet snails, loaches generally leave them alone-something about the shape of the shell usually defeats loach snail killing tactics. Also, loaches eat the snail out of the shell, so you'll need to vacuum up the empty shells to keep your water from getting hard.

thanks
i have 3 yoyo loachs in my 75gal and they are realy good at keeping the snails down so i think il go with 2 of them



about the puffer
i am only 15 and i am starting another hobby so i carnt afford it and i need a bit of money for this one
so it dosnt look like i will beable to buy another tank. i am happy with the yoyo loachs doing the job

oh and they are not trumpet snails!

Dan

 

[puppyduck]

We had snails. A big problem. In a 20 gal. Started off with 3-5 ended up with 500 odd.

We used a snailtrap that you put these little tablet things of fish food in and they all swamped in the trap. That worked.
Cucumber did nowt for us.

Now, because we know now that corys like to eat snails out of the shell, if we see a snail on the glass we mash it with a spatula.


Dont do the chemical treatment. I swear thats how half our fish that died passed away. Plus you have to fanny about with taling the carbon sponge out.

 

[paulf]

Dont do the chemical treatment. I swear thats how half our fish that died passed away.

If you used a copper based killer, then maybe... or maybe the water went bad with the dead snail?

Plus you have to fanny about with taling the carbon sponge out.

Why would you want to run carbon all the time anyay? its a waste of time, if you use plant ferts, the carbon will remove some of the ferts.

The only reason to use carbon is to remove meds from the water, other than that its not needed

 

[SuperColey1]

Someone suggested to me for my 29G the Bengal Loach/Queen Loac (Botia Dario) as it is small enough for me to get a few for my tank and peaceful.

Gorgeous looking fish as well although the colour on this profile doesn't show it up as it look a little darker in other pics and in the real (IMO)

Take a look.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=34952

They're only about £2.50 ($4.90) on the net.

 

[tophat665]

I don't have any direct experience of B. Dario. Loaches online has them topping out at 6". I suspect they eat snails every bit as well as B. striata, and they may even be as fun to watch. I'm just partial to B. striata.