blah, snails...

Aside from picking them out by hand (which I dread), what are other ways to diminish their population? I'm hoping my guppies and corys are enough to bring them down but it doesn't seem to be happening.

These are the snails I have.

Note... they freak me out lol, don't know why every time I try to pick them out I freak out a little (yes I know I'm being a pansy) but I got over screaming every time I touched one :D

Well... I'm not tech savvy enough to put the photo up

I did it! lol, those are like the ones I currently have.

Get one assassin snail for each tank. Yes I know it is another snail but they eat snails so soon you will be down to few or 1. They are really the only reliable snail eater that doesn't end up needing a large tank later on.

You have ramshorn snails.

Cories and guppies won't eat snails. You can try puting an algae wafer in a small jar, put the jar in the tank when you turn out the lights. When you get up take the jar with snails out and dump them. It will take alot of work to get rid of the snails. I bought assasin snails, but the other snails multifly faster than the assasins It seems like once you have them, you have them. Just keep chipping away at them.

Joy, lol I didn't think my fish would eat them but I see them poking at them and I was hoping it would be enough harassment from the fish themselves to just kind kill them. It's getting to the point where the snails are clogging up my filter.

I think I'll do both, mostly because my snail population exploded when I was on vacation.

At least the assassin snail has a pretty shell??

Thanks for the tips!

Loach or assassin snails.

My clown loaches have eradicated my malaysian trumpet snail problem. Love these guys.

assassin snails Baby !!!!!

they go 007 on them...

Clown loaches need a large tank. Also cut back your feeding snails will multiple with over feeding.

Snail overpopulation is easy to control - feed the tank less and your snails will diminish. The fish can manage a week of ever so slightly leaner times, but the snails cannot. No need to introduce new species to control existing species.

Or, pick out every snail you see, plop them in a Zip-Loc with a sprig of a plant and a wet paper towel, Priority Mail to Tank Girl, and everyone is happy! I have a VERY HUNGRY puffer who would be grateful....

Harvest every day by placing a lettuce leaf in the tank overnight (just lift out the lettuce the next day, it should be covered in snails, no need to actually touch them!), underfeed the tank, and snails will be a thing of the past.

Along with what Tankgirl is saying you can also do the tupperware hot phillips head screw driver trick. Heat a phillips screwdriver punch some holes in a smallish tupperware..fill with water and an algae tab or two let it sink and viola snails get in but they can;t get out.

And TankGirl if you really want some snails...I will start saving them for you...was asked yesterday "what type of gravel is that it keeps moving" by my wifes friend lol yeah there are few snails in my tanks :) I will bring them to the next Va. meeting

lol well, if you really want the snails I'll gladly send them to you!

All of these tips are wonderful! Thank you guys. I was hesitant to add anything new to the tank (especially another snail lol) even though the assassin snails have some beautiful shells I freak out thinking they will come out of my tank. Yeah I know I'm a pansy but I'm working on it! I'll be sitting there watching my fish and the snails go up the tank and out the water (I assume to lay eggs) and I twitch wondering if I'm going to start finding them outside the tank but I know I'm just being silly.

And yeah I knew going into this and getting live plants and what not would cause snails but it was something I accepted and I'm trying to get over. I forced myself to pick a snail out last night......... All I can say is at least I didn't scream though I sent it flying somewhere in the room because it stuck to my finger and I freaked and flailed my arm. -palm face-. One day I'll be able to proudly say that I can sit there and pick them out by hand... one day.

I think I'll do a cup, or tupperware trick since I do have algae tabs, along with less feeding.

Tankgirl if you really want I'll send them to you :D

I'll post an update in a few days to let everyone know how it's going.

Thank you everyone!

Petersmonkey wrote:

assassin snails Baby !!!!!

they go 007 on them...

A shot glass with a pellet of any sort will also collect them.

Tank girl, I have many many snails if you want a box of them?

All great advice, but don't think for one minute you'll be able to get rid of them all unless you take tank down, bleach the tank, change substrate or "boil" it. New filter media etc...
Feeding less will keep them out of plain view but they will still be there! You can drain a tank and leave it for several months then add water and wham they back! I don't even try to tamper with them, I like them! They keep the tank very clear and stir up the substrate and keep gases from building up. I use sponge filters so they don't get into my impellers!

I will take any snails, as long as they are not MTS - thanks for the offers!

My puffer can't do a thing with the rock hard shells of MTS, though they are very good for sand substrates and all my sand tanks have them. I have to hand pick them out when they get over populated.

Oh well, the mts population is the worst here. The ramshorns and pond snails go to my flowerhrons as I find them.

What do you feed the Flowerhorns too?

jb1edlover wrote:

What do you feed the Flowerhorns too?

Hey now, they are pets not breeders.
And there isn't much you can feed a 5LB 13" Flowerhorn to.
They do love it when I cull fry, I just toss the culled ones in their tanks and they vanish very quickly!

Everyone needs a garbage disposal! Even if it is and cheap man made product!

And they do a great job at it!

Some of us bought or acquired hybrids when we didn't know any better so they are here and healthy so got to give them the best while alive. Just don't breed them.