Get Rid Of Snails Before It's Too Late...

[itonlyrains]

I seem to have problems with pest snails in my 150l planted tank. When I originally set it up a bit over 5 weeks ago three snails came along with the plants and I let grew a bit for two weeks and then removed after reading those spotted shell snails are pond ones that multiply like crazy. Then for two weeks I did not see a single snail, but just a day after I added some more plants from the same lfs I have noticed lots if them around. For the first 5 days I was removing 20-25 snails from plants and glass, then about 10 for a few days and then just 4-5. But today I've noticed 15 again. They are all small 1-2mm, way smaller than those that those three initial ones after a couple of weeks, so I assume they hatched recently from the eggs I brought in with the plants. If I continue removing them before they grow too large, will they go away or are they able to reproduce at this stage already? I'm starting to put a bit of lettuce overnight to get most of them onto it and really want to get rid of all!

Also what would be the best way of making sure new plants won't bring anything with them in the future? Thanks.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

A chlorine bleach dip is a good way, but I can't remember the specifics about dilution.

 

[alexbinge]

If you have got no fish in the tank yet put really hot water in the tank the plants should be fine but all the snails die and float to the top. some will sink and the shells will come out during the cleanes. thats what i did and it worked.

 

[Binge]

Snails can pop outta no where its been two months since I baught my clover plants at a fish auction. The seller also had a bucnh of bags of trumpet snails, guess what I now have a breeding pair of Ill prolly sell em to my lfs just thaught it was funny cus it was over a month before we saw one.

 

[nurglespuss]

Just a note on trumpet snails, they are parthenogenic (essentially a cloning system) and rarely breed sexually

Just a note on trumpet snails, they are parthenogenic (essentially a cloning system) and rarely breed sexually

to the original poster:

Do you have fish in the tank? or other inverts?

If you don't there are plenty of antisnail remedies out there.

But, if you want to try a more biological approach, I fully recommend assassin snails! They are cheap and you only need a few. I've got one I transferred into my tank to help control my ramshorns a little. After only a week or so, I'm already seeing empty snail shells . However, another note is feeding regime, generally pest snails (though annoying) won't achieve large numbers if there isn't excess food around - even with plants, perhaps its also a good idea to look at how much your feeding and your vaccuming?

Cheers.

 

[itonlyrains]

Unfortunately I do have fish (8 adult platies/guppies and about 20 platy fry) and moreover 18 amano shrimp.

Will assassins help eliminate them completely or just control?

As for the feeding - I do feed more than adult fish need to allow some food falling down where fry can intercept it, but my amanos finish any leftovers very quickly as they are running out of algae to eat

P.S. I haven't done any vacuuming yet, only syphoning plat debris out regularly...

 

[UKSPEED]

Assassins wiped out my pest snails within a couple of weeks. Get a few of them, they are great workers, and fun to watch also!

 

[tonyfoster]

have you considered adding clown loaches to your tank? they love to eat snails and will not stop till they art all gone

 

[Juggler75]

clown loaches are a no to a lot of tanks though, they grow too big

 

[Akasha72]

My Dad told me to put any new plants in hot water (not boiling obviously) with a good dose of salt and leave them there soaking for about half an hour. Then give the plants a good wash in clean water before adding them to the tank. The lfs plant tank was full of snails but only one survived the hot salt bath and I've since squashed that ... the guppies and platies love squashed snails.

I have heard clown loaches love snails too but they need a very big tank as they get very big. I had a pair that I had to re-home as I didn't know this until joining here.

 

[tonyfoster]

oh sorry i wasnt paying attention to your tank size

 

[nurglespuss]

oh sorry i wasnt paying attention to your tank size

plus clown loaches (or loaches in general) aren't great snail eaters, they much prefer to munch on whatever it is you feed the rest of the fish.

I would go assassin snails, and any future plants, give them a rinse onder the tap, inspect them for egs, and rinse again.

 

[itonlyrains]

I was reseaching assassins and they seem to mostly feed on grown up snails ( with pond snails not being preferred food source either) and I'm not really keen to let them grow and breed freely. Also I've read that without good live food source they can start attacking shrimp...

 

[MBOU]

I always advise two treatments for snails. I like ESHA Gastropex, put a dose in with plants in a bucket for an hour before putting them in the tank and also a small species of loach or snail to eat the rest.

Gastropex kills the snails in the tank but if you have lots of snails and nothing to eat them when they die, they will rot in the tank! The treatments also dont kill the eggs, only the snails.

Thats why i recomend 5-6 Laos Multibar Loach to EVERYONE. They are the most gorgeous fish ever!! Tiny, take up next to no space!!

Laos Multibar Loach - Yunnanilus Cruciatus
http/www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=yunnanilus+cruciatus&hl=en&gbv=2&biw=968&bih=539&tbm=isch&tbnid=6efo8-bTVK2yaM:&imgrefurl=http/www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/profiles/banded-dwarf-loach/&docid=KTdAT5F0ioNzjM&imgurl=http/www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/fish-pictures/banded-dwarf-loach-1282636347-800.jpg&w=800&h=600&ei=YjTWTvmEMsm68gO4rMiqAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=138&vpy=229&dur=1732&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=196&ty=111&sig=110957000062565089217&page=1&tbnh=162&tbnw=258&start=0&ndsp=6&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I always advise two treatments for snails. I like ESHA Gastropex, put a dose in with plants in a bucket for an hour before putting them in the tank and also a small species of loach or snail to eat the rest.

Gastropex kills the snails in the tank but if you have lots of snails and nothing to eat them when they die, they will rot in the tank! The treatments also dont kill the eggs, only the snails.

Thats why i recomend 5-6 Laos Multibar Loach to EVERYONE. They are the most gorgeous fish ever!! Tiny, take up next to no space!!

Laos Multibar Loach - Yunnanilus Cruciatus
http/www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=yunnanilus+cruciatus&hl=en&gbv=2&biw=968&bih=539&tbm=isch&tbnid=6efo8-bTVK2yaM:&imgrefurl=http/www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/profiles/banded-dwarf-loach/&docid=KTdAT5F0ioNzjM&imgurl=http/www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/fish-pictures/banded-dwarf-loach-1282636347-800.jpg&w=800&h=600&ei=YjTWTvmEMsm68gO4rMiqAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=138&vpy=229&dur=1732&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=196&ty=111&sig=110957000062565089217&page=1&tbnh=162&tbnw=258&start=0&ndsp=6&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0

Oh my! Those are some cute loaches! I may need to find me some of those! The only thing is, will they compete with my cories? And how big do they get> (I have a 40g tank)