Snails

[DaveW]

I've had my tank running only 2 weeks before a noticed tiny snails. I don't want them and I am picking them out when I see any. It's been 2 weeks now and I'll still finding snails. I was wondering how long until they start breeding? I would like to get them out before they start to multiply.

 

[abstract]

i'm sure they are already breeding

 

[Adistar]

Small snails are prolly pond snails or something of that sort. You prolly will never get them all out as they reproduce like mad. You can however just keep picking them out,and/or squishing them when u see them.

A way to get alot of once is to take a shot glass or something small like that, and put something like lettuce in it, and then in the morning pull it out and their should be alot of snails in their. or atleast some. I ahve done this with some of my tanks and it is an effective way to reduce the population

 

[DaveW]

Oh well, Just have to live with them. But I'll have to find a small glass to keep the population down .

 

[Teelie]

If you're desperate, you can use some kind of snail killing agent in the tank provided there are no fish or plants in there. Since it's only two weeks, you haven't cycled yet and there is less danger of messing up the tank.

 

[DaveW]

Thanks for the idea Teelie, but I don't like the idea of using chemicals. Besides, the small glass and lettuce sounds like it could be a bit of fun .

 

[Teelie]

I always suggestthe most extreme alternatives to killing snails even though two of my tanks are crawling with them. I don't know why people want to get rid of them so badly.

 

[DaveW]

I heard that snails produce a lot of waste?

Do they eat algae?

 

[abstract]

small snails really don't produce that much waste...yes they eat algae, but so does your algae brush/scrubber (you have one right )....larger snails such as apple snails DO produce a lot of waste though..

 

[Teelie]

I hear they produce a lot of waste but neither of my tanks has any waste build up out of the ordinary. Depending on the species of snail, some eat algae.

 

[DaveW]

Yeap, got a scrubber. Just haven't got any fish yet . But my nitrite is on it's way down .

 

[LoachLover]

Really the only things that will get rid of snails are a snail killing agent or a type of botia loach that will eat them.

 

[Teelie]

Not even botia loaches can get all snails. Some are just so sneaky they get away. There's a display tank at my LFS with hundreds of Trumpets and a handful of pond snails in with at least 3 Clown Loaches and has been that way for years.

 

[LoachLover]

I had a single clown loach get rid of over 200 snails in 2 days.

 

[Teelie]

Must've been one fat and full loach after that. Doesn't mean he got them all though.