MTS are not pests!

http://www.planetinverts.com/malaysian_trumpet_snail.html
i guess one of the few ppl in the MTSs corner of the ring. i dont like how folks refer to them as pests. heres some info shedding some real light on these useful lil buggers. its all about balance baby

Hmm... thanks for posting that article. I'll bet mine are reproducing so rapidly because of the high temp in my tank. I'll try turning it down.

In another post someone suggested baiting them. How does one do this? I'd like to try MTS in my next natural planted tank, but want a way to collect them if they start exploding in number.

make a trap, and bait with tasty stuff MTS will eat. make the hole only big enuff so MTSs can enter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdZDU52sixw&feature=related
just dont be impatient like the guy in the video.
bait the trap and place it yur tank when its dark. and collect yur prisoners in the morning. rinse and repeat for desired effect

kass.. I'm with ya on the MTS... Fortunately I got a few as hitchhikers from some plants I got, unfortunately I probably lost them all when I sold the tank they were in. I pulled all the plants (60 or so) so maybe I'll have retained some small babies!. Bill

hmmm so they may have a chance here afterall!

If they survive my Loaches, they are more than welcome to stay.

I read in other forums how some people with loaches still have a large population of snails. Does hard water make them extra tough?

Loaches can only eat so many a day. I have a really heavily infestation in my tank because the sand was originally in with all Aggressive Africans. So a loach would've just been an expensive snack. So, I just have to wait it out. I have the the New Terminator Snails that refused to lose. I've taken the sand out and left it in buckets for months at a time, and as soon as water hits it, the snails emerge.

expensive snack, LOL. Perhaps making a trap in the buckets of water after sitting out for months would entice the snails to the bait, since they'd be hungry?

That could work, but my fish (and snails lol ) are really spoiled, especially food wise. and I've gotten accustomed to them being in there. Its pretty cool to see the loaches go after the snails.

all is good then, good entertainment value! I think in my natural planted tank, if i do happen to get snails, my greatest concern would be the filter getting clogged up with snails. recommendations?

fishface30 wrote:

all is good then, good entertainment value! I think in my natural planted tank, if i do happen to get snails, my greatest concern would be the filter getting clogged up with snails. recommendations?

I've personally never had that happen with my H.O.B's or Canisters. But if you decide to put larger snails in there, its a possibility. My sw snails get into all kinds of equipment.

I get MTS outbreaks from time to time... when I do I grab a few an throw them in all the other tanks! Nothing cleans a tank as well as MTS! They are great for keeping the substrate "stirred" up and they eat all kinds of algae. I have 50+ 20 longs and I use a central air system with sponge filters so they can't mess up any filters! I don't use seperate nets so unfortunately I get them in my big show tanks from time to time, but the Loaches and some Victorians are get snail eaters so I don't have any issues from them.... MTS are good IMO and I don't consider them a pest at all, they keep the water sparkling clear!
JB

good for you! When i had an MTS outbreak the young ones would get stuck in the slits of the canister filter intake and die, blocking intake flow. Then when I would clean out the filter some time later I found larger shells in the filter media, so I knew some small snails made it through the intake and survived in the canister. I'm just worried if I kept the snails they'd cause trouble on the impeller or the dead shells would block filter flow.