Unwelcome Guests (Snails)

[mbsqw1d]

Here's a picture of the type of snail infesting my tank, oh and the green-dust algae that I'm trying to get rid of (discussed in another topic).

I don't want to introduce assassin snails unfortunately unless I can incorporate them to get rid of the problem-snails and then take them back from where I got them.

look like ramshorn to me.. they'll be hard to remove without use of chemicals as theyll be within your substrate. you dont wana b usin chems as theyll damage your plants n filter bio-mass. id say significantly reduce the amount u r feedin yr fish as the snails can only survive on leftovers however i imagine theyll b having good munch on the algae currently present..

how much / many plants do u actually have?

 

[mark4785]

Here's a picture of the type of snail infesting my tank, oh and the green-dust algae that I'm trying to get rid of (discussed in another topic).

I don't want to introduce assassin snails unfortunately unless I can incorporate them to get rid of the problem-snails and then take them back from where I got them.

look like ramshorn to me.. they'll be hard to remove without use of chemicals as theyll be within your substrate. you dont wana b usin chems as theyll damage your plants n filter bio-mass. id say significantly reduce the amount u r feedin yr fish as the snails can only survive on leftovers however i imagine theyll b having good munch on the algae currently present..

how much / many plants do u actually have?

Well I'm only feeding small amounts 1-2 daily and there is never any left overs. I go as far as physically feeding the fish by holding onto the food for them if I think they are going to create a mess lol.

edit: I've never witnessed the snails go into or out of the substrate.

I have the following plants:

1. Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis scattered around the front part of the tank.
2. 2 x very small Cryptocoryne broad leaf plants.
3. 1 x big Cryptocoryne broad leaf plants.
4. 3-4 strands of Bacopa monnieri
5. 2 x large Limnophila sessiliflora

They are all thriving at the moment.

 

[mbsqw1d]

edit: I've never witnessed the snails go into or out of the substrate.

unfortunately i don't have any footage of them doing so, i only hope you can take my word for it! What plan do you have in mind for removing your pest snails? Have you had any success with the salad leaf trick?

I have the following plants:

1. Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis scattered around the front part of the tank.
2. 2 x very small Cryptocoryne broad leaf plants.
3. 1 x big Cryptocoryne broad leaf plants.
4. 3-4 strands of Bacopa monnieri
5. 2 x large Limnophila sessiliflora

They are all thriving at the moment.

Aw thats great! I was trying to get an idea in my head of how heavily planted your tank is thats all. Is is still looking similar to your video posted a couple of weeks back?

 

[Laura.p]

Those are the same pest snails that I have in my tank.

I've been trying to get rid of them for months!
Going to re-try the lettuce method.

Like Mark, I don't want to keep Assassin snails either.

 

[saltynay]

You can ask in the Invert section of this very forum and get help or look at this thread in that section

I don't recommend anyone buys an animal to solve this issue as it is not a long term solution to the problem merely a quick fix. Why buy a fish or snail you don't like rather then trying to figure out why your 'pest' snails are breeding so rapidly.

Oh and ramshorns coming out of the substrate is bull what they do is lay eggs that can get mixed in with the substrate and dehydrate so if you empty a tank, leave it for a few months then fill it you will get the snails back.

 

[mbsqw1d]

ok either way (snail or egg) they are within the substrate. are we identifying th OP's snail as a ramshorn? their preferred diet is algae over uneaten food so knowing how careful th OP is to feed his fish its clearly the algae thats keeping these snails going..

 

[saltynay]

The algae feed off ammonia and sunlight which means that there can be uneaten food in the tank causing unnecessary algae causing unnecessary growth in ramshorn population

 

[BigTom]

Really don't know why people have such an issue with snails. They help keep the tank clean, are excellent indicators of water quality and provide a food supplement for a number of different fish types. If you've got a huge snail population then its generally a pretty good sign that you're feeding too much.

 

[mark4785]

The algae feed off ammonia and sunlight which means that there can be uneaten food in the tank causing unnecessary algae causing unnecessary growth in ramshorn population

But there is no uneaten food in the tank.. I really am loathe to keep repeating myself.

As far as I'm concerned, any algae issues relate to a problem with my macro-dosage composition, not an ammonia/nitrite problem in a fully cycled aquarium. I have asked in a separate thread what I should change in terms of dosing (or other relevant things) to hinder the algae growth but no one seems to know.

I agree with mbsqw1d in that the algae is a good source of food for the snails and thus I need to know how to get rid of the green-dust algae. Reducing feeding is not an option because I've never overfed the fish.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi mark4785

I don't want to move your whole thread at this point, but would suggest you ask your question about algae in the Planted Tank section of the forum. After all, algae is a plant.

 

[mark4785]

Hi mark4785

I don't want to move your whole thread at this point, but would suggest you ask your question about algae in the Planted Tank section of the forum. After all, algae is a plant.

Hi, I already have an algae topic open there but it's entitled Carpeting the Aquarium; I'll change its title.

 

[Yeoman]

How long after adding a few assasins will unwanted snails be removed please? Ive just added some and have just a few snails appearing everynow and again.

 

[mbsqw1d]

Yeoman, I added 2 baby assassins to my 125 litre and within 1 week I couldnt see any other snails, only empty shells.

How long would really depend on how many assassins you add and what size tank, AND how large the pest snail population is.

mark4785, sorry for any repetition, its just that your snails are most likely feeding on the algae - and I know you have a separate post discussing the algae!

As mentioned earlier, can you confirm that your current tank setup/scape is the same as the video you posted 8/1/11? If so I just a concern regarding your planting method -
IMO the plants would do far better planted individually rather than being kept within the sponge mesh you find them in when bought. This will allow them to establish themselves better - esp the roots, fill out and propagate, making full use of the lighting available.
Also, I'd say your current tank size/plant ratio is light/medium planted.. and I thought maybe you could be overdosing with ferts. This is just my own little opinion, what do you think?

 

[mark4785]

mark4785, sorry for any repetition, its just that your snails are most likely feeding on the algae - and I know you have a separate post discussing the algae!

As mentioned earlier, can you confirm that your current tank setup/scape is the same as the video you posted 8/1/11? If so I just a concern regarding your planting method -
IMO the plants would do far better planted individually rather than being kept within the sponge mesh you find them in when bought. This will allow them to establish themselves better - esp the roots, fill out and propagate, making full use of the lighting available.
Also, I'd say your current tank size/plant ratio is light/medium planted.. and I thought maybe you could be overdosing with ferts. This is just my own little opinion, what do you think?

I doubt I'm overdosing. I'm following advice given by a very reputable website. I think people from the planted forum are the only one's who can define an overdose. The rock wool disintergrates over time so it's not stopping the roots burrowing into the substrate.

The plant locations have changed a little since the video I posted on the 8/1/11. I'm in the process of uploading a new video showing how it looks now.

 

[Haveagojoe]

I've recently added to zebra loaches (botias) and the once very visible snail are now no longer visible, in fact the first day they were added it was fun watching them swim around with snails in their mouth.