Big Snail Problem ?

[Disco69]

Hi I am also new to the forums
Just read a post on snails which i was glad to find as i set up a 300litre tank 5 weeks ago I have a Rainbow fish and another i am not sure of the name Gold in colour with black tail which had 5 baby's but seems only 2 have survived i guess they should have been removed to another tank but i have no idea as to what to do yet

Anyhow I also have a problem with snails loads of them i bought 12 plants i guess thats whey they were but omg how they multiply

Now my question is what are the best fish to add to eat the snails i read somwhere that clown fish were good for this but will they go with rainbows ect ect

Thx for any info in advance

 

[paul_219]

U can add some clown loaches.

 

[CruX]

If you don't want to or can't add loaches you can cut back on the feeding and crush the little buggers when you can get hold of them. Remove the shells and leave the cadavers for the fish to enjoy. yum.

 

[**sarahp**]

Hi - welcome to the forum

Have a look at this recent thread

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=208524

basically what you are looking for is one of the botia species - they eat snails but clown loaches can get very big - like 12"! And you need to have at least four of them. Zebra loaches are a better option - do the same job but dont grow so big.

Oh and incidently they suck the snails out of the shells so you still have to remove the empty shells

Have a look at this

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=34953

and this

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=34949

HTH

 

[Matty P]

U can add some clown loaches.

Clown loaches sound like a good idea to me, they are lovely fish

 

[TFFKes]

Don't want to hijack this, but one LFS recommended a Dwarf Chain Loach, because I've only got a small (Juwel 60) tank.

But I've got a couple or so questions:
Will my 2 (much bigger) Apple snails be okay, or will the loaches harass them to death (as I read somewhere else)?
How much will they uproot plants - I wouldn't have thought too much as the same LFS keep 2 in their plants tank to keep snails down, but again
I've read that they will?
Will they be okay in a community with a couple of Leopard Corys?
Will one be okay on it's own or should I definitely get at least 2?


Thanks in advance for any help...

Kes

 

[loachman]

For the OP, there are 3 main methods of naturally doing it.

1. cucumber at night. Put a slice in and remove all the snails on it in the morning. You can also put into a thoroughly washed soda bottle if you want. It takes a while, but not too bad. It is hard to get 100% but you can easily thin the population out this way.

2. Pick them out/crush them by hand. Better than nothing. Nearly impossible to get them all in a tank that size.

3. Go with loaches to eat them. Typically people recommend clowns, but they're too big for the job IMO. Who wants a potentially 1 foot shaoling fish to eat snails?? Go with a smaller species. B. kubotai, b. striata, Y. sidthimunki, b. almorhae, b. dario (hard to find), and b. histrionica (hard to find) are all better options. Go with at least 3 of them, they are all in the 4 inch max range. . . Other than the Y. sidthimunki which is about 2 inches typically and go with 5.

Don't want to hijack this, but one LFS recommended a Dwarf Chain Loach, because I've only got a small (Juwel 60) tank.

But I've got a couple or so questions:
Will my 2 (much bigger) Apple snails be okay, or will the loaches harass them to death (as I read somewhere else)?
How much will they uproot plants - I wouldn't have thought too much as the same LFS keep 2 in their plants tank to keep snails down, but again
I've read that they will?
Will they be okay in a community with a couple of Leopard Corys?
Will one be okay on it's own or should I definitely get at least 2?


Thanks in advance for any help...

Kes

Dwarf chain loaches are great choices. They're one of the most active loach species.

1. The large apple snail may be okay, maybe not. it's hard to tell. I would probably say they'll pick at it's appendages (whatever they're called).

2. I've never had any significant problem with any of the smaller loaches uprooting plants. I've got a planted tank with yoyos, b. kubotai and b. striata and have never noticed any uprooted plants.

3. Should be fine with cories. Alot of people mix them.

4. The more the better. 5+ is typically recommended for Y. sidthimunki (dwarf chain loach). Lone specimens are typically very timid/shy or can be more aggressive.

 

[TFFKes]

Cheers for the reply Loachman, I'll try and see if I've got room for 2, but I think it may be pushing my tank/filter too far

For the OP - Cucumber doesn't work in mine for the little snails, though the Apple Snails love it, but the same LFS recommended trying
potato instead, so I'll give that a go this weekend.

I've been controlling mine by pulling them out by hand since I started (I guess they were on my first plants), about 3 months ago.

I'm getting tempted to take the Apples out for a 'holiday' and treat the tank with Flubenol, but it seems a touch extreme tbh.

 

[Disco69]

Thx for all the advice guys some great tips will look into grabbing a few loaches soon