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A9RUNNER
28-Dec-08, 19:18
My tank has become over run with small snails about maximum of 5 mm in size. Any tips for getting rid of them. I am not keen on using chemicals to kill them as I dont think that can be very good for the fish in the tank.

fotcom
28-Dec-08, 20:47
Invest in a Clown Loach fish they love snails.

fotcom
28-Dec-08, 20:48
Sorry forgot to say thats only if your tank is tropical.

unicorn
28-Dec-08, 21:03
We bought clown loaches and they only eat them if we squash them first.

fotcom
28-Dec-08, 22:17
Well if your going to the bother of catching and squashing them then the problem would be solved.If not im sure the loach would do the job.

unicorn
28-Dec-08, 22:46
thats the point the loach does not do the job it ignores the snails which is why we squash them.

thursobhoy
28-Dec-08, 22:53
only go for clown loaches if you have a tropical tank that is vey big!!, they ideally need to be kept in groups of 5 or more and the fact that they get pretty big, your tank needs to have a serious filter and be at least 4ft long, also they stress easily so a big group of them are needed as they get whitespot very easily.

fotcom
28-Dec-08, 23:48
Ok im sorry but its best to consult the experts.The loach obviously doesnt work in all tanks.I suggest contacting pets at home they have fish experts there.

dx100uk
29-Dec-08, 02:44
other than buy chemicals.
the only other way is to take all the gravel/base layer out.
and wash it in boiling water.
then squash all the snails you can see in tank.

make sure your filter / airlines are cleaned too.

dx

A9RUNNER
29-Dec-08, 10:51
Sounds like I need a full strip down to get rid of them all!!! I presume I got them from new plants I put in the tank as I never had any snails at all until recently and I noticed them a couple of days after putting plants in. There now appears to be hundreds of the little beggars. How would one prevent re infestation??

unicorn
29-Dec-08, 11:32
I just squash them as they appear, eventually they disappear.
The clown loach may eat the eggs I don't know but actual snails mine does not touch at all. Ours came in in plants also and we left the first few not realising that the cute snails become lots very fast.

Billy Boy
29-Dec-08, 14:40
Get a yoyo loach and it will make short work of your snails, Then get esha gastropex snail killer and any new plants just soak them in the esha for a hour, rinse under the tap, sorted, :D

router
29-Dec-08, 15:32
you have made the right choise in not using chemicals as it can harm the fish, overfeeding is a sign of snails, we know the oh has had plaques of snails and apart from scooping them out there aint that much you can do, but you could try getting hold of assassin snails as they hunt out and eat all snails, or you could do what my oh has done, which is to put in a goldfish, a fantail or lionhead will do, as they can withstand the heat of 26 and a harmless to the other fish.
slow down on feeding as this is why you have this problem, if there is enough food for the snails they will breed,.Take out your plants and ornaments and scrub them in warm water, this should kill of any snail eggs.

yoyo loaches are good aswell as are weather loaches, kuhli loaches and a few others.Hope you get it sorted

lynne duncan
29-Dec-08, 16:01
hire my kids they love splatting snails, we suffered from this at first, but the kids actively annihilated them

Billy Boy
29-Dec-08, 16:12
[quote=router;475594 you could do what my oh has done, which is to put in a goldfish, a fantail or lionhead will do, as they can withstand the heat of 26 and a harmless to the other fish.
[/quote]

What about the stress you would cause the goldfish? Comeing from cold water to warm and back to cold, Having to acclimtise so many times will stress a goldfish way to much and as for being harmless to other fish?

What about the harm that countless other tropical fish would inflicked on the harmless goldfish?? being so big and slow their fins would be ripped apart before they could find a snail.
Maybe a goldfish would work but you should look into what other fish are in the tank and if they would be compatible before doing anything like this.
Imo its cruel to put a goldfish from cold water to warm then back to cold:~(

router
29-Dec-08, 19:00
What about the stress you would cause the goldfish? Comeing from cold water to warm and back to cold, Having to acclimtise so many times will stress a goldfish way to much and as for being harmless to other fish?

