Snails Are Now Doing My Head In

Robot_Rooster · Nov 4, 2008

the snails that hitched a ride on my plants are now annoying me beyond extent. i have tried everything to get rid of them. i squished them. i even tried baiting them out. tell me the "snails be gone" stuff they sell in shops harmful to fish?

Colin_T · Nov 4, 2008

What sort of snails are they?

You can kill most sails with copper sulphate, the chemical in most snail killing products. However, Malaysian Livebearing/ trumpet snails aren't affected by it.
Most Loaches/ Botias will eat most snails but again won't touch the Malaysian Livebearers.

You can put a piece of pumpkin or zucchini in the tank and wait for the snails to crawl all over it. Then scoop them up with a net.

rdd1952 · Nov 4, 2008

They are almost impossible to get rid of. One thing you can do to stop them from multiplying so quickly is make sure you don't overfeed. That can lead to population explosions. There are seeral ways that people have had success with. Place some leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, in the tank at night and just lift it out the next morning and can the snails. I've never had much success with that.

I generally remove them by hand or with the syphon during water changes. The syphon alone isn't strong enough to suck them out but if you remove the vacuum end so that it is just the hose, it will whisk them right away. You'll hear them slam the side of the bucket when they come through. Be careful not to get the end too close to the sand, gravel or small fish or they will be out of the tank too (that's also a great way to remove sand substrate if you ever decide you want to change it).

Robot_Rooster · Nov 4, 2008

Colin_T said:
What sort of snails are they?

You can kill most sails with copper sulphate, the chemical in most snail killing products. However, Malaysian Livebearing/ trumpet snails aren't affected by it.
Most Loaches/ Botias will eat most snails but again won't touch the Malaysian Livebearers.

You can put a piece of pumpkin or zucchini in the tank and wait for the snails to crawl all over it. Then scoop them up with a net.

i dont think they are trumpet snails

and i tried a pumpkin piece and i have also tried a cucumber piece neither had a single snail on it over night.

if i use copper suplhate would it affect any of my stocking? (in my sig)

Colin_T · Nov 4, 2008

If you put pumpkin or zucchini in the tank check it after about 30minutes. If you leave it in overnight quite often the snails will have fed on it and then returned to the safety of the plants.

If you follow the directions on the container of snail killer it should not affect any of your fish. The Corydoras would be the main ones to worry about. If you are concerned you can use most snail killers at half strength and they still work pretty well.

Remove any carbon from the filter before you use copper because the carbon will absorb the copper from the water.

agutt · Nov 4, 2008

If the other methods don't work...try some assassin snails. The hunt and kill other snails.

http

/www.snailshop.ashopcommerce.co.uk/p...ing-snail-.html

saz326 · Nov 4, 2008

I never had much luck with snail killing products. They seemed to only remove the sticky slime of the snail, making them fall into the substrate. After I had dosed the aquarium, i would wait a few hours then run a tank vacuum cleaner around to suck up the dislodged snails.

Worked a treat but didnt kill them off completely.

Schmill · Nov 4, 2008

See my thread below for my experience with a certain 'Safe' snail treatment:

Snail Treatment

snakequeen · Nov 4, 2008

I would go with Assassin snails, i got loads in my tanks and they are woring wonders at riding me of my pest sanils
Well worth a try

drobbyb · Nov 4, 2008

snakequeen said:
I would go with Assassin snails, i got loads in my tanks and they are woring wonders at riding me of my pest sanils
Well worth a try

Do they need brackish to multiply? If they do not, how do you control the assasin snail population?

Schmill · Nov 5, 2008

According to the link from Agutt in the post above they reproduce slower than other snails, only laying approx. 1 egg per month, which is usually eat by fish etc if not deliberately saved. If it came to it I'm also sure that if you found you have baby assasins you could squish them or sell them. Either way, I think it is the slow reproduction rate, and the unlikely hood of the egg to survive that is the key. :good: