Snails Snails Everywhere!~

[Mollygirls]

Hi again,

So I buy these nice plants for my tank at the lfs and low and behold I end up getting more then I paid for.. So far I have "fished" out 4 of these little buggers.. I have no idea what kind they are but they are tiny little things.. I dont want my tank over run with them so I put them in hubby's tank.. haha.. Dont worry it is an empty cycled tank. He puts his feeder fish in it but has none at the moment.. I dont want to kill them (as that is mean and I dont have the heart to do it) but I also dont want them over running my tanks.. I have an assorted tropical tank (55 gallons)

So from what I have heard snails breed and then breed some more.. I honestly dont know how to get rid of them or should I just leave them? Will they end up over running my tank eventually? Will the fish snack on them if I leave them in there?

Sigh.. snails snails everywhere!

Thanks in advanced..

 

[ILuvTropicalFish]

What do you have in the tank? Some fish will eat the snails.

 

[loraxchick]

actually the snails will be beneficial to the plants by removing algae and biofilm. if you dont want ot be overrun then dont over feed the fish. less food=less snails.
if you REALLY have your heart on a snail free tank (honestly consider keeping them), then put some lettuce in there before lights out, and in the morning the snails will be all over the lettuce...just remove and plop into the other tank
im a big advocate of snails. great for clean up and if you limit the food into the tank, you wil not be completely overrun by them (their population is self-limiting).
cheers

 

[Mollygirls]

Hi


The tank is stocked with Livebearers but I do have a few tetra's in there as well as a pleco. I dont know if they eat snails but if they do then I shall leave well enough alone.. The LFS guy recommended buying a yo-yo loach which will eat some snails but wont eat my tropical community. *shrugs*

I am not adverse to having snails in my tank but from what I was told they will over run my tank and eventually I will have a big problem.. I really dont want to wake up one morning and see 500 of them sliding across the front of the tank. If limiting food (which I do anyway) is a way to keep numbers undercontrol then perhaps I shall leave well enough alone and see what happens.


I am sure they have many uses in a tank setting and trust me I do not have the heart to kill them which is why I find them and transfer them to thier own tank (the empty 10 gallon) Wait till hubby finds out his feeder tank is now a snail tank.. haha

 

[rdd1952]

As mentioned, overfeeding will cause a snail population explosion. I hate them. There are some snails that may be beneficial but the ones that come on plants are usually pretty much just a nuisance. If you do go the loach route, just make sure you get loaches that are small enough for your tank and also keep in mind that most need to be kept in groups of at least 3 to 5 like most shoaling fish.

 

[KieranP]

If you want to control the population, i found assassin snails really work. they feed on the common snails. this and if you only get a few then they wont completely wipe out the snails, just keep it down very well. some people havent had as much success as me, but i would really recommend them.

 

[Mollygirls]

How big do the loaches get? I have a 55 gallon tank so I have no idea if they would be too big when they are full grown!

I dont know if I am willing to buy more snails to get rid of snails.. I would be worried that I would have more then I can handle..LOL..

If my 55 gallon can hold the yoyo loach then perhaps I will pick up a group of them to help control the population..

Thanks

 

[vinylman]

Go a couple of days without feeding your fish, that will get rid of a lot of them. Have a look at the glass ten minutes after lights out, then just scoop them off in a net. If they're Malaysian Trumpet Snails, they'll do more good than harm anyway. Are the shells shaped like ice cream cones?.

 

[crazychris]

Go a couple of days without feeding your fish, that will get rid of a lot of them. Have a look at the glass ten minutes after lights out, then just scoop them off in a net. If they're Malaysian Trumpet Snails, they'll do more good than harm anyway. Are the shells shaped like ice cream cones?.

Solution: Clown Loaches. I had loads of snails but no more. My clowns have eaten them all!

 

[vinylman]

Assuming you have a big enough tank for Clown Loaches, of course. I've read of people who've bought them and they haven't always done the job.

 

[ROSSCO22]

I have MTS had I hate them my 6 Yo yo loaches are not helping much but I have some Assassin Snails and there helping a lot. http/www.snailshop.co.uk/reviews.php

 

[Keithoms]

Snails can be useful aslong as you dont mind seeing them, they eat all the dead crap that messes up your tank.

 

[doresy]

I have just one 1 Zebra Loach (botia striata) in my main tank. Before getting it the tank regularily got over run with pest snails....but no more.

Fantastic looking fish, great snail terminator!

 

[vinylman]

I have just one 1 Zebra Loach (botia striata) in my main tank. Before getting it the tank regularily got over run with pest snails....but no more.

Fantastic looking fish, great snail terminator!

I have a pair of those and they couldn't give a toss about the MTS I have. Had the fish before the snails, but as I don't see the snails out during the day, it doesn't bother me. Does freak me out occasionally when I'm looking in the tank and the gravel moves, though.

 

[Truck]

whats wrong with snails? if youve got an explosion in the population then your obviously over feeding. theyre beneficial to tanks...and nothing will eat MTS, theyre shells are too hard