Snails

[brw77]

I seem to have a problem with snails appearing and multiplying in both of my tanks, is a 6 ltr and the other is 100ltr.
i have tried cleaning both tanks out and still they reappear, i am now at a lost on how to solve this problem. i live in las palmas and and i keep a regular check on the ph which is always around 5.5 - 6.

if anyone can help i woulod really appreciate it as they make my tank look ugly.

 

[djl08]

Im experienceing the same problem. It started with two, then after about 3weeks my tank is full. Just keep an eye out for eggs on the glass, ornaments and plants and remove them if you can.

As for your Ph, it seems a little low.

- Dj -

 

[Bobtastic]

I have a few snails in my tank too, not a massive problem but I can easily clear out 10-20 snails every two weeks. I decided to see how effective an Assassin Snail would be against them.

I've only seen him eat one snail so far and I had to put them both (assassin and victim) on the same bit of wood b4 I was able to watch it. I can only assume that he had already eaten at some point. I'm not sure of their hunting tic-tacs, whether they actively hunt down snails or just sit and wait for them to wander past and then "pounce". Also not sure on how often they feed. U may need a couple to keep the over all population in check. I'll have to wait and see with mine.

 

[meguro]

Snail populations are usually related to uneaten food.

 

[m00se]

Snail populations are usually related to uneaten food.

This.

Back in the early days for me I used to overfeed my fish, it turns out, and the snails ###### near took over. Cutting down on the feeding helped reduce their numbers massively. Also, make sure you give the aquarium glass a good rub with a glass cleaner when you change the water, and make sure you check the filter - mine had a load of snail eggs in it, and getting rid of them also helped curb the population explosion.

Try to avoid using the anti-snail stuff if you can, iirc it contains a load of copper which can be harmful to some fish (RIP Slick )

 

[Bigd5482]

I purposely have pond snails to multiply in my fry tank I use them as food for my kribs and bigger tetras and such or the betta loves one every now and then great free food. Just pick em up as you see em and crush them then drop them back in

 

[Bobtastic]

I've done that a couple of times and I've seen my Albino Cory's nibbling away at the remains!

 

[lordofthesea]

i've heard assassin snails are good too.

what about loaches. i think most botia eat snails.

 

[saltynay]

I've only seen him eat one snail so far and I had to put them both (assassin and victim) on the same bit of wood b4 I was able to watch it. I can only assume that he had already eaten at some point. I'm not sure of their hunting tic-tacs, whether they actively hunt down snails or just sit and wait for them to wander past and then "pounce". Also not sure on how often they feed. U may need a couple to keep the over all population in check. I'll have to wait and see with mine.

Depending on size they will eat 1-3 per day (ramshorn being small and a pond snail the same size as them being large) and take 1-3 days to digest normally slightly buried and acting like they are hibernating. They merely control populations not eradicate them unless the assassins are in excess but even then it takes a couple of months and your then stuck with a load of assassins eating catfish pellets which due to the high protein makes your tank surface appear oily. They are oppurtunistic and wait for prey to walk by then actively chase when they are wandering around the tank with there "tube" out at the front like a trunk they are hunting, just finished eating. You will see them attack but it is quite rare normally the snail attempts to escape by climbing the glass the assassin then climbs on to its back and sucks it out of its shell, then as there is nothing holding them on any more they tumble down. Assassins will team up to take down prey larger then there size I have seen 3 of my adults attack my largest pond snail which was the double size of just one of them and then they feated and slept for 5 days but this is generally an exception to their normal behaviour. If you feed excessively they may prefer the excess food over the live prey.

Snail populations are usually related to uneaten food.

Correct, this is the best solution, it is after all what nature decided upon from millions of years of triaal and error.

what about loaches. i think most botia eat snails.

Not ideal as they become a part of your stocking which you may not want and thus need to be considered in overall compatibility. Most if not all botias do eat snails but not all loaches are botias

 

[Bobtastic]

I've only seen him eat one snail so far and I had to put them both (assassin and victim) on the same bit of wood b4 I was able to watch it. I can only assume that he had already eaten at some point. I'm not sure of their hunting tic-tacs, whether they actively hunt down snails or just sit and wait for them to wander past and then "pounce". Also not sure on how often they feed. U may need a couple to keep the over all population in check. I'll have to wait and see with mine.

Depending on size they will eat 1-3 per day (ramshorn being small and a pond snail the same size as them being large) and take 1-3 days to digest normally slightly buried and acting like they are hibernating. They merely control populations not eradicate them unless the assassins are in excess but even then it takes a couple of months and your then stuck with a load of assassins eating catfish pellets which due to the high protein makes your tank surface appear oily. They are oppurtunistic and wait for prey to walk by then actively chase when they are wandering around the tank with there "tube" out at the front like a trunk they are hunting, just finished eating. You will see them attack but it is quite rare normally the snail attempts to escape by climbing the glass the assassin then climbs on to its back and sucks it out of its shell, then as there is nothing holding them on any more they tumble down. Assassins will team up to take down prey larger then there size I have seen 3 of my adults attack my largest pond snail which was the double size of just one of them and then they feated and slept for 5 days but this is generally an exception to their normal behaviour. If you feed excessively they may prefer the excess food over the live prey.

Thanks for the break down of behaviour saltynay! I only have the one and he's really there only to control. I think I'll couple him with reducing the overall fish feeding to bring the snail numbers down.

 

[brw77]

thankyou all for your replies i shall not cut down the amount i feed my fish and also crush a few up for my betta as well. i shall keep you all in formed to how its going.

 

[snowflake311]

When I first set up my tank with plants I had a good amount of snails. But after adding 2 blue acaras and a mudusa pleco the snails are gone. I'm pretty sure my pleco eat them. The acaras might have helped.