Sails!!

[TattooedTanker]

I have a huge outbreak of baby snails. Not sure on the type but it is outrageous!! They were unwanted hitch hikers of new plants from my LFS. Any fish stock good for keeping the volume of babies low???
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Current stock in the 55g tank ( odd but been working)

2 orange mollies
1 marble mollie
2 bala sharks
4 giant danios
1 spotted gourami
1 dwarf gourami
8 cardinal tetras
1 bristle nose pleco

 

[TattooedTanker]

P.S. I have tried the normal cucumber trick. I have tried the less food ( they tend to eat my my plants) and deep substrate cleaning. They just are all over the place.

 

[FishontheRock]

Assassin snails they are pretty and have other snails for lunch. Also, maybe some kind of loach? I'm just not sure how they would get along with the Bala sharks. Never had Bala sharks myself so I clueless on them.
Keep feeding less too it takes a while to have a visible affect.

Edit: sorry just looked up the bala shark and immediately noticed its midwater. Still I'll let someone else speak more to loaches.

 

[TattooedTanker]

Assassin snails they are pretty and have other snails for lunch. Also, maybe some kind of loach? I'm just not sure how they would get along with the Bala sharks. Never had Bala sharks myself so I clueless on them.
Keep feeding less too it takes a while to have a visible affect.

Thanks for the info. I definitely would rather add a single snail or two than to ad a fish. As soon as the snail problem is fixed I would have to re home the fix fish. I'd hate to do that

 

[hpiguy]

Copper, kills snails dead. In LOW doses, or it kills your entire tank dead.

Snail control & Copper

 

[TattooedTanker]

I went the assassin snail rout. FYI that snail is brutal... It took care of the larger ones in a hurry. I hope it can survive another week until the smaller ones get a wee bit bigger. Also I added a few ghost shrimp for fun only to find out they have been eating the snail eggs. A win-win in my book

 

[ejaramillo01]

Great information regarding snails here.

 

[LyndaB]

Another vote for assassin snails. Keep in mind, though, that it will take the assassins a while to get through a large population of pest snails. They will consume one or two, then digest for as long as 3 days before consuming another. You may have to help by picking out the pests.

 

[Copachick]

Im having the same crazy out break. All of a sudden we have snails every where! and we just noticed what it looks like a tiny bubble nest like thing on the glass. Hope thats not more! lol

 

[LyndaB]

That's eggs, you can scrape them off with a razor blade or your fingernail.

Also, it's important to note that snail explosions really only occur in tanks that are overfed. Just sayin'.

 

[TattooedTanker]

That's eggs, you can scrape them off with a razor blade or your fingernail.

Also, it's important to note that snail explosions really only occur in tanks that are overfed. Just sayin'.

I agree. I lowered the volume of food and noticed no more eggs. The snail has done a fantastic job over the last few days. My worry now is what will he eat after there is no more pest snails? Any advice?

 

[adadkins1]

I believe it should accept any meaty food such as bloodworms, sinking shrimp pellets, etc.

 

[FishontheRock]

+1 as above. Not my strategy but I've read it works.

I pick up pest snails for my three assassins the lfs. One gives me free mts and another free pond snails. Mts stir the substrate and pond snail clean up anything i miss in my heavily planted tanks. I actually like snails so seeing a few around isn't a hardship just another aspect if my aquariums. The last batch of plants I got seems to have come with ramshorns which is exciting as I've never had any before.

 

[adadkins1]

Ramshorns rock!

That is a good idea to see if you can get the LFS to give you some snails. More often than not one of my LFS has several in their tanks. Another option is to keep a few pest snails in their own small container and just breed them. That way they are not an eye sore in your tank, but the Assassin has a constant supply of food.

 

[LyndaB]

The local chain stores and the mom & pop stores will give you pest snails, but don't ask in front of other customers.

My assassins go NUTS over algae wafers. I drop one in without an assassin in sight and within a few minutes, I've got 30 assassins chowing down. They're so cool. I just love them.

They do climb the glass to eat my cory eggs though, that's the only time I put them in time out.

 

[Autumnsky]

What do Assasin snails do to Mystery snails, marble size and bigger? Eat them?

 

[ejaramillo01]

What do Assasin snails do to Mystery snails, marble size and bigger? Eat them?

No, the assassin will not eat bigger snails, at least that is my experience.