Newbie + Algae vs snail question

[Prodsquad]

Hi All,

Yep, another newbie but this time from across the pond, an Englishman living in Amsterdam! Good site, think I'll be a regular from now....

Anyways. I've a question and although I've made a search I can't seem to find the exact answer so I need the experts advise?

Symptoms:

Lots and lots of snails. Cone shape, up to 1cm long, nocturnal, annoying and everywhere. Although they don't seem to be eating the plants (much).

Algae, I used to have slight build up of algae on the glass but with a clean every 3 days or so it didn't cause a problem. Now I've no build up on the glass but am seeing hair algae on the plants (only the last 4 weeks).

Questions are:

1. Are the snails the cure to the glass algae?
2. I think there are far too many of them, infestation is the exact word I'd use. I saw lettuce leaf as a cure to removal but what's a 'good' level to keep them at?
3. I've a couple of Angels and Barbs (tiger I think) that do seem to 'have a go' at the snails. If the snails are being killed in large numbers then does that add to the nitrate levels in the tank and therefore cause the hair algae to grow?

I think I need to find the right balance of snails so any help or a previous post link would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[cJw]

I do remember reading (here, I think) that loaches will eat snails; you might consider a few - however, I'm waiting to see what the 'pro' answer is.

Oh - and welcome! :cheers!:

 

[Big C]

I know nothing about snails, but welcome to the site. I love Amsterdam... and one thing is for sure: You won't miss the London rain there!

 

[jonnyb1425]

From what I have heard, Yo-Yo Loaches are the way to go to get rid of the snails (or at least control the little buggers).

 

[SittingDuck]

TankGirl makes a good suggestion in this thread:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=12618&highlight=snail

There was also a suggestion somewhere in the planted tank section, but I can't find it, where you put a 500Ml plastic soda bottle (or something equivalent) in the tank with lettuce and/or something else that snails love, anchor it so the opening is even with your substrate and leave it over night. The snails will wander in and can't get out, then you just remove the bottle and toss it in the garbage (Or stomp on it in your driveway...depending how annoyed you are with the critters )

 

[qwertie]

Hi
Im an englishman that wants to live in Holland - NOT FAIR, i know people from Holland and want to visit her........ ny way snails, good tip.... remove all your plants and youll see better, rinse the plants to remove any eggs they might have layed, also do it with the gravel/sand and any rocks you have there, kill the rest of them with your hands and lob em in the bin,
If the problem is as bad as you make out, you will want to be arsed to do so, if not forget it and add some more fish or whatever everyone else says, that will get rid of em all, n you wont see em agen! yey

 

[Prodsquad]

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the advise!

Hey quertie......it's not hard to do m8!!! I was only 'popping' over for a year or two and now it's almost 6 yrs!!

Have a great weeken!

 

[SerLunchbox]

well ... here are some answers:

1. Are the snails the cure to the glass algae?

No. Not the snails you are describing. Check out a BN pleco or a rubbermouth pleco. Both stay small and eat lot of algae.

2. I think there are far too many of them, infestation is the exact word I'd use. I saw lettuce leaf as a cure to removal but what's a 'good' level to keep them at?

Well, here is the thing, the snails you are talking about are a pest to get rid of. Literally almost impossible aside from completely taking you tank apart, letting EVERYTHING dry up and staying there for about 3 months. Lettuce is a good solution, but personally speaking, it never worked for me.

3. I've a couple of Angels and Barbs (tiger I think) that do seem to 'have a go' at the snails. If the snails are being killed in large numbers then does that add to the nitrate levels in the tank and therefore cause the hair algae to grow?

If you are keeping plants then great cause the snails are malaysian burrowing trumpet snails. Copper doesn;t kill them, most jaws of fish cannot crack their shells. My Kuhli loaches USED to eat them but show no more interest in them. my spotted and striped raphael catfish are the same, no longer show interest. While the barbs and angels are attacking them, they are not killing them. Their jaws are just unable to crack the shells. The nitrate levels MAY go up just based on the number of snails in your tank. I know that personally, i have about 400 of the little things in my 50 gallon and the levels are all good.

The best thing for control is to smush them. When you see them on the glass, just smash them with a finger ot thumb. Your angels will love you for it cause it will be a free snail snack that they can digest.

As for your hair algae problem, there is really only 2 great fish for cleaning it up:
1) ameca splendens (extinct in the wild, only captive bred now)
2) siamese algae eaters (these guys don't do the same job but it will get finished eventually)

you could also check out farowellas, i heard somewhere that they will eat hair algae.

