Snail Infestation - Need Input

Bailpy6 · Jan 16, 2014

Hey,

I have a 30 litre tank which is around 6/7 Gallons, first put fish in it a few months ago, and was advised by my local fish store what to stock. it currently has 8 small harlequins in and 2 bronze corydoras. I recently came across an issue, snails....i have no idea what type they are, i was picking them out a lot, thought i had them, but they exploded back, and if i pick 10 out, another 15 come, they are small snails, with a curled shell, Any advice on how to get rid of them, without harming my harlequins?

Thanks

Bailey

Meep · Jan 16, 2014

You'll be lucky if you can.

They tend to join tanks with live plants and snails are heramphrodites so you only need one for them to breed and mulitply.

Certain fish will eat them but you're limited with what you can add to a 30l tank - I have a 54l and they've arrived before the fish

You can try adding a lettuce leaf or courgette slice, leaving the light off and removing it the next day - it should be full of them, keep picking them out.

There are chemicals you can add but they're not always a good idea so be careful before adding any.

Good Luck

Bailpy6 · Jan 16, 2014

Meep said:
You'll be lucky if you can.

They tend to join tanks with live plants and snails are heramphrodites so you only need one for them to breed and mulitply.

Certain fish will eat them but you're limited with what you can add to a 30l tank - I have a 54l and they've arrived before the fish

You can try adding a lettuce leaf or courgette slice, leaving the light off and removing it the next day - it should be full of them, keep picking them out.

There are chemicals you can add but they're not always a good idea so be careful before adding any.

Good Luck

Thanks for the advise, i will try the lettuce leaf, and look around to try and find a safe chemical

will let you know if i get any success

Ch4rlie · Jan 16, 2014

Why not try Assassin Snails?

They'll eventually eat these pest snails, also slow to breed and an nice addition to any tank IMHO.

http

/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/269535-assassin-snail-killer-snail-bumble-bee-snail/

Bailpy6 · Jan 16, 2014

Ch4rlie said:
Why not try Assassin Snails?

They'll eventually eat these pest snails, also slow to breed and an nice addition to any tank IMHO.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/269535-assassin-snail-killer-snail-bumble-bee-snail/

I thought about that, but i thought that my snails may be too small for them, i will add a photo of the snails i have.

http

/tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2wfqmv9&s=5#.UtgyzfRdUkU here is an image, kinda bad quality

hobby5 · Jan 16, 2014

Why do you want to get rid of them in the first place? They are good for your tank. And if you really have an explosion in numbers it means your are feeding too much.

Bailpy6 · Jan 16, 2014

hobby5 said:
Why do you want to get rid of them in the first place? They are good for your tank. And if you really have an explosion in numbers it means your are feeding too much.

I need to reduce them, and its strange since i thought i was under feeding my fish, if i feed less, would that reduce numbers?

Ch4rlie · Jan 16, 2014

Any snails are not too small for assassins.

You can just get one assassin snail if you do not want assassins to breed and slowly will reduce the numbers of these snails as long as you do not overfeed.

Bailpy6 · Jan 16, 2014

Thanks a lot ch4rlie, i will look into getting an assassin snail then

Meep · Jan 17, 2014

Ch4rlie said:
Why not try Assassin Snails?

They'll eventually eat these pest snails, also slow to breed and an nice addition to any tank IMHO.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/269535-assassin-snail-killer-snail-bumble-bee-snail/

In my case because it seems I read some misinformation - I read that you had to have a min 30g tank, which surprised me as I thought Snails made less impact, and is why I didn't mention them. Perhaps the source was confused and meant 30l.

I don't have fish yet, so no food there and at the moment I'm picking out one or two snails a day so not a huge issue. Helped with a tank before so know they're nothing to worry about. Once the pests are gone is the Assassin happy with bottom feeder pellets? Hadn't planned on snails - I do gardening its hard to see them as good!).but might be worth it, can you have just one? (54l tank)

Bailpy6 said:
Thanks a lot ch4rlie, i will look into getting an assassin snail then

Let me know how it goes

Ch4rlie · Jan 17, 2014

Meep said:
In my case because it seems I read some misinformation - I read that you had to have a min 30g tank, which surprised me as I thought Snails made less impact, and is why I didn't mention them. Perhaps the source was confused and meant 30l.

I think for most snails, including Assassin Snails the minimum tank size would be 5 gals / 19 litres.

Am not exactly sure why you were misinformed that 30 gals or even 30 litres is minimum for snails.

But am fairly certain in any tank above 5 gals, assassins will be perfectly fine.

Bailpy6 · Jan 17, 2014

I think Assassin snails will be happy with them yea, i think they will also east bloodworm, i ordered one, pretty cheap, will let you guys know how it goes!

Meep · Jan 17, 2014

Ch4rlie said:
In my case because it seems I read some misinformation - I read that you had to have a min 30g tank, which surprised me as I thought Snails made less impact, and is why I didn't mention them. Perhaps the source was confused and meant 30l.

Click to expand...

I think for most snails, including Assassin Snails the minimum tank size would be 5 gals / 19 litres.

Am not exactly sure why you were misinformed that 30 gals or even 30 litres is minimum for snails.

But am fairly certain in any tank above 5 gals, assassins will be perfectly fine.

Hi, saw it on LiveAquaria.com when I googled them, but then they also contradict themselves because lower down the page it says 5 per 15g!

Sharknado99 · Jan 20, 2014

I too noticed a huge increase in snail population all of a sudden. Although I'm kinda tempted to leave them there if they are not harming the fish. They seem to be helping with the algae on the glass too hahaha...

But too many can get annoying. I might have to try the lettuce leaf approach. But what do you guys do with them after you remove the lettuce leaf? do you just chuck them outside? can they survive?
I feel bad killing them. The guy at the LFS said to look out for snail egggs and just crush them so that they don't overpopulate but I feel like some kind of a war criminal committing genocide...
sigh..

Bailpy6 · Jan 21, 2014

My Assassin Snail came today!! here is a pic!

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Snail Infestation - Need Input

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