Help! Snails, What to do?

[PhilMar]

I have been over run with snails, and am at wits end. I pull out 5-7 snails a day. What is the best measure for dealing with this growing problem. I could have enjoyed a few, but now they seem to be trying to take over my 40 gal tank. Its now me against the snails. :?

 

[ferret]

Goldfish, puffers, some gouramis, and loaches eat them.

 

[PhilMar]

I have Red Wag Platies, Mollies, Red Velvet SwordTails, Cory aenues, and a Pleco. Would any of those you mentioned get a long with my group and will I need more than one or two to keep my problem in hand (Goldfish are not my favorites), and I keep my water a little on the Brackish side.

Thanks

 

[Allivymar]

Hrmm. How little on the brackish side is it? I'd suggest a small school of some of the smaller loaches (Botia Striata, yoyo loachs) but they (actually, along with the corys and plec) are really not built for long term exposure to salt.

 

[PhilMar]

Hi Alli! 1.002 PPt at present. I did have it a sight bit higher, but did a water change, and that brought it down. I don't mind adding more fish, but what happens when they clean out the snail problem, will they be happy with the change in diet (loss in diet: snails)

If you remember, we had a discussion about the salt thing. So I have kept it at a slight level ever since. The lfs claims that all the fish I have in the tank are ok with the salt levels. I put more faith in your suggestions then theirs Are you saying I should not have the salt because of the Corys and plec

I'll have to read up on the loaches. I know nothing about them.

Thanks.

 

[ferret]

In the past I have seen Ally post that salt is generally useless in a FW setup except for during ick treatments. She might correct me on that.

I don't know how large your tank is, but I'd say that goldfish are probably out whether you liked them or not (10+ inches, lots of ammonia), as well as the most famous snail eating loach, the clown loach. Clowns need groups of 3 or more and grow to a foot.

Dwarf gouramis and other small gouramis (Under 4in) seem to like snails somewhat. I think it is mainly the dwarf varieties. They can be a little aggressive though, so use caution.

 

[PhilMar]

Thanks Ferret, I have a 40 gal tank, and I agree with you on the aggressiveness factor, I read about the choices you mentioned, and if it isn't a size factor, it's a the aggressiveness problem.

I must admit that my problem has subsided some. I keep picking them out and now I'm down to three a day. I'll smash one or two against the glass, and the mollies seem to like that, they gobble them up right away.

Thanks

 

[snapcrackler]

i don't know how you're smashing 'em but you might want to avoid smashing them with your thumb... sharp piece of shell could cut your finger and possibly infect it.

Allivymar posted an article about that a while back. I know the chances are pretty slim but...... better safe than cut by a snail.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=10620&highlight=human+diseases

 

[PhilMar]

I use a small spatula. I read that article a while back, and it scared the hell out of me. The problem with that is, that gloves are so hard to work with. II do try to wash my hands real well after sticking them in the tank.

 

[tkos]

When you say brackish water do you mean just aquarium salt for freshwater (NaCl) or are you using a marine salt. Only marine salt is useful for brackish conditions. There is no benifit excpet for medication for using Sodium Chloride.

As for snails to you can also place a lettuce leaf in the tank over night held down with a rock. It should be covered in snails in the morning and yo can just throw it out.

 

[PhilMar]

I knew some one would come up with an idea I would like Thanks, I'll try it and give results in the morning.

As for the salt, I was told to use aquarium salt by the lfs ( ) I at first had the marine salt, but switched to the Aquarium salt. Now I'm really confused :? Yes, at first I was adding it for medication reasons, then was told, ( lfs ) my fish like a brackish environment so I stuck with it.

Maybe I should just not do the salt thing at all.....What do you think?

Thanks for the input.

 

[tkos]

There have been studies that fish do well in brackish conditions, even many freshwater fish (I saw this on the discovery channel at some point). But this is more likely do to the other things like buffers and minerals that marine salts contain. The feshwater salt they sell atthe pet store in simply iodine free table salt. If I were you I would stop adding it to my water changes. All of your listed fish can do fine in freshwater, even mollies.

That salt is a great thing to have, because unlike many medications it has no expirey date and you can always have it on hand. Is it hurting your fish? Probably not but that doesn't mean you should put it in there anyway.

Good luck with the snails.

 

[PhilMar]

Thanks tkos, Suggestion taken. It's one less thing I have to check as far as the water is concerned. And I can't wait to try out the lettuce trick. Some one ought to put together a book on the household remedies for dealing with various aquarium oddities.

Thanks again

 

[tkos]

No problem. If lettuce doesn't work cucumber, zuchinni and celery are all other great choices.