James_in_MN
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Snail infestations seem to be a recurring issue that pops up from time to time on the boards. The most common pest snail, the pond snail, typically likes to hitchhike on live plants.
Often times, I see the suggestions for removing or controlling the population by:
- adding a clown loach or two to the tank (not good for small tanks)
- adding a few assassin snails to the tank
- the lettuce trick; add a piece of lettuce to the tank floor overnight, then remove it and any snails on it
- avoid overfeeding your fish; overfeeding will lead to a snail population explosion
I don't, however, see much discussion on how to avoid getting the pest snails in the first place. I figured I'd post a few thngs I try to do to avoid getting unwanted snails, and see if others had ideas as well.
- One of the LFS I buy my plants from has clown loaches in the tanks where they house the majority of their plants for sale. Buying from stores who wisely stock their plant tanks like this can minimize the chance you'll pick up a snail hitchhiker.
- I'll inspect the tank with the plants as closely as possible before buying. Not even remotely foolproof, but I figured if they have a snail problem, it would be fairly obvious.
- I soak my plants for 10+ minutes in a warm saltwater solution, then rinse them off in declorinated water before adding them to my tank. I saw this suggested once as a way to kill off any snail eggs on the plants. So far, I have no snail problems, so there could be some truth to this method.
- I've seen others suggest dipping plants in bleach, then rinsing them off before adding them to the tank. I've also read that some plants may not be able to survive a bleach bath.
Any other suggestions?
Often times, I see the suggestions for removing or controlling the population by:
- adding a clown loach or two to the tank (not good for small tanks)
- adding a few assassin snails to the tank
- the lettuce trick; add a piece of lettuce to the tank floor overnight, then remove it and any snails on it
- avoid overfeeding your fish; overfeeding will lead to a snail population explosion
I don't, however, see much discussion on how to avoid getting the pest snails in the first place. I figured I'd post a few thngs I try to do to avoid getting unwanted snails, and see if others had ideas as well.
- One of the LFS I buy my plants from has clown loaches in the tanks where they house the majority of their plants for sale. Buying from stores who wisely stock their plant tanks like this can minimize the chance you'll pick up a snail hitchhiker.
- I'll inspect the tank with the plants as closely as possible before buying. Not even remotely foolproof, but I figured if they have a snail problem, it would be fairly obvious.
- I soak my plants for 10+ minutes in a warm saltwater solution, then rinse them off in declorinated water before adding them to my tank. I saw this suggested once as a way to kill off any snail eggs on the plants. So far, I have no snail problems, so there could be some truth to this method.
- I've seen others suggest dipping plants in bleach, then rinsing them off before adding them to the tank. I've also read that some plants may not be able to survive a bleach bath.
Any other suggestions?