Hope all this helps

 

[megos1]

Here are a couple of ideas as far as snail removal:
1) Clown Loaches
2) Dwarf Puffers <-- they are small but agressive
3) Clipping a piece of lettuce in the tank, the snails are supposed to all go onto it to eat it, and you can just remove the piece. <-- I have never personally tried this, but I have heard success stories.

Don't squish the snails. Doing that releases any eggs that were in the snail and results in more babies!

Good Luck

 

[SerLunchbox]

Don't squish the snails. Doing that releases any eggs that were in the snail and results in more babies!

Not if you do it properlyn and the snails are eaten soon after smushing

 

[Prodsquad]

SerLunchbox & megos1

Thanks for taking the time out to reply in such detail!

I'll keep you posted!!!



p.s Now I have a name, malaysian burrowing trumpet snails, I've found the following which perfectly describes why:

1. I've never been a daddy
2. Why my plants are never touched
3. Lastly, when I lose small fish I never find the body!!

Ask any group of aquarists their opinions on snails and you will receive a wide–and often emphatic–range of responses. Snails in aquaria can be highly beneficial, and equally problematical. Your opinion is probably influenced by the type of snails, and the kind of tanks you keep.

"Snails can be a lot of help," says Charles Harrison. "Ramshorn snails help keep hydra and duckweed to a minimum, along with excess fish food." Some aquarists are glad to have them, or pond snails, in their tanks.

Malaysian Trumpet Snails, however, tend to trigger controversy. They are fairly small creatures, reaching only about 3/4," and have shells that look like tiny cornucopias or ice-cream cones. They are primarily active at night, so you will seldom see them. Considered useful by many, they prefer to burrow in the sand or gravel substrate, stirring it up nicely. They are beloved by plant folk, since they are carnivorous, and leave valuable plants alone unless extremely hungry.

For those with breeding tanks, egg predation by these snails can be a severe problem. Egg predation occurs either when the snail eats into the egg, releasing the contents, or consumes the entire egg. Most snails will eat eggs if given the chance; Malaysian Trumpet Snails will devour all the eggs they can find and everything else that is meaty and won’t swim out of reach. "Until the chorion firms up, the softest new eggs can be eaten by even small ramshorn snails," points out Wright Huntley. "Pond snails can also eat very fresh eggs. But for real depredation, the … Malaysian Trumpet Snails are the most efficient egg eaters of all. I’ve never found eggs in a tank with Malaysian Trumpet Snails burrowing in the substrate."

Additionally, if you are using powerheads or power filters, Malaysian snails will eventually get sucked into the impeller assembly and cause damage. "I have seen many of the impellers to filterheads and outside filters ruined by these critters," says Al Anderson.

Some killikeepers keep Malaysian snails in their fry tanks and shoeboxes, finding that they are nearly indestructible. However, others point out that for indication of water problems, ramshorns are more effective and more desirable. The two species rarely live together, since the Malaysian snails eventually prey on the ramshorns.

One effective control measure for Malaysian snails is to remove the sand or gravel, scald it thoroughly to destroy the snails, then sift to remove the larger shells. To simply reduce the population, try placing an inverted saucer on the gravel in the evening. In the morning, it should contain a number of snails, which can then be removed and disposed of or relocated.

 

[JimmyJam]

Oh wow, I did not know that. Thanks serlunchbox! Learning something new everyday.

 

[SerLunchbox]

glad to be of some assistance

 

[dr_girlfriend]

I feel your pain with snails. At least MTS are good for your plants. I just have annoying pond snails that breed like rabbits. My gouramis have taken a liking to their eggs (yea!!) but still a %#!* load of them in my tank.

 

[gheitman]

My experience with snails and algae lead me to suggest the following. While smashing the snails against the glass may give you some personal satisfaction it wasn't effective for me. No matter how many you kill there are always more that you can't find. I use dwarf loaches and Pakistani (aka Yo-Yo) loaches to keep snails in check in three of my aquariums. In the fourth I have a South American puffer.

As far as hair algae goes I suggest getting a Siamese Algae Eater or an American-Flag Fish. The SAE is probably easier to find and it is great for controlling other types of algae as well. Below is a link to an excellent article on the types of algae and ways of controlling it.

http://www.aquaticscape.com/articles/algae.htm