mcmillanm Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 Hi, Any ideas to get rid of snails in my tropical tank? It's been ongoing for a while. Sometimes I pick them off the glass at night or take out the wood/ornaments they are on and wash them down the sink with hot water but there are just SO many! Am hoping not to use snail rid as it's my fry tank for platies, swords and a couple of corys. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirt Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 Hi, can I ask what kind of snails they are, generally copper will kill snails or add a snail eating loach, like a clown loach I believe eats snails, but I guess you don't want them in a fry tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirt Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 Oh yeah I think it is acidic water that dissolves their shells and essentially kills them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ismart120 Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 Acidic water takes quite a while to do much, I'd try snail traps if you don't want to disrupt the tank much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmillanm Posted August 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Hi, They are a cone shape and their shells are really hard. I'm thinking of getting a team of chain loaches as I love loaches and hope they may eat the baby snails? Will also look into a snail trap. I've heard they don't like copper but will copper (which I guess is in the snail rid) hurt my cories? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Chain loaches keep my tank snail free, they are great wee fish to watch too. I've used snail traps before but they do a better job of catching BN fry than they do snails. A piece of cucumber or lettuce under an upside down saucer with it's edge propped up a bit can work just as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 i used a product from aristopet "SNAIL RID" it works but ull have to take all sucker fish corys and loaches out it killed every last snail in the tank just left with shells on the bottom it doesnt tell ya about taking them fish out on the packet but even a 10c copper coin makes the fish sick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaC Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 They are a cone shape and their shells are really hard. I'm thinking of getting a team of chain loaches as I love loaches and hope they may eat the baby snails? If they are trumpet snails, chain loaches wont eat them - I have 5 chain loaches, and my tank is overrun with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze-dragon Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 I put 2 Pakistani loaches in our tank and they are doing a fantastic job of killing off the trumpet snail infestation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ismart120 Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 The bigger loaches like yoyos or angelicus will take out the trumpet snails, the chains only can get the young ones so can sometimes keep a small population under control but don't gt rid of them as such. Just keep in mind that you'll lose fry if you do put loaches in. If you were to remove the fry for a few days, see if you can borrow someones skunk loach(es) and don't feed them - they are one of the fastest snail eating loaches I know, amazing to see them work really :roey: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim r Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 I agree skunk loaches are really good at getting rid of snails, however if you need to remove the loach afterwards they are extremely hard to catch unless their is nowhere to hide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ismart120 Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 I agree skunk loaches are really good at getting rid of snails, however if you need to remove the loach afterwards they are extremely hard to catch unless their is nowhere to hide. True, forgot about how many hours it took me to get it out after... :facepalm: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 if you have heaps, there must be excess food providing the snails the opportunity to reproduce so well. sometimes just feeding your fish less = less snails it is surpising how little fish can live off, and how much we like to over feed. feeding less generally makes for less maintenance required also. wouldn't waste my time with loaches, unless i wanted loaches of course. chemicals can work but side effcts weighed up against the negatives of having snails (generally very little). why worry.. :mbh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 I used Skunk loaches with success, but as with Jimr It was catching them again without destroying the tank in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmillanm Posted August 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Hey, Thanks for the ideas everyone. I do love loaches so may look into a wee team to get rid of the baby snails & also try getting a snail trap & feeding a bit less. My fish are such good ltitle actors though LOL - they seem to know what time of the day is breakfast and dinner time and like to hang out near the front of it looking so hungry... I don't even mind a few snails as they seem to help with keeping muck off of the filter intake where I have a cloth to stop babies being sucked up at night. There are just SO many of them at the moment and it's a pain to get them individually off of the glass or ornaments at night! Hopefully these ideas will help get them back under control again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmillanm Posted August 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 One more thing - where is the best (quality & price) place to get a snail trap and some chain loaches from? Chain loaches are $23 each at my local pet shop and $17 at animates? I live in Glendowie Auckland - cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirt Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Hmm Ive never seen a commercial snail trap but I know there out there, what I do is get a bottle cut the funnel part off, invert it and seal it up. Put some bait in and trap away. In loaches have you tried HFF? They have a good rep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herperjosh Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 I had skunk loaches and I hated them! They Were really nippy fish and attacked my pepperd cores in the night I had to sell them. I don't recomend them one bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmillanm Posted August 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Cheers, will try the inverted bottle thing - I gather I weigh it down with pebbles? I'm also picking up some chain loaches on Friday so all looking good! Thanks for ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ymir Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 hmmmm... RPG?? The snails will be :digH: If you do find a way of knocking off your snails please post. I have tried trapping (don't have the patience) and I also have Yoyo loaches (seems to be working but slowly). But I want my tank to be afrcians only again and those loaches just don't fit in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirt Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Yeah you can weigh it down with stones. @Ymir, if your fish arent sensitive to copper use some. Ive never had a snail problem in my tank, squirtle would always crunch then as soon as they hit the ground. Guess it gets some calcium in him though...But I cannot have fish with him either >. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ismart120 Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Yeah, skunk loaches are an aggressive fish - its generally easier to remove the other fish if they're delicate ones but they are effective snail crew and are quite cool in their own right :roey: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 Wonder if you could remove the fish to a temporary tank for a day or three. Add bleach in small doses every couple of hours until you see the snails dieing. When happy all dead. flush tank with hose/ do huge water changes then add some dechorinator to neutralise bleach. Add a couple of guppies to check tank is safe. if all good a day or two later start putting your fish back in. May kill bacteria in filter so would pay to test water regularly for week or two after as may have to, more or less, cycle the tank again. Anyone think there is merit to that? or ..... any other suggestions. edit: not sure it will kill the snail eggs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ismart120 Posted August 18, 2011 Report Share Posted August 18, 2011 If you can remove the fish, I'd either go the way of snail rid something that isn't supposed to be harmful to fish and do a flush after - copper pipe as a new home for the fish may also get rid of the snails as another thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim r Posted August 18, 2011 Report Share Posted August 18, 2011 I once tried hydrochloric acid, the only thing I killed was the filter, snails were back within a week. :facepalm: I would go with the snail rid idea as it is tried and tested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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