Snails?!?!?

[Jellybeanie]

Hello. I'm new to this forum but so far have found it very helpful. I currently have one tank and am soon getting a new one soon. I had loads of live plants in my current tank and it looked really nice. The fish loved them. I had them for a few weeks so I decided to get some more. Sadly with this bunch, they brought some visitors. In a few days I had and infestation of snails and was freaking out. I kept scooping them out when I saw them but that didn't stop them. My tank is too small to get loaches so I was wondering how to get rid of them. Are there any ways to get rid of them full proof. I took out all the plants and haven't seen as many but they're still there. Do assassin snails really work as well as they say they do? Is there anyway to 'clean' the plants before I put them in?

 

[smj2010]

Hey jelly there are a nunber if things you can do to help with snaills chemicals that kill then are available at your lfs but can harm sime fish ands all invertebrates, assasin snaills work but are slow working but effective, dwarf puffers the 1 inch ones will destroy snaills but may harass your other fish aswell, clown loaches are advertised as snaill eaters but in practice ive had very little success I hope this helps. In my opinion go with the assassin snaills they look good as well and wont destroy your plants.

 

[molly100a]

Yes Assassin snails are the best.

 

[Jellybeanie]

Thanks for your help. A few more questions though, if I get more than 1 assassin snail will they breed as fast as the other snails and leave me with a similar problem, just a different species? And do assassin snails eat all other snail or just some. My LPS sells a variety of snails, not just assassins, and I'm wondering will they eat them as well? I don't have any of the other snails but I'm just curious.

 

[molly100a]

I had two mystery snails in my tank and they didn't bother them. They will breed as mine did but it did not seem as much as the trumpet or pond snails. Try getting just one.

 

[Jellybeanie]

Thanks for the help. I'll start off with one and see how it goes

 

[smj2010]

From experience assassins snaills dont multiply like the smalled nuisance types there rarely go for the larger apple snails and if they do procreate faster then expected there eggs are larger and easyer to notice and remove from your aquarium if that helps.

 

[BBradbury]

Hello Jell...

Less than pure water conditions are generally the cause of tank problems. In the case of an over population of snails, it means there are too many nutrients in the water. You're likely feeding too much.

Gradually reduce the amount you feed and change half the tank water every week. Get some pieces of lettuce and drop them into the tank. Snails love vegetation, so they'll attach themselves to the lettuce. Remove the lettuce in a day or two.

Avoid putting chemicals into the tank water. Chemicals can harm fish, plants and the good bacteria.

B