How did the snails get in my tank?

[joy13]

I am thinking I am the only one that sees snails as an indicator in a tank of the tanks health. Snails will be the first let you know if something is wrong, to many snails means you are feeding to much, snails trying to escape get your tests kits out and check for ammonia first and then nitrates and nitrites. I have several planted tanks and know that the snails will let me know if something is wrong way before the fish start showing signs of stress or disease. I have found that the snails don't eat healthy plants either, only dead or dieing plants.

Please don't get a fish to clean up the snail problem unless your tank is large enough.

 

[daileene]

hello everyone...just want to update about my pond snails problem.

the lettuce didn't work so I guess I will try to do the cucumber. If that will not work either, then maybe the assassin snail will be the solution. Unfortunately, this is not the only tank I have the snails. I just started seeing them on my 5G tank as well. I have java moss there as well, same java moss where I got the the one in this tank. So I have two tanks with snails now. I am hoping that it will not infest my 10G since I have java moss there too from the same LFS. :-(

I don't really mind the snails IF they won't overpoplulate. I don't have a large area to accommodate them. I was thinking of getting the nerite snail as my clean up crew. But this kind of snail will not eat algae. Yes, they will eat dying plants, they still are going to lay eggs and I don't want to deal with that....:-(

I tried picking some that I can see. They are getting bigger by the day. I know there are more coz I have seen the eggs before (which I was able to get as well). But the lettuce was not working so far....

 

[redruckus]

if you want to get rid of them once and for all buy 1, 2" clown loach put it in each tank for 2 weeks just rotate it between the tanks but in the 2 weeks in each tank it will eat ALL of the snails and ALL of the snails that are still in egg form befor they have a chance to reproduce makeing your tank 100% snail free and if you do get more snails from plants you buy in the future just put that clown loach in that tank for a bit and you will soon see no more snails

 

[daileene]

I could do that too. But I am cycling without fish. If I will put the clown loach, my cycling will be messed up. And I have the 4.4G and the 5G with the snail problems. I have heard that clown loaches are not good by themselves. I was even thinking twice with the assassin snail, but if the bioload is not as much from the assassin one, then I will go for it. I don't want my ammonia spiking up.

 

[Dylan5359]

a while ago i got a cave for my RTS . it was artificial and i washed it for so long. Still ! Some small snails still found a way!

-Dylan

 

[Joyler]

I could do that too. But I am cycling without fish. If I will put the clown loach, my cycling will be messed up. And I have the 4.4G and the 5G with the snail problems. I have heard that clown loaches are not good by themselves. I was even thinking twice with the assassin snail, but if the bioload is not as much from the assassin one, then I will go for it. I don't want my ammonia spiking up.

Thanks for update!! Lookin forward to more

 

[redruckus]

smaller clown loaches do ok by themselfs if the tank isnt huge one will be fine in your small tanks just dot get a large one try to stick with 2" max and if you put it in the 2 other tanks for 2 weeks each by that time your other tank will be cycled and you could put it in that tank ive never fish less cycled becuase it takes wayy to long but buy the time the clown loach is done in the other tanks that one shuld be good to go

 

[daileene]

thanks red...i will see into it...

 

[twiggerhappy]

I wouldn't do the loach clown loaches have no scales so they get parasites easly so if Ur tank isn't cycled yet and your water parameters arnt right Ur loach will get sick then we will have a thread on how to treat loaches with ich and that's much harder to do. Assassin snails u can do with just 1 and they are easy to take care of I seen them moving in water of 50* very small and won't ever die

 

[daileene]

that's what i thought too twigger...i have read that clown loaches are very sensitive with the water parameters and that's why I am not comfortable getting it, I am only in my 10th day of fishless cycling in this tank and in my 27th day of fishless cycling in my 5G. Neither tank is ready for a fish...so...needless to say, I might not go in that route.

 

[Joyler]

I think it's time to put a hit out for these snails! ASSASSINATION!!

 

[daileene]

LOL....

 

[joy13]

If you don't want snails dip in potassium permanganate before adding plants to your tank. Nerite snails are known to escape so you might have a problem keeping them. If you get assassin snails and they reproduce they will starve so you might want to think of another way of getting rid of your snails now.

 

[daileene]

I was just gonna get 1 assassin snail so I don't have a problem with any reproduction. I don't think I have a lot of the pond snails yet, I think. That is why I am going to hopefully get them out before they lay more eggs. I already have plants in both my tanks that has pond snails, that's where the snails hitched a ride from, but I don't have any fish yet coz I am fishless cycling, hence the suggestion of clown loach not working. That is one of the downside.

 

[redruckus]

in 1-2 days they usualy lay eggs laying eggs in a new tank is almost right away good luck tho

 

[daileene]

thank you red.

 

[Luanne]

I started my tank in September 09, got real plants in November 09 and thought it was cute to see a baby snail, shortly thereafter. A year and some months later, even after giving away three major batches of them thru Kijiji and doing a complete water and substrate change (very unhappy fish during this period), I still find 20 to 30 snails in my filter and the occasional one in the tank. I'll likely never get rid of them! If you can, do get rid of yours, as like Tracey said, they'll take over your tank. Luanne

 

[redruckus]

snails in your filter is actualy realy good they eat any excess organic waste off your filter media so you dont have to change it as offten but the only 100% garenteed way to get rid of snails is by getting a clown loach they eat snails as a main food sorce when they are in a tank so the second any eggs hatch the clown loach is on it getting rid of them befor they can lay more eggs

 

[Bettababe1011]

snails in your finlter is actualy realy good they eat any excess organic waste of your filter media so you dont have to change it as offten but the only 100% garenteed way to get rid of snails is by getting a clown loach they eat snails as a mian food sorce when they are in a tank so the second any eggs hatch the clown loach id on it getting red of them befor the can lay more eggs

Buying a fish to solve a problem should never be the answer. If you get a fish you don't want, you'll regret it, and don't clown loaches get pretty big?

Courtesy of Dakota's iPod.

 

[Fdsh5]

I just put two clown loaches in one of my tanks. It's only a 24 gallon but in a month hopefully they have eaten all the snails and they can live in my 56 gallon tank. They can get up to a foot long and prefer several friends along with them. So keep that in mind. I am only doing it for two reasons. 1.I think they're cool. 2.I don't want to use any chemicals to treat the snail problem. The snails are all over the plants and I really don't want to remove the plants.

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