What about the harm that countless other tropical fish would inflicked on the harmless goldfish?? being so big and slow their fins would be ripped apart before they could find a snail.
Maybe a goldfish would work but you should look into what other fish are in the tank and if they would be compatible before doing anything like this.
Imo its cruel to put a goldfish from cold water to warm then back to cold:~(


The goldfish stays in the tank, so there is no removal, and a goldfish has a heat paprameter of 10-30 degrees. My oh has a young small oranda in her tank and it has never shown any sign of stress and neither have the fish already in the tank,it's a well happy little fish that even shoals with the tetras and none of the other fish do any nipping at all.

As with anyfish you have to check compatibilty, hers is a tropical community, so the fish fairs well.if it had shown a sign of stress when first introduced she would have removed it and placed it back in the tank.
this has worked out very well for ridding the tank of snails without the need for chemicals which can unless washed off completely can kill the fish.i wouldn't put any of this stuff near any of my tanks for this reason alone.

ps billy boy the filter i bought from you worked a treat have combined it with a 700ltr/h internal filter in my big tank water is crystal clear and healthy.

failing all the suggestions A9 try one of these

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o32/grandma2007/500043037_92391379ea.jpg

Billy Boy
29-Dec-08, 19:39
The goldfish stays in the tank, so there is no removal, and a goldfish has a heat paprameter of 10-30 degrees. My oh has a young small faintial in her tank and it has never shown any sign of stress and neither have the fish already in the tank.
As with anyfish you have to check compatibilty, hers is a tropical community, so the fish fairs well.if it had shown a sign of stress when first introduced she would have removed it and placed it back in the tank.

But why would you want to keep a cold water fish in warm water:confused When you keep a gold fish in warm water it speeds up their metabolism which in turn lessons their life span,Why would you want to do that?
Plus with the fish being a fantail,which are slow swimmers they just cannot compete with the tropical fish for food.

router
30-Dec-08, 00:21
the fish shows no sign of stress, gets plenty to eat and infact loves to swim with the other small fish in the tank.
a community tank with all peaceful fish, if it showed any signs that something was up with it, then the oh would remove it.
The temp of the tank is set to 1 degree higher than what you would or should have for certain types of goldfish, researching this before she put it in the tank helped.
Most of " What we call tropical fish" are only named Tropical because of the temperature of the waters they live. cold water fish are normaly what we would put in a pond outside that can tolerate colder temps. Fancy goldfish are bred in tanks kept at temps of 22-28 degrees, so infact this does not do this fish any harm.

But back to the snails, the best thing to do is either use a net to scoop them out, as putting your hands in the water all the time to crush them is no good for the fish, or get a weather loach, which is a cold water fish aswell but highly recommended for a warm water tank, and they are very good at removing snails.The one loach that does eat snails.
Or as stated in earlier post ASSASSIN SNAILS.

A9RUNNER
30-Dec-08, 13:09
Thanks for all the ideas, I like the sound of using Assasin Snails to clear up the problem, Anyone know wgere I could get some. i have googled a bit and found loads of fish forums discussing using them but nowhere that sells any.

highbury
30-Dec-08, 14:39
Puffer fish will eat em, but you have to be careful which type you get,some will also eat your fish-check with an expert

router
30-Dec-08, 17:02
Thanks for all the ideas, I like the sound of using Assasin Snails to clear up the problem, Anyone know wgere I could get some. i have googled a bit and found loads of fish forums discussing using them but nowhere that sells any.

You could go to pets at home in wick and ask the manageress to order you some in, they are good when it comes to ordering for customers.

They really are the best solution.

Billy Boy
30-Dec-08, 19:54
the fish shows no sign of stress, gets plenty to eat and infact loves to swim with the other small fish in the tank.
a community tank with all peaceful fish, if it showed any signs that something was up with it, then the oh would remove it.
The temp of the tank is set to 1 degree higher than what you would or should have for certain types of goldfish, researching this before she put it in the tank helped.
Most of " What we call tropical fish