Betta_Endeavours Posted December 4, 2007 Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 We recently started seeing pond snails showing up in our 44 inch tank that we are using to grow out the bristlenose. Now there is several dozen of these snails and almost as many batches of eggs. How do we get rid of them without killing the BN fry and what's left of the young mystery snails? We also have cone shaped pest snails in the 3ft tank where the breeding pair of BN and various sized fry. There are mystery snails there too. Is there anyway to get rid of the pest snails? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
y2jdaze Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 I have the same problem so if anyone has advice I'll be listening too... I don't want to hurt my apple snails but I want to get rid of the other ones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betta_Endeavours Posted December 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 I'm trying to remove the remaining mystery snails from the 44 inch tank as they come into grabbing range. Problem is the tank is over loaded with fish as is. So dumping a few clown loaches in won't work and would possibly kill them even ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anasfire Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 Yeah I was thinking Clown Loaches too but they'll eat all snails indiscriminately. I had the same problem, snails catching a ride from the LFS on plants and becoming a plague in my 3.5ft tank so I just caught the ones I could and squished eggs whenever I saw them in the glass. Eventually they all just stop populating and I don't think I've seen even one in there in like a 2 weeks. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 Yeah I've only ever used the squishing method for snail pest control. It takes a while to get under control but like Cassi said, they stop eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betta_Endeavours Posted December 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 The cone shaped ones number in the hundreds and the other ones are getting the same way. Not to meantion I'd have to strip the tanks of all plants/rocks and just leave the gravel/sand and that would stress the fry out and stop the adults breeding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 Found a couple of links to snail traps that you can buy or make yourself. JBL Limcollect Snail Trap Snail FAQ, search for snail trap Unizoo Snail Trap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anasfire Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 I didn't do it all at once. Just every time I went past the tank or fed them and noticed snails climbing the glass or on plants within reach (without me having to submerge my entire arm) I'd just remove them and put them into my bettas fry tanks to help the peppermint pleco's with their clean up duties. For some reason mostly all the snails I put in with the Betta fry and pleco's died off. Oh well...either way they're gone so meh. Just do what u can everyday, squish eggs on the glass near the top and take it easy. Within a few weeks they'll be all gone. And most importantly relax my dear! Have a great day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jusdeb Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 I had the hard shelled type sneak in on a LFS plant so I stripped the tank and soaked everything in snail killer then rinsed the plants and boiled everything else . This worked for about a month but now their back , only a couple so far which Ive pulled them out so theres probably more. The LFS reckons its nigh impossible to get rid of them. And coz there so hard to squish I cant teach the fish to eat them like you can with the soft shelled ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren MacFish Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 Twice a week, you drop a slice of cucumber into the tank overnight, in the morning you net it out with all the snails attached and throw it in the bin. It keeps the biggest snails in check at least. The smaller ones are less of a problem in terms of waste output and devouring plants. I like snails. They do a good job of cleaning glass and waste leaves... to a point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celeste84 Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 bettas eat snails, especially when they're young! but as for the jelly eggs, you can remove them from the glass with a razor blade and just toss em away that way, less new baby snails! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betta_Endeavours Posted December 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 The eggs that are appearing in the 44inch tank are on the plants not the glass. For now I'm picking off bigger ones as I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzy_dragonfly Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 I've heard copper is good for keeping invertibrates at bay including parasites like ich as well as snails, but you need to make sure the copper levels remain within a healthy range for your fish too. I've always been partial to the seek and destroy method removing unwanted snails like ramshorn and pond snails by hand whenever they appear. Rinsing plants and placing ornaments in boiling water can reduce the numbers of small snails, persistance is the key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betta_Endeavours Posted December 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 The sort that we have in the 44 inch have previously been dealt with quite effectively by clown loaches but the fish load in the tank is already too high. We are battling constant high amonia issues. Once the new stand is done and the 4ft and mini 3ft are back in place and ready we'll be reducing the fish load in the 44inch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUPPYBREEDER Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 i love snails :whistling: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeni Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 We have found that 2ml/gallon of 3% hydrogen peroxide will make just about every snail in the tank head for the surface. They are easy to pluck out from the top and the HP cleans up the tank. This was the info given to me by someone on another forum, when I was complaining about snails.. Another suggestion was to get an empty coke bottle, hang it with a piece of fishing line from the top, put a piece of lettuce in it, in the morning it will be full of snails.. In theory..this is what I was told, I havent tried either one because my loaches seem to be eating most of mine.. I have cucumber in my tanks all of the time, the bristle nose love to eat it, and I get very few snails hanging around it, maybe they are just used to it..I dunno.. but apparently lettuce works better.. Hth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betta_Endeavours Posted December 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 These aren't mystery or apple snails but ordinary pond snails that breed like crazy. They eat the food I put in for the BN fry and polute the tank. I'll be putting a clown loach or two in the 44" tank soon to deal with those snails. Oh I'll have to point those suggestions to Robert. The ones in the 3ft tank are the sort that clown loaches can't/won't eat. Thanks for the info Jeni :whistling: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeni Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 These aren't mystery or apple snails but ordinary pond snails that breed like crazy. They eat the food I put in for the BN fry and polute the tank. I'll be putting a clown loach or two in the 44" tank soon to deal with those snails. Oh I'll have to point those suggestions to Robert. The ones in the 3ft tank are the sort that clown loaches can't/won't eat. Thanks for the info Jeni No probs.. I have found that my clown loaches can only handle what is their mouth size.. So from time to time I run around with a teaspoon in my hand and squash all the snails I can find, they know now whats going on and follow me like little detectives waiting for me to find one and squash it for them..The Barbs also will be in on it and eat them once they are squashed.. Its really quite funny..they wait patiently next to my hand while I lift stuff up and look under it..and occasionally nip on my fingers if I am not quick enough.. I really love the clown loaches, they are a great little fish to have.. but beware.. they might outlive you! They can live for 40 years and grow to be a foot long.. :whistling: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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