Snails????

[NewFishKeeper]

Hi

I hope that someone can help.

I have recently set up a tropical freshwater aquarium.
It is a 180 Litre tank, and currently I have about a dozen small live plants, a piece of Bogwood, and 6 Neon Tetras.

I have noticed this evening, that I have snails!!!!!

Where would these have come from, and what on earth do I have to do to get rid of them?

I have looked in all the books that I have and none of them mention it.

I hope that someone can offer me some advice.

Thanks in advance

 

[Blackpearl]

Hi NewFishKeeper,
Welcome to AA.
The snail might have 'hitchhiked' from the live plants. They are so small and often unnoticable. I think you'll find there are others in here who had similar experience that the snails just kinda get 'smuggled' together with new plants.
Some people keep snail because they're pretty good algae eater, but they breed like crazy and will eat your plants too.

There are some fish that will eat snails.
This thread is about Snail Eating Fish.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=26935

 

[Devilishturtles]

NewFishKeeper, Welcome to AA!!!

The snails likely came in as eggs on one of your many plants. To get rid of the snails, in their baby form..the best way is to smash them against the glass. Not for the weak stomached, I know. Also, you could try the lettuce trick, by weighing down a piece of lettuce to your tank bottom, which will attract the snails, and then pull them off and the lettuce out as they converge on it. Then just throw them away, or put the outside in a pond or creek?? Look around for some more egg sacks if you don't get them out soon, because they reproduce like wildfire!

That's all I can think of...good luck.

 

[NewFishKeeper]

I don't think I have to stomach for smashing them against the glass!!

Is there any kind of chemical treatment?

 

[mhaynes01]

not really, i have heard salt works well , no dotn do that but the best way is the lettuce or the clown loach , or you can borrow my female betta she kills all the snail in her tank, does'nt eat them just kills them

 

[tbonem91]

chemicals bad.

snail-eating fish good.

 

[TankGirl]

The lettuce leaf method works well - you will just have to be diligent about it. Sometimes snail-eating fish don't go with the setup, so if you don't want to go that route, your options are limited. Snail treatments you might see at the LFS are not going to be good for the tank and could cause you major problems.

Unfortunately, you may always have a snail or two, once you have them.

Good luck!

 

[NewFishKeeper]

Looks like I'm going to be gettin' me some loaches!!!!!

Cheers for all your help guys!

 

[Menagerie]

[center:f2b86cc023] Welcome to AA, NewFishKeeper! [/center:f2b86cc023]

Glad to hear you are going with a nonchemical treatment!

 

[TankGirl]

Yay for loaches! They rock!

 

[mhaynes01]

sure you dotn wanna borrow my female betta

 

[NewFishKeeper]

I think it may not survive the transit to the UK!!!

 

[NewFishKeeper]

O.K, so I went to my LFS, and bought myself a lovely pair of Clown Loaches. (I asked for the best trained Snail eaters, and the guy in the store looked at me like I was crazy!!)

I get them home, let them aclimatise, and then set them free.

Are they normally quite subdued to begin with? They don't seem to be doing much.

One is hiding underneath the wood, and the other seems to be playing with his reflection.

Would you expect this kind of behaviour at the start?

Thanks again for your help.

NFK

 

[Menagerie]

Absolutely. We used to have one that would disappear for days. They do lile the company of their own kind and it is often recommend to keep 3 or more. Personally, I have had bad luck with them and for whatever reason, they are prone to ich outbreaks, so keep an eye on them. Good luck with them and the snail problem--you may need to get additional snails if these guys eat them all!!

 

[NewFishKeeper]

After less than two days, all the snails are GONE!!

Thank you so much for all your advice, this is all new to me, and I think it is great that you guys are so willing to share your knowledge.

Just one other question. Is there anything that I can do to try and entice my Clowns out into the open? At the moment they spend all day under the filter, which is O.K, but they are so beautiful that I' love to see them out and about in the tank.

Any help on that one would be great.

Thank you again

NFK