Snails In Filter

[-SPB-]

I've got a snail problem. Over the past cople of days i've been picking snails from my tank. I'm just in the process of cleaning out my tank, and whilst cleaining my filter i've found snails and what i can only presume is snail larve or eggs. I've got rid of what i can see, what would people suggest. I've got some anti-snail med, would this do any good.

sambangert

 

[Matty P]

Some sort of botia loach. If your tank is big enough you could buy a clown loach.

 

[buttercupbabe078]

What food do you feed your fish?
A couple of my friend have said that they bought a wilkinsons tropical fish food and after a while they had snails and it was snail eggs in the food!

 

[-SPB-]

I feed the flake and frozen bloodworh. I think it's because i've just got some plants. Can't put a clown loach in, tanks to small.

 

[Underwurlde]

Once they are in the filter then the 'usual' methods of snail control are pretty useless. Fish can't get at them to eat them anyway (duh).

You could try standard snail 'killers' (many of which just 'knock them out' but I have found them utter crap. Also the active ingerdient is COPPER and that is a POISON. (An accumulative one as well).

I suggest a course of Flubenol 15. This stuff is a medecine, a side effect of which is that it kills snials WITHOUT using copper. Worked for me. Damn things were everywhere, plants, substrate, glass oh and in the damn filters.

See here:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=41473

Sanitize plants BEFORE putting them in the tank:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=167686

 

[-SPB-]

Thanks. I think i've got a longhill battle here, just with the fact i found them and the offspring in the filter. I do have an interpet anti snail med but i'm a bit reluctant to use it as i'm trying to create a planted tank and i'm not sure if it will screw up my stats!!!

Edit: Just read the toics in the above post, i think i'm going to try the organic approach (as i put it) putting some cucumber or lettuce in. The fact i've found them, in my filter though, i think i've got a problem, which stems from the plants i bought from the lfs (i think)!!!

 

[-SPB-]

I've just anchored a piece of lettuce under one of my rosk. I'll keep the post going, just to give some results to whether i get many snails on the lettuce. Might give some poepl advice on this method.

 

[Spooky76]

They are in my Juwel 125 at the moment.

I have tried lettuce in the past, with limited success. Problem is the fish like to eat it

I have found cucumber to work better, a few peices in before you go to bed, then in the morning, whip it out and bin it. Unfortunately they are in my juwel filter and there aint alot you can do about it, other than remove fish and water somewhere else, remove gravel (Bin it) clean tank and plants then try again. But im not doing that

All I have found is, check all the plants at the shop, if any have snails, dont get them...

Post back how you get on with it.

 

[Richard120]

Dwarf Chain Loaches are amazing snail eaters and only grow to 4cm or so. If you can house half a dozen or more then they're fantastic fish to watch too, less and they are pretty reclusive. I've a load in my tank and I have to say they're one of my favourites. Don't be fooled by their size - they'll make mincemeat of your snail population!

 

[AJLee613]

i think it would be nice for my tank to have a couple more snails, but for some reason there is only 1, at first it was tiny now its big with a dark brown shell.

how come everyone has snails but me

 

[Spooky76]

lol - count yourself lucky !
I didnt invite mine, nor are they wanted....they do nothing other than eat my plants and look crap.

My large tank has never had them, although I believe clown loaches eat them anyway.

If you want me to post you some snails give me a shout

 

[Jonno]

am i missing something - what would adding cucumber do?

i have got a snail problem too when fishless cycling my new tank (must have transferred off filter i used to seed the cycling) - am i ok to add meds at this stage or will it mess up the cycle? i was hoping the ammonia and nitrite would kill the buggers but obviously not!

not checked the filter either, bet more are hiding in there

 

[Spooky76]

lol - cucumber will attract the snails, leave it in overnight then remove in morning covered in snails....

yes add your treatment, but all it will do is knock the snails out, it wont kill them...neither will nitrite.

Best way if its cycling is to put cucumber or lettuce in, keep pulling them out and try your hardest.

If thats no good, remove gravel, replace gravel, clean tank, replace filter sponges and start again.....

 

[Jonno]

lol - cucumber will attract the snails, leave it in overnight then remove in morning covered in snails....

yes add your treatment, but all it will do is knock the snails out, it wont kill them...neither will nitrite.

Best way if its cycling is to put cucumber or lettuce in, keep pulling them out and try your hardest.

If thats no good, remove gravel, replace gravel, clean tank, replace filter sponges and start again.....

cucumber floats though doesn't it? do i need to trap it under a rock or something? do i add loads of bits in different places?

surely there is some med that kills the snails? i haven't got any fish in there due to cycling so it wont kill any fish?

 

[Spooky76]

Yes it will float. I have some plastic bulldog clips with suckers on which I use for the lettuce. Cucumber just weigh it down at a corner with a stone or something heavy in the tank.

Nope. As far as I know all meds basically knock them out, but that doesnt help at all.

If your cycling still, I would remove the water and keep maybe 50% (DO NOT USE VAC TO REMOVE IT THOUGH) to one side, replace your gravel and filter sponges, put water back in and top it up with de-chlorinated water. otherwise I think you will be stuck with them. Sorry, its only my opinion, but in my experience you will not otherwise get rid of them and the eggs.