Unwanted snails in a planted tank! - Page 2

Loman · 10-10-2006, 09:28 PM

Tommy,
WRT Had a snail. It seems really hard for me to accept that a solution of anything that is designed to kill/remove/destroy one species does no harm to any other species. I do not know what is in this one (and I have seen it as well) but I keep getting hung up on the logic of the whole thing

Tommy Gun · 10-10-2006, 09:32 PM

I agree with your logic Loman but that is the claim made by the company. I do not really support the use of foreign chemicals unless totally needed, but it is an option. I think the logic behind it may be some thing that the snails are allergic to but fish as a whole are not. I know that as far as land snails go, salt usually does the trick to kill them off (beer as well) and no other animals are hurt by doing this.

Again, I do not support the company or the product. I have never used it, just heard of it. I think the clown loaches would be the best, quickest, and easiest answer.

Jay · 10-11-2006, 07:27 AM

[quote]I think the logic behind it may be some thing that the snails are allergic to but fish as a whole are not.[/QUOTE

The product you are referring to is copper based, it will kill snails, shrimp, all inverts for that matter, some plants, and fish if you are careless with the dose. It is also residual, it stays in the tank forever, is adsorbed by the fish, etc.
Copper in elevated doses is nasty stuff.

Get a loach, trade him for something else when the job is done.

Just thought you would want to know.

Jay

RedBaron · 10-11-2006, 01:53 PM

I have one YoYo loach and he seems to do just fine in keeping the snails in check. He is also pretty to watch swim around the tank. I remember reading that they do not get too big either, somewhere in the 4-5 inch range.

Jillianne · 10-12-2006, 01:41 PM

Thanks for all the great info everybody. I opted to pick up a couple of loaches and they seem to be hard at work reducing the population in their tank. I have a sneaking suspicion that my pleco is keeping his tank purged of them, haven't seen a single one in months and it has several plants. Just the same is there a good method of 'cleaning' the plants of snails/eggs prior to introducing the plants into the tank?

Jay · 10-12-2006, 06:03 PM

I sure would research this or Google it. Potassium permanganate is used by a lot of folks in a very diluted solution to rid plants of snail eggs, before introduction into the tank.

This chemical should be handled with care as it is hazardous.

I do not know the dilution ratio.

Jay

Tommy Gun · 10-12-2006, 06:58 PM

Just some added info and thoughts for anyone who plans on keeping loaches, you will get the best results from your loaches if you keep them in groups (schoals) of at least three to five fish. They will be much more active and confident in your tank if you do so. Clown loaches are going to be very reclusive if kept alone or in pairs. (I belive most other loaches will also be like this, but would not want to assume since I have not kept any other types)

Also, to add to your question about how to clean your tank of snails, I went through this same problem a while ago in a 10 gallon tank I had. I eventually took the tank down for two months. I kept my gravel substrate in a 10 gallon pail, without water for this entire time. All the devor and plants were kept in a box and the tank in a closet, empty. When I set the tank back up.....guess what!?!?!?!?!? Yup, the snails came back some how. I basically bleached the tank with a 1 to 4 mixture (1 part bleach to 4 parts water) and then washed and washed the tank until I was sure (I washed with water and a declorinator solution) the tank was bleach free. The tank is up and running right now with no snails and no problems.

So, this sort of made my mind up about the use of loaches for controlling snail population. It is much easier than any medicine or bleach process because it does not make the tank uninhabital (if that is a word). It also keeps your mind at ease about the chemicals and additives in the tank so you know it will be safe for your fish. This entire situation was also the main reason I now prefer to use natural remedies rather than medicines or chemicals of any type.

branfrog · 07-19-2007, 02:48 PM

Sorry I didn't post on this topic earlier, I just found it!!!

I had a small snail overpopulation problem for a bit. At first i noticed 1 snail for several weeks which asexually reproduced, i think, into a few. I didn't mind if they were eating algae. But then there were more and more! A lot of big ones and gazillions of babies all over the glass, rocks, plants and substrate. I became worried that my ottos wouldn't have anything left to eat.

So without wanting to introduce anything new, I got a pair of forcept tweezers (pointy bent tweezers), and began plucking these guys out of the tank one by one. Also if I saw any egg sacks attached to substrate, or plants, (these look like clear sacks with about 15-20 little white dots in them), i pulled those out immediately too...there were a lot of egg sacks. I did this for about a week, each day i would be able to get about 30 snails. After the week, the tank was pretty peaceful and the multiplication factor is under wraps. Without any natural predators, the snails will never be gone completely, but i'm ok with just a few.

I usually try to get the adults who the notorious egg makers.

THEFORDMAN00 · 09-12-2007, 12:31 PM

I have the best snail removal technique period!!!!
float some lettuce in your tank-within 1 hour u will have most of them on there,simply brush them off and repeat---but why would u want to get rid of the snails?-they are an excellent scavenger and will keep your nitrate down

I have tons in my tank but every now and then I remove a few with this technique.I put some in my beta tanks

TetrasRMe · 09-12-2007, 01:37 PM

Loaches are good at controlling snails. Skunk loaches and yo yo loaches do not get very large at all.

Whenever I buy plants I always soak them for 1 minute in a 19:1 bleach solution. This will kill any snails and their eggs. Never have seen a snail.

Be careful not to turn the plants to mush. 1 minute in a 19:1 bleach solution will do the trick.

Also potassium permanganate solution will kill the snails on the plants before
you put the plants into the tank. Forget the oncentration but you can find it on the web.

As you know certain species of snails will eat the plants. Not a good thing f you want plants. Most snails begin to multiply rapidly so the "bait" idea will never eradicate the snails. Loaches will!!

I have plants, do not have loaches or snails. If a snail sneaks through my
19:1 bleach treatment then I will get loaches. Snail are asexual that means one snail will reproduce and sometimes quite rapidly.

Have fun!!