11 Days Into A Fishless Cycle - Nothing Happening?

[Underwurlde]

You could also use a snail trap system but putting a small jar on its side in the tank with some food they will like such as cucumber.

..Which does sod all.

Eradicate them NOW, BEFORE having to resort so such (useless) measures.

@DarkEntity
Thanks for that info I did not know that. More snail eradicating ammo for the forum.

@Tommy Gunnz - no anger directed at you dude, just my snail problem has got beyond a joke and I am up to here with uselss suggestions on how to get rid of them (unfortunately yours was just one of them).
There is only TWO methods to rid a tank of snails that I have found (but have not tried yet for various reasoms):
1) Start again & BOIL everything (not the fish of course).
2) Get either a clown or yoyo loach to eat the little gits.

Andy

PS
Rant over, sorry everyone.

 

[Tommy Gunnz]

I agree somewhat Andy. I also had a tank get overrun with Apple snails at one time and I even took the tank down completely, meaning no water at all and substrate in a bucket...when I started the tank up again almost two months later, the snails had actually made it! I was flaberghasted to say the least.

Still, with only a couple snails present, I wouldnt start over completely and you have the upper hand, for now, since your tank is not completely overrun yet. Also, you are not sure what kinds of snails they are so you cannot say for absolute sure that they are going to be the types that breed out of control (yes, some dont and are good for your tank, especially in a sand substrate). I think the loach idea is ok and clown loaches love snails. So do puffers of various types...but it is too early to be adding fish since the tank isnt cycled and you are most likely not sure what you want exactly just yet anyway. So, no need committing yourself to fish before you really start.

The only thing I would really stay away from are snail poisons that use copper to kill them. Copper is poisonous to ALL inverts and it is especially hard to get out of a tank. In fact, the only sure method I have heard of is to use muric acid to clean the tank out and I am not even sure that is 100% guarenteed to work completely. Again, no sense in reducing your tank's ability to keep an invert before you are absolute sure that you will never want to keep any. Like I said before, especially with a sand substrate, some snails are benificial (mystery snails come to mind, but dont quote me on that since my memory is not what it used to be) since they stir the sand and defeat instances of anarobic pockets being formed in the substrate (which can harm your fish and possible kill them since they are toxic)

So, I understand your frustration Andy and I do not take any offense to your comments and can completely sympathize with ya!

 

[Underwurlde]

Fair enough.

But all I am saying (Engineer alert) is that you cannot assume anything. 1 snail = 1 million future snails (it could have (so hence assume it did) lay some eggs. You don't know what kind of snails they are so you have to assume they are the worst kind.

If you DO want snails then fair enough. In the FUTURE get some 'proper' snails of a species that YOU choose and are therefore clued up on. Don't make the mistake thinking that you have got some 'free' snails and won't it be cute and aren't I the lucky one. I did!

To wit: GET THE BLOODY THINGS OUT. NOW Grrrrrr!

The only thing I would really stay away from are snail poisons that use copper to kill them. Copper is poisonous to ALL inverts and it is especially hard to get out of a tank.

Agreed 100% Don't even think of being tempted by this stuff. AND it does NOT work. Stuff should be bloody banned / boycotted.

In fact, the only sure method I have heard of is to use muric acid to clean the tank out and I am not even sure that is 100% guarenteed to work completely.

Thanks - did not know of that.

Andy

 

[Lucylou]

Just a quick up-date, found 5 more snails, thats 7 in total, hopefully they are all gone know.
Still reading 4-5 on the ammonia, (not added any more,) no Nitrite yet either.

 

[PaPeRo]

When you filled your tank up with water did you dechorinate it?

 

[Lucylou]

Yes

 

[Underwurlde]

Just a quick up-date, found 5 more snails, thats 7 in total, hopefully they are all gone know.

I hate to say this, but I think you may keep finding them, they kind of come and go on a weekly basis as they hatch & then grow and then become noticeable - i.e. you are fishing out the ones you can see (obviously). I think eggs have been laid and have hatched (this means they are 'in').

Fingers crossed they are gone, but I think I did not tell you quickly enough & now you may have a problem.

Action:
Wait a week. If you see no more snails in that period, then I guess they are gone.
If you do see more then ask yourself a question: can you live with them (BTW They breed exponentially (usually 20-30 eggs to a clutch, 90% of which will mature). As a result if left unchecked they will suck the life from the tank and kill most of the inhabitants. They are also dirty and will foul up the substrate.).

If answer is NO, then you must act now before adding any fish.
This means ditching your substrate, removing plants & sterilizing them (which could kill the plant) and sterilizing EVERY thiing in your tank & this means getting new filter media.

If the answer is no don't want snails, but i'm not going to do all that mentioned above, then consider as part of your fish stock a yoyo loach (or a clown loach: more common but bigger).

Sorry

Andy

 

[juhill]

Hi

There seems to be a bit of a snail thing going on now, lol, but I wanted to chip in about the cycle.

My cycle took over 2 months. It was getting really frustrating. I got a nitrite reading eventually then it seemed to stall. As was mentioned, my ph was too low. Someone recommended adding some bicarb which I did. This raised the ph and the cycle started again almost immediately and I'm sure I added fish within a couple of weeks.

Actually, I do have something to say regarding the snails. When I got my plants, I rinsed them within an inch of their lives to make sure there was no uninvited guests on the leaves. It seems to have worked, haven't spotted any yet, touch bogwood...

I hope things start moving along for you soon. Best of luck

 

[Lucylou]

Will probably get a Zebra Loach because my tank is only 60L and they are 6cm when fully grown, do you think they will sort out any possible snail problem?
Thanks juhill, will try some bicarb.

 

[Lucylou]

19 days - still no change.
Ammonia 4-5
Ph 7.4
Nitrite 0
Temp 30 degrees
Its been 7 days since I added 'Cycle' ,so I will add more today (its probably not working)

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i'm guessing you've already been shown this but i really reckon the best thing to do is get some mature media from someone

 

[Squid]

What filter do you have runnin Lucylou?

Squid

 

[Lucylou]

My filter is a Tetratec Easycrystal 300, it sits inside the tank, it houses the heater and came with the tank -
http/www.maidenheadaquatics.co.uk/eshop/...roducts_id=2043

 

[Lucylou]

Yip he, everyone was right 3 weeks and its started,

Amonnia 2ppm
Nitrite 2ppm
Nitrate 5ppm
temp 28/82

I added 2 dose of cycle (one at 1 week and the 2nd at week 2) don't know if this helped. I realise after reading this forum, that I have Carbon in my filter cartridge, so cycle may have been removed any way.
I got the planted wood, at week 2 and I purchased a Jave covered coconut shell of e-bay.
Now I can think about which fish, I want -
Cardinal tetras (5)
Guppies (4)
Zebra Loach (2)
Would this be ok, could I had to this?

 

[Glod]

That stocking looks about right to me for the size of your tank. Zebra loaches can get a little bigger than 6cm, maybe 10cm but it shouldn't be a problem.
Gorgeous fish tho, I just got some in my community tank. haven't seen much dwindling in the snail population, but they're only small fish in a big tank, I'll give them some time