Snails!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Robert]

My tank is overrun with snails!!!!!!!!!!! is there any poison to kill them without hurting my fish???

 

[kitties1]

For snail problems you could use a snail killing chemical but a better way to rid yourself of them is to get a loach. Clown loaches are especially good at eliminating snails but they get very big, about 12" and a 20 gallon would be too small for them. I have some clowns in a 30g but intend on moving them to a 150g when they grow up. All loaches are adept at snail destuction since they have these neat little barbels on their mouths that crack open snail shells, so maybe a smaller species of loach like a kuhli loach or a zebra loach would work in your tank. You may want to pick up two or three of these since they like to school instead of some other fish (guppys? i think you mentioned).

if you really rahter do it the chemical route you can visit this site
http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...artial&Np=1&N=0
to get some Had-A-Snail. Or see if your LFS has the same thing. I always feel that chemicals should be used as a last resort.
good luck!

p.s. how did your snail infestation start? did you add any live plants recently? sometimes the sanils or their eggs hitch a ride on live aquaria. it is good to quaratine these things first.

 

[Gourami Lover88]

If you want to get loachs, get Skunks they wont get even close to big and they are very peaceful, you should get atleast 4 though.

 

[kitties1]

Gourami Lover88 do you have any pics of your skunk loaches?

 

[Fish Gal]

My tank is overrun with snails!!

Put 'em in an envelope and send 'em to me.

I'll be (hopefully) getting dwarf puffers soon!

 

[canarsie11]

put piece of cucumber or lettuce in your tank at night right after lights out. In the morning snails will be attached, just pull it out throw aways!

 

[clutterydrawer]

i don't think the lettuce/cucumber trick will eliminate the snails completely but it will keep the population down. when i had snails i found that they actually kept the glass clean and shiny and free of algae so tehy were kinda useful really

 

[TorPeteO]

Snails are starting to become a nuisance in my tank, I usually just take them out and get rid of them one by one. I wouldn't like the idea of using a chemical, personally, I would feel bad about it. I like to have one or two, though, just because they do a good job of keeping the tank clean, and they're fun to watch sometimes, too.

 

[Gourami Lover88]

that isnt my fish but it is very similar to one of my bigger ones, little buggers are hard to get pictures of

 

[smithrc]

I got so desperate about our snails in the 15gal, that I resorted to using 'snail-away'.... twice!... with no success

That was after our clowns being in there for a total on 9 weeks (2 + 2 + 5) and still the snails were there. we tried the lettice and the cucumber tricks and that just kept the number down slightly.

I've now given up and the snails seem to have got to a certain level and stopped... they eat the algae and waste at the bottom of the tank.... i'm starting to get used to them now

 

[FishDan]

I've now given up and the snails seem to have got to a certain level and stopped

Snails will become "pests" only when they are allowed to. They will reproduce to the amount of food available. A few snails + an abundance of food = a lot more snails. They will stop reproducing/start dying off when food supplies run out. To prevent the problem in the first place, ensure you are not overfeeding. As for eliminating the snails you already have, the above suggestions are good ones, I don't have any new ones to add.

\Dan