Snails - Is This The Answer?

[fishstick]

I bought 3 zebra loaches 5 weeks ago because of increasing snail infestation. At first there was no difference, there were snails everywhere with a large population out of reach behind the Juwel filter. However, little by little I noticed I was not having to syphon out the snails so frequently and now its down to 1 or 2 a day.
I think if they are tank bred they might take some time to get the idea of eating snails if other food is offered. They are great characters and are doing what I got them for - the crunching sounds are very satisfactory.

 

[ulster exile]

Did the same myself - they are little stars really!

Only problem is that I have another tank that's too small for them, but it's totally infested with ramshorns!

 

[RadaR]

If I ever had a snail infestation i would buy some loaches.
1. they do the job.
2. they are great to watch
3. they look stunning

 

[Underwurlde]

The ONLY way of getting rid of pest snails in ALL kinds of setup is using 'Flubenol 15'.

I speak from experience as I have the most awkward setup for dealing with them, i.e. a SMALL Jewel Rekord tank (with horrible internal filter system), planted with fish AND shrimp.

If you have a Juwel tank with the internal filter then the snails will also be infested into the media sponges themselves and no amount of snail chomping fish will rid a tank of them simply because they cannot get at them to eat them. Secondly they don't eat the eggs and like you say, if you have a small tank or are currently overstocked then you can't use them anyway.

Flubenol is NOT based on copper & the added advantage of this is that it is safe with inverts (i.e. shrimp) & crusts, and is also safe with fish, plants and filter bacteria. It is nigh on impossible to overdose as it is OK up to 10 times over the recommened dosage.

Now, it won't kill the eggs, so when getting some a sachet of 4 grams (that costs under a fiver!) is enough for a ONE off treatment of 100 UK Gallons.

Divide 4 grams into 5 equal parts and store separately (this means that 1 order of 4 grams can treat up to a 20 UK Gallon tank). Then once a week AFTER your usual water change (for now & then for 4 weeks thereafter) pour some into your tank after mixing it in a mug of tank water (the tank water will go cloudy for about an hour, but this is fine).

4 weeks later, BOSH, no more poxy snails.

You'll notice no difference in snail behaviour during the first week. (Continue to pick them out - DO NOT CRUSH THEM IN THE TANK AS THIS MAY RELEASE EGGS).
During the second week you'll notcie they'll get sluggish and start congregating at the water's edge.
At the end of week 2, after usual water change, if you vac at the same time you'll notcie that you are vaccing up empty snail shells.
It will take about 3 weeks for them to totally disappear.
Keep going to be 100% sure of 100% snail eradication EVERYWHERE in your tank.

The continual dsoing will take care of any hatchlings from eggs during the dosing period.

GL

Andy

PS,
If anyone mentions snail traps, 'puffers', the 'cucumber trick', total-stripdown-&-bleach-clean, I will flay the man/woman flesh from your puny frames!

[Edit]: Opps got the price wrong so put it right now. (Thanks PaulF)

 

[Themuleous]

Wont that leave you with a load of decomposing snails all over the place? I'm not to keen on using chemicals if I can avoid it. Granted loaches cant get into filters to get at the snails and the clowns get big given time, but they do a great job and any snail stupid enough to venture out of the filter and it'll get eaten pretty quick! Both my loach tanks are 100% snail free.

There is the dwarf chain loach which only gets to 2" and most people could probably fit 2x 2" fish into their tanks. Dwarf cichlids are also good snail eaters too.

Sam

 

[George Farmer]

IME overfeeding causes excess snail population. I have a few in my daughter's tank but they are easily regulated by not feeding the fish so much.

I've never been a fan of adding any chemicals. I prefer to remedy the cause.

Zebra loaches (Botia striata) are neat fish though, I used to have some in my Juwel Rio 125.

 

[Underwurlde]

'Chemicals'

Hell, water is a 'chemical'. All I've done is point everyone to a complete solution for ridding a tank of snails using a SAFE medecine - a side effect of which is to kill snails. It's not like I have not used this stuff on my own tank either. I have: It works, it's very cheap and it did NOT effect my shrimp.

What more can I say, why use any other methods that simply do not work & in many situations CANNOT work.
I am now officially going to give up now....

Andy

 

[Themuleous]

Chill Winston... Was just saying! Each to his own and all, but its worth getting various opinions then people can make up their own mind

Sam

 

[JamesC]

No don't give up. Have known about flubenol and snails for some time now and it does, by all reports I've seen, seem to work very well against snails. As you have stated the recommended dosing levels are way below what you are able to dose with no problems. I actually have some at home that I brought after having a problem with some rather strange white worms on my rummy nose tetras. Never used it as the worms went away. I didn't know it seems to be safe with shrimps, that is good.

James

 

[George Farmer]

'Chemicals'

Hell, water is a 'chemical'. All I've done is point everyone to a complete solution for ridding a tank of snails using a SAFE medecine - a side effect of which is to kill snails. It's not like I have not used this stuff on my own tank either. I have: It works, it's very cheap and it did NOT effect my shrimp.

What more can I say, why use any other methods that simply do not work & in many situations CANNOT work.
I am now officially going to give up now....

Andy

Andy,

If I have offended you, it was not my intent.

I wanted to share my experience in that a cause of excess (I think some can be beneficial) snail population is overfeeding. I am in favour of remedying the cause in as many cases as possible, this way the "problem" will less likely return.

By using a "chemical" we are treating the symptom, in this case a mass kill of snails. If we continue to overfeed then once the medicine has been diluted enough via water change etc. then the snails will like return, via a new plant etc.

Overfeeding is a bad habit too. And seeing nuisance snails is a good indicator.

In summary I have nothing against the product you advocate. I was expressing my preference in technique to approaching a problem.

My wording was inappropriate there with "chemical" - for that I apologise.

 

[Underwurlde]

Ah...

I did not mean my post to be angry. Re-reading it, it definately comes across in that manner - so apologies all around. My dad always told me - there's always two ways of reading a letter.

@Themuleous: My Winston is now (and indeed was) chilled.
@GF: crikey you have never offended me. I hang on your knowledge mate and it has helped me beyond measure!

Anyway, just a misunderstanding,: Group hug.

Andy

 

[Themuleous]

No probs

 

[Dude]

The ONLY way of getting rid of pest snails in ALL kinds of setup is using 'Flubenol 15'.

I speak from experience as I have the most awkward setup for dealing with them, i.e. a SMALL Jewel Rekord tank (with horrible internal filter system), planted with fish AND shrimp.

If you have a Juwel tank with the internal filter then the snails will also be infested into the media sponges themselves and no amount of snail chomping fish will rid a tank of them simply because they cannot get at them to eat them. Secondly they don't eat the eggs and like you say, if you have a small tank or are currently overstocked then you can't use them anyway.

Flubenol is NOT based on copper & the added advantage of this is that it is safe with inverts (i.e. shrimp) & crusts, and is also safe with fish, plants and filter bacteria. It is nigh on impossible to overdose as it is OK up to 10 times over the recommened dosage.

Now, it won't kill the eggs, so when getting some, £3.50's worth for a sachet of 4 grams, is enough for a ONE off treatment of 100 UK Gallons.

Divide 4 grams into 5 equal parts and store separately (this means that 1 order of 4 grams can treat up to a 20 UK Gallon tank). Then once a week AFTER your usual water change (for now & then for 4 weeks thereafter) pour some into your tank after mixing it in a mug of tank water (the tank water will go cloudy for about an hour, but this is fine).

4 weeks later, BOSH, no more poxy snails.

You'll notice no difference in snail behaviour during the first week. (Continue to pick them out - DO NOT CRUSH THEM IN THE TANK AS THIS MAY RELEASE EGGS).
During the second week you'll notcie they'll get sluggish and start congregating at the water's edge.
At the end of week 2, after usual water change, if you vac at the same time you'll notcie that you are vaccing up empty snail shells.
It will take about 3 weeks for them to totally disappear.
Keep going to be 100% sure of 100% snail eradication EVERYWHERE in your tank.

The continual dsoing will take care of any hatchlings from eggs during the dosing period.

GL

Andy

PS,
If anyone mentions snail traps, 'puffers', the 'cucumber trick', total-stripdown-&-bleach-clean, I will flay the man/woman flesh from your puny frames!

kindof like a snail holocaust

dont you feel bad to kill so many snails?

 

[Underwurlde]

TBH, I do & I don't.

The bottom line is that I did not ask for Pets At Home to supply me with plants that are infested with PEST snails. It is not just Pets At Home that are to blame either. Every single 'high street' LFS that I have been into that sell plants have their plant tanks full of these pest snails.

Now unless you've been infested with these snails you will not have experienced how out of control they can get. Since the 5 months of just a SINGLE snail getting into my tank I must have pull out at least 500 of them - literally every day I'd be picking 5 to 10 of them out adn was distracting me from enjoying my tank! I kid you not and I am not guess - I keep records for reference and for various tests / improvements I do - one of which was to find a successful dosing regeme for ridding a tank of snails.

Also, snials are dirty (put ten in a backet & wait an hour....) & will foul up the substrate, they eat the plants, they get EVERYWHERE (see above, even IN your filter media), they breed exponentially & therefore if unchecked increase the bio-load and can also carry worms that can infect humans - intestinal worms to you & me.

To this end & to serve 'da community' have have formulated two methods:
1) The use of Flubenol with a dosing regeme to SAFELY rid a tank of snails.
2) Prevention is better than cure: The sterilization of plants BEFORE they go into your tank.: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=167686

I research. I test. I record. I confirm.
And then I share.

Andy

 

[jordan.m]

If I ever had a snail infestation i would buy some loaches.
1. they do the job.
2. they are great to watch
3. they look stunning

Can't they grow up to 16 inches though???