Snail Prevention (New plants) - Page 2 - Aquarium Advice

E-cubed · 08-18-2008, 02:06 PM

I planted the treated plants yesterday and most seem OK. The dwarf Baby's Tears look sort of bleached out. I can not tell if the alum bath damaged the plants of if the one planted over a week ago is simply greener because of the nitrogen cycle the tank has been going through. Time will tell I suppose.

I need something red with a finer texture that will do well with 26 watts of 5000K CF light in a 10 gallon tank, no CO2. Suggestions anyone?

Here it the tank this morning.

saffikeagan · 08-18-2008, 07:39 PM

I was really anti-snail too, but then I read that different types of snails can be beneficial in different ways to a tank, so now I'm 'eh' on the matter.

meedo · 08-20-2008, 12:19 PM

I had the same problem, when I started my tank I found one snail on one of the plants, I said to myself "OK, no big deal, it is just another form of life, no harm!", it seemed I was mistaken because a month later my tank was heavily infested with snails, they are asexual so they just keep laying eggs, no need for a male and female together to produce babies

I wanted to have chemical treatment but since I have inverts that would harm them too so I decide to go to the biological treatment, bought a Clown Loach, week later only empty snail shells in the bottom

And it is such a beautiful and active fish

Taelen · 08-20-2008, 01:08 PM

My yoyo's = instant snail death.

If I knew I could transfer them to my 10g for a few minutes without them eating my betta or cories, I would just to wipe out the snails!

new2betas · 08-20-2008, 03:22 PM

yeah...my tank is also too small for a clown loach or yoyo

dskidmore · 08-20-2008, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meedo

I said to myself "OK, no big deal, it is just another form of life, no harm!", it seemed I was mistaken because a month later my tank was heavily infested with snails,

Snail population is a measure of how much the tank is overfed. Feed less and snails will not overrun the place. If you kill the snails you'll still be overfeeding, you just won't have that indicator, and your glass won't be cleaned for you any more.

My work aquarium is a planted snail tank. I feed 1/4 of an algae tablet, or a tiny pinch of food 3 times a week. This is a lot of food for the size of tank, so I have a very noticable population there.

My home tank has the same two species of snails, but is much larger, and you have to go looking for them.

Why don't you want snails?

An easy way to remove snails is to put sinking food on a plate on the bottom, and in the morning remove the plate and scrape it off into the garbage. You're not likely to get 100% removal that way though.

E-cubed · 08-20-2008, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dskidmore

Why don't you want snails?

I don't like them and think they are ugly. Slugs with shells, and I hate slugs too.

marchmaxima · 08-20-2008, 09:39 PM

I understand where you are coming from, they're not everyone's cup of tea.

however I'd just like to point out there you might just want to reconsider your thinking on the topic in the context of your fish's environment. MTS snails are actually healthy thing for a tank to have. A tank is (should be) a replacation of a the fish's natural habitat and in most FW environemnts, snails play a very important role. They are good for substrate, in the same way that worms are good for the earth's soil. As much as theyh annoy me, and I don't think much of the look of them, I am definitely pleased to see them in my planted tank.

Just my 2c on the topic.

E-cubed · 08-20-2008, 10:16 PM

Like they say, different strokes for different folks. I had breeding Discus for 10 years without a single snail in any of my tanks. That is the way I like it and the way it will be for me. There will be no snails in any of my tanks.

Call me crazy if you wish...

saffikeagan · 08-21-2008, 01:49 AM

I won't call you crazy as I'm faced with a bloom of snails at the moment. However, those same snails are telling me I have WAY too much food in the tank which might be a cause of the finrot that appeared on my betta today.

I've also heard that they are also a GREAT way to tell if you are about to have an Oxygen problem in your tank (esp if you have a betta friendly tank) as they will head to the surface in droves.

08-20-2008, 12:19 PM	#13
meedo Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Germany Posts: 27	Biological treatment is your solution I had the same problem, when I started my tank I found one snail on one of the plants, I said to myself "OK, no big deal, it is just another form of life, no harm!", it seemed I was mistaken because a month later my tank was heavily infested with snails, they are asexual so they just keep laying eggs, no need for a male and female together to produce babies I wanted to have chemical treatment but since I have inverts that would harm them too so I decide to go to the biological treatment, bought a Clown Loach, week later only empty snail shells in the bottom And it is such a beautiful and active fish

08-20-2008, 03:22 PM	#15
new2betas Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: May 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 943	yeah...my tank is also too small for a clown loach or yoyo __________________ Dottie - I'm Pisces - that explains EVERYTHING!

08-20-2008, 09:39 PM	#18
marchmaxima Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 679	I understand where you are coming from, they're not everyone's cup of tea. however I'd just like to point out there you might just want to reconsider your thinking on the topic in the context of your fish's environment. MTS snails are actually healthy thing for a tank to have. A tank is (should be) a replacation of a the fish's natural habitat and in most FW environemnts, snails play a very important role. They are good for substrate, in the same way that worms are good for the earth's soil. As much as theyh annoy me, and I don't think much of the look of them, I am definitely pleased to see them in my planted tank. Just my 2c on the topic. __________________ Sharon : Melbourne, Australia 15G Freshwater Tank 4 x 2 x 2 FW Showpiece on the way

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08-18-2008, 02:06 PM	#11
E-cubed Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 79	I planted the treated plants yesterday and most seem OK. The dwarf Baby's Tears look sort of bleached out. I can not tell if the alum bath damaged the plants of if the one planted over a week ago is simply greener because of the nitrogen cycle the tank has been going through. Time will tell I suppose. I need something red with a finer texture that will do well with 26 watts of 5000K CF light in a 10 gallon tank, no CO2. Suggestions anyone? Here it the tank this morning.

08-18-2008, 07:39 PM	#12
saffikeagan Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Dallas-bloody-Texas Posts: 300	I was really anti-snail too, but then I read that different types of snails can be beneficial in different ways to a tank, so now I'm 'eh' on the matter.

08-20-2008, 01:08 PM	#14
Taelen Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 194	My yoyo's = instant snail death. If I knew I could transfer them to my 10g for a few minutes without them eating my betta or cories, I would just to wipe out the snails!

08-20-2008, 10:16 PM	#19
E-cubed Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 79	Like they say, different strokes for different folks. I had breeding Discus for 10 years without a single snail in any of my tanks. That is the way I like it and the way it will be for me. There will be no snails in any of my tanks. Call me crazy if you wish...

08-21-2008, 01:49 AM	#20
saffikeagan Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Dallas-bloody-Texas Posts: 300	I won't call you crazy as I'm faced with a bloom of snails at the moment. However, those same snails are telling me I have WAY too much food in the tank which might be a cause of the finrot that appeared on my betta today. I've also heard that they are also a GREAT way to tell if you are about to have an Oxygen problem in your tank (esp if you have a betta friendly tank) as they will head to the surface in droves.