Snails ! Snails ! Snails !

[castleg]

I have recently had an outbreak of snail in my 165 litre tank. Nothing new has been added to the tank for months, so I am at a loss as to where they have come from. I purchased eSHa Gastropex Aquatic snail treatment, which after one set of treatments not only semms to have had no effect on the snails, but appears to have killed my previously healthy albino cory. Can someone please suggest an effective and safe treatment ? I have brought some clown loaches to help combat them, but all they seem to be doing at the moment is hiding. Help please !!

 

[Baccus]

Best trick is put some lettuce or a chunk of carrot in the tank, the snails will swarm over these and you can easily remove the lettuce or carrot and scrape off the snails. This will never completely remove all the snails but it will greatly reduce their numbers.

Personally I have my doubts on the real effectiveness of using certian fish to predate on snails, my Pakistani (yoyo) loaches only really eat snails when I squash the snails for them. Speaking of squashing snails I find all of my fish really enjoy the bonus treat of some freshly squashed snails.

 

[micko]

If you've added nothing new to the tank then its most certainly that cause of over feeding. Reduce your feeding. These snails are great because if you didn't have these in your tank then your water stats would probably be sky high. They're eating the food that's been left to rot in your tank.
Its one thing getting rid of them by using a chemical or squashing them but they'll always come back if you do not find the cause.

 

[the_lock_man]

In my experience, if you want to erradicate them completely, then assassin snails will do so.

The other problem you now have is that those Clown Loaches will grow WAY too big for your tank, I would suggest that you try to take them back to place they came from before they become stunted. The sooner you do so, the more likely it is that the LFS will take them back.