Snails....too many....I need a snail slaya!

[Patwa]

Currently, I have a significant amount of snails in my tank....larges ones and baby ones (ramshorn snails). I need someone to recommend a nice fish that will take care of my snail problem. I'm just looking to keep it under contol, NOT to eradicate them.... I'm looking for a loach or botia (botias eat snails, right?)

I already have 1 south american puffer that is just content eating everything except for the snails.....I had a figure 8 in there before and he had no problems keeping the snails in check...but he's gone now (R.I.P.)

CRITERIA:
-must eat snails as the main diet.....
-must not have a max size more than 2" i know loaches grow big, but I wonder if there are some that stay small
-must be peaceful, as I have a wide variety of fish in this tank, and I don't want another CAE/GAE type fish at ALL
-must not eat plants, as I have lots of establlished live plants growing

So let me know if i'm out of luck, or if you know of the perfect fish fo me

thanks

Zach.

 

[Menagerie]

8O
2" will really limit you, try www.loaches.com .
Good luck!

 

[duaumun]

Heck, just pull the snails out of the tank and into your yard/creek!

 

[Beacious]

Just get a small Clown Loach and when it gets to big pu it in a bigger tank or take it back or something.

 

[smilla4]

Heck, just pull the snails out of the tank and into your yard/creek!

I'd be kinda hesitant about that. If the snails are not already local to the region they can become a pest. Especially with their propensity to reproduce. They may displace (basically kill off) the local species, carry a new disease or parasite into the environment, or otherwise create an imbalance.

Even if the snails had been taken out of a local creek or pond before being added to the aquarium, they may have been exposed to something in the aquarium. If they were rereleased into local waters they may carry or bear immunity to disease or parasite that the local variety doesn't have resistance to, or that might affect other animals. Especially since they are lower in the food chain and tend to get eaten.


http://www.applesnail.net/ has a small anecdote of this nature under the title "A blessing or a pest" near the bottom of the page.

I usually put my dead fish in a baggie and put them in the trash, although that solution doesn't sit well with me either. Ideally I'd cremate them if I could, then baggie the ashes. I'm hesitant to flush them, although I'm sure worse things get flushed. I know the water I drink gets treated, but there's still a lot of things that remain in the water after treatment. Like estrogen from birth control pills, and medications.

 

[Patwa]

Heck, just pull the snails out of the tank and into your yard/creek!

hmm... maybe you did not understand the post....I have many...so many that it might take me a very long time to remove...more so, i'll prolly have to remove all my tank features to get each and every one.....and I have A LOT of things in my tank....(my tank is a palaudarium)

also for the record, NO ONE should take there captive fish/snails/whatever and release it into the natural environment....you'd be as close to an idiot as G.W.

Zach.

 

[Patwa]

Just get a small Clown Loach and when it gets to big pu it in a bigger tank or take it back or something.

what's the growth rate for a clown loach?? i know they get BIG, but how long does that take if i buy one at 1.5" or so in length??

are they aggressive?? at a young age? or when they are mature??

tx....i'll hit up that site now.

Zach

 

[smilla4]

I was kinda hoping to hear suggestions myself.

I googled this topic a while back, as I have a small tank I was looking for small fish - the only fish I found under 2in max that ate snails were dwarf puffers (I have a small tank). And from what I've read, they're not peaceful! I found some cichlids listed as possible snail eaters, but I didn't read more about them, as I feared that was a research topic unto itself.

I found there are some loaches that grow to approx 4in that eat snails (such as botia striata, and the yoyo loach). I don't know if all of them like to be in groups. The botia sidthemunki I've seen listed as being anywhere between 2 and 4 inches. But they are rare and like to be in groups. I don't know what their snail eating capacity is. So I guess that all goes over your limit...

Sorry if that isn't helpful. I wish I knew more.

There have been some suggestions on the board before, such as floating a piece of lettuce in the tank and harvesting the snails off. You would probably get rid of large batches that way. The population is also limited to some extent by the amount of food available.

 

[Centurion]

zebra loaches eat snails and get to a maximum of 4"

 

[Endgame319]

Exactly what I was going to suggest - Zebra Loaches, or Skunk Loaches

 

[smilla4]

<<Exactly what I was going to suggest - Zebra Loaches, or Skunk Loaches >>

From reading the site it seems that skunk loaches are pretty aggressive, even to the point of killing other tank members - have you found it so in your experience? It appears you have them in your tank.

 

[Menagerie]

It is recommended that clown loaches live in groups. I bought three and two died and I have been hesitant to go buy more
Their growth rate is not rapid.
Yo-yo loaches reach 4" and are peaceful. Fruitbat wrote a profile of them in the FW fish and plant profile forum.

 

[CKfish]

Under 2" is a tough one for loaches. Maybe you could borrow some on the promise they'll get a very tasty snack

Your better bet may be to trap the snails by putting some food under an upside-down bowl or plate in the tank. In the morning just lift up the plate and collect the snails to toss out.

Bravo for not putting them into your local water system! That's the way serious invasive species problems start.

CKfish