snails snails snails and more snails!!

[rubysoho]

ok, so a few snails hopped a ride on some plants that I bought a few months back, and those few snails are turing into many many snails. They are itty bitty, and I believe they are asexual so unless I can get every single one out of the tank, they will keep coming back. It is a 10 gal tank with 5 danios and 2 otos. Would there be anything compatable with those fish that would eat/"exterminate" those snails? I know there are products that kill snails, but do I have to find and remove all the dead snails after that? I'd rather not do that. Last time I had a bunch of snails, I went through my tank and found every one I could and took them to my LFS. It wasn't for money, but at least I didn't have to kill them (I just feel guilty about that... unless they are food for somebody else). Thanks guys!

[Menagerie]

Last time I had a bunch of snails, I went through my tank and found every one I could and took them to my LFS.

You missed one
Your tank is really too small for any of the loaches that eat snails. Someone on here has a snail-eating betta. For population control, put a piece of lettuce in and pull it out with the snails on it.

[wilson]

I seem to have the same problem, i got a new tank and boiled everything fromt he old tank to get rid of snails, and there back. I found this stuff at petsmart called had-a-snail i tihnk and its supposed to kill them, but i dont know how good it wokrs. It also contained copper i think.

[chasgood]

put a coffee cup saucer in the tank upside down. place a few sinking pellet foods on the plate. Turn the tank lights out. About a hour or so later there should be lots of snails on the saucer. Just remove it. May take a few trys to get them all.
Tip... for a treat crush the snail shells and feed the meat to the fish.

[gone fishin]

For what you can spend on chemicals, you can buy a puffer, or loach. Either one- if healthy, will solve your problems in a day or two. Then just give it back-or to a friend. I've had two of the same situations, the puffer ate at least 100 of those little buggers overnight, returned it-didn't even have to salt my water(brackish for puffers).

[patryuji]

Puffer would eat the shell and the snail but with loaches you will still have to clean up the shells (you stated in the original post that you don't want to clean up the shells).

Skunk and yo-yo loaches stay small but with that many other occupants they would definitely act aggressively towards the danios (skunks will be around 3" max and yo-yos may get to 4" max).

If you know anyone that has any loaches to "borrow" that would be better than buying a fish and trying to find a new home for it later.

[fishstixs05]

These are all great ways to get rid of snails, but why do you want them out? I am assuming that they are MTS, which are highly benficial to aquariums. I can understand the asthetics, because I have a 20 and 55 that are filled to the brim with these. But they are very hepful. My rams died when I was on vacation, and the snail took care of them completely, nothing left but skeletons! But to get rid of them, I would suggest at night, quickly turn on the light and siphon out as manyt as possible. Over time there numbers will go down, but a fish (botia sp.) is the ony way to realy keep them down.

[rubysoho]

Well, I don't really want to put a fish through the stress of moving into my tank, and then back to the fishstore nor am I a big fan of chemicals because I might get some shrimp and I don't want them hurt. So until I have my 30 gal tank to transplant any snail eating loach, I think I'll just let them have their fun. I really just wanted them out because the more snails I have in the tank, the faster the population grows and I don't want it to get out of hand in there (a friend of mine had so many that they had spread into his filter somehow and where EVERYWHERE!). Thanks everyone!

[Madame_X]

If they are Malaysian trumpet snails, they can cause problems with your filter. I had the same problem in my Eclipse 12. I came home one day and a snail had pulled a Nemo and wedged himself in the impeller. It was completely stopped.

Fortunately, all the fish were fine. I have no idea how long the filter had been stuck.

Try the lettuce or saucer suggestions--they work. No chemicals and no transplanting of fish.

[rubysoho]

thanks! guess I'll be going to the grocery tomorrow seeing as how I have the typical college student refrigerator... empty well.... there is something wrapped in tin foil... not sure what that is and I am definatly sure it isn't anything my fish would want