Damn Snails!

[MOJO]

I bought a lot of real plants some time ago. After a day or two I noticed a tiny snail on one of them...

At the time I thought - 'ahhh, only one of them... He's no harm to anyone'.

Anyway; I had a 'snail count' last night and there's now at least 15 of the little buggers!

Not only that; they seem to be hell-bent on the ol' bedroom olympics... (No harm in that though )

Nevermind the term 'breeding like rabbits!'

I fear a mass Snail overpopulation is on the cards, and I now feel it is time to trim the numbers down.

I've heard that if you drop a slice of cucumber in there overnight, they all flock to it? Or is that if only if you put Heinz Salad Cream on it? Jokin!!

A-side from that, what fish can I buy that will eat a few of the blighters?
A French one perhaps? As I hear they like a snail or two?? hehe.

 

[LoachLover]

Same thing has happened to me, although I'm quite happy about it since my loaches love snails. I've tried the cucumber thing, didn't work. my loaches are the only things that I found get rid of them best.

 

[phil]

Hi Mojo

Can`t help you with any answers yet but I also have the same problem as I`ve just done a water change and found several of the little so and so`s.
I`ll let you know if I find anthing out.

On a second point can snails kill fish ? I don`t think they can but it is odd that after things had settled down with the tank (all readings fine) and an increase in snails I`ve just lost two more fish (silver mollies)

Phil

 

[Nuttygal! :0)]

No I don't think snails can kill fish...
I bought two clowns some time ago and they munched on all of my snails...but since they both died a few days ago from stupid whitespot, all the snails have popped back up from nowhere again. Now I keep finding bits of mullered plants floating in the tank so I'm forever fishing them out. I do find that I can get loads up with my gravel vac when I do water changes, tee hee hee!
But I think soon I'm either going to have to buy more clowns or I've seen treatment in my LFS that you add to your water and it will kill all the snails...
But I think I'll try the cucumber thing first!

 

[swim]

I have a pair of Yoyo loaches that do a pretty good job of keeping the snail count down.

 

[Tomo]

my planted tank was over run with them, but now i have to buy them for my dwarf puffer. But they need special care and depend on what tank mates you got.

 

[Clown Loach]

I'm told clown loaches eat them. That was my first job at work... which was slightly annoying (chasing clown loaches that is - not eating snails)

 

[LoachLover]

I'm told clown loaches eat them. That was my first job at work... which was slightly annoying (chasing clown loaches that is - not eating snails)

They do, they eat snails almost with a passion

 

[MOJO]

Hi all.... and cheers for all of your great input.

A couple more questions.

Does anyone here know of any good 'internet aquarium shops' where I can get hold of one of these 'Gravel Vacs?'
They sound ideal for my constantly turding Platies....
Kind of an aquatic Pooper-scooper.

I've never seen one in any of the pet shops I've been into. (UK)
Although to be honest; I always forget to look when I'm in one.

And also, What are Clown Loach like with other fish?
I have a few Neon Tetras, some Platies and some Cory Catfish...
I'm just worried that once they've eaten all of the Snails, they might fancy a fish supper.

And are Clown Loach prone to Whitespot? As I've heard them both mentioned in the same breath a time or two now.

Thanks all.

 

[DannyBoy17]

Hahah Bedroom Olympics.

Thats gold (no pun intended)....well, maybe

I dont know if thise is normal, but I think my female betta eats snails. I put her in the 100g for a while and she was all over my Apple Snails! They are twice the size of her! Silly Betta.

DB

 

[littlefishie]

Have you tried the lettuce trick?

Put a piece of lettuce in your tank and weigh it down with a rock or something. Turn out the lights.
In the morning, it should be covered in snails. Take out lettuce and toss in garbage. Voila! No more snails.

 

[handsomeboy]

best way is the hard way

 

[fuzzyferret]

My clown loaches turned their noses up at my snails - typical - the only loaches in the world that didn't seem to like snails!

What I do now is to alternate my plants in my tanks. When one plant has many snails on it, I fish it out and put it in with my african cichlids for a day - they churn up the water like small piranha munching the snails!

Plant clean, back in the other tank! Repeat as necessary!

Not the book method of working, but it does it for me!

Probably wouldn't recommend it to others though, as maybe your cichlids don't like snails so you get two tanks full instead!

 

[Mr Miagi]

Dont use meds. They contaoin poisonous chemicals that can do alot of harm if overdosed slightly. Use other "friendly" alternatives first. Like the lettuce idea and the loaches if you can.

benny

 

[fishguy18]

I would not mind taking a few of those snails off of your hands .....would you ship the to canada ....I'll pay for the s/h......I need a "few" snails for my tanks