Ramshorn eggs

[GoldeenTrix9898]

I had a couple hitchhikers come into my tank along with a new bit of anacharis that I bought. 2 small ramshorns. I was like hey, they look cute, as long as I don't over feed they should be fine. Oh how wrong I was.

They snacked off of the algae wafers I use to feed my shrimp, and within a week, dozens upon dozens of egg clusters EVERYWHERE. I didn't notice them until I installed a new LED light that was much brighter than my last one. I immediately started removing as many as I could find. Smushing some and using tweezers to remove the others. But I'm sure there are still plenty that I have missed. What's more, I accidentally let go of some of the egg clusters that I picked off and they disappeared back in the tank. Will they still hatch if not attached to something?

I have already removed the ramshorns from my tank. Is there anyway to avoid an infestation? I know if I'm desperate, I can just add medicine that contains copper, but that will kill my shrimp too.


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[ImACoolguy]

I read an article where someone removed all their fish and freaking bleached the tank and they STILL survived it. I would completely clean out the tank, wash the substrate thoroughly. That's probably your best bet.


Caleb

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[GoldeenTrix9898]

So there is no hope? I knew it, I knew I shouldn't have let them in....


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[ImACoolguy]

Ramshorn, MTS, and pond snails are very invasive once they take off. Maybe someone else will have another idea besides taking down the tank or Hand removal.


Caleb

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[GoldeenTrix9898]

Sigh, I suppose I'll have to live with it then. I'm not against having snails, I quite like them in fact, but this is ridiculous. I suppose I could always just wait and see. If they do hatch, it shouldn't be too hard to remove some of them manually, it's a small tank after all. I removed the two I had by simply tossing in an algae wafer and waiting for half an hour. Then I scooped them out. If I can get them out before the babies start laying eggs, maybe I can avoid a catastrophe.

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[ImACoolguy]

Oh I love my mystery and Nerite. Haven't crossed the line to those though...


Caleb

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[ImACoolguy]

I'm sure that would be a feast for a puffer if you had one.


Caleb

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[GoldeenTrix9898]

Oh I love my mystery and Nerite. Haven't crossed the line to those though...


Caleb

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I thought about nerite snails, don't want to have to deal with constantly picking white eggs off my stuff though. The mystery snails here aren't properly labeled, and I'm afraid I'll end up with Pomacea canaliculata instead of Pomacea diffusa. That would be the end of my plants.




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[GoldeenTrix9898]

I thought about nerite snails, don't want to have to deal with constantly picking white eggs off my stuff though. The mystery snails here aren't properly labeled, and I'm afraid I'll end up with Pomacea canaliculata instead of Pomacea diffusa. That would be the end of my plants.


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[GoldeenTrix9898]

Aw jeeze, sorry, repeated post.


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[Kazin]

Have you considered the assassin snail? It's apparently (never had them myself) great at eating the snails faster than the rate of reproduction. It's actually a whelk, not a snail, and breeds much more slowly than invasive snails.

 

[Alexwm125]

I have a ten gal I recently set up for my Betta that was dry for a month and a half and the snails were STILL THERE. Idk how it's even possible but everything else in the tank is new. I guess it could be filter media but i doubt it. They suck but I'll never use anti snail crap it's bad


29g Community

10g Betta

 

[mikey5290]

+1 for assassin snails.

A couple of them in your tank and problem is solved.

 

[GoldeenTrix9898]

I actually have a couple of assassin snails. They are currently living in a jar. I kept them in a jar, put them back in the tank, then removed them again when I got the new anacharis cause I wanted the ramshorns back then. I feed them little bits of shrimp meat I buy from the super market with the occasional protein wafer that they gnaw on.

I don't see any ramshorns at the moment. I totally forgot that all I had to do was throw in the assassins. But thanks for the reminder, will be keeping an eye out and once those little buggers show up, I will nuke them with assassin snails.

Sometimes all we need is a few extra bubbles

 

[Kazin]

LOL...
Just picked a Ramshorn out of my tank. First one that I noticed... I hope that doesn't spell trouble

 

[Linwood]

Ramshorn invasions are really not an all or nothing issue.

I have them in all tanks. In small numbers they are good cleaners, and interesting.

When they get to be too many I throw a cucumber slide in the tank (weighted down), and the next morning pick it up with a few dozen small sails attached and throw it away. Repeat as needed until you have reduced the population.

If you want to eliminate them entirely just do that when they are very tiny, and don't let any grow large enough to lay eggs. There's a few week window there where they are big and active enough to be baited, but not so large as to be laying eggs. You wont' get them ALL with bait, but you will get enough if you do it steadily that the rest can usually be picked off.

But if you aren't over-feeding your fish, they wont' breed THAT fast, and regular culling may be good enough.

MTS are a bit different -- they stay under the substrate and may not be readily available to cull, or even know they are there. But Ramshorns are pretty harmless invaders.

 

[GoldeenTrix9898]

Ramshorn invasions are really not an all or nothing issue.

I have them in all tanks. In small numbers they are good cleaners, and interesting.

When they get to be too many I throw a cucumber slide in the tank (weighted down), and the next morning pick it up with a few dozen small sails attached and throw it away. Repeat as needed until you have reduced the population.

If you want to eliminate them entirely just do that when they are very tiny, and don't let any grow large enough to lay eggs. There's a few week window there where they are big and active enough to be baited, but not so large as to be laying eggs. You wont' get them ALL with bait, but you will get enough if you do it steadily that the rest can usually be picked off.

But if you aren't over-feeding your fish, they wont' breed THAT fast, and regular culling may be good enough.

MTS are a bit different -- they stay under the substrate and may not be readily available to cull, or even know they are there. But Ramshorns are pretty harmless invaders.

I'm not over feeding my fish, but they snacked on the algae wafers I feed my shrimp. And then dozens of egg clusters everywhere.

I found a few tiny ramshorns yesterday. I removed them and gave them to some carp in a pond in the park. Hopefully they don't breed somewhere I can't see them.


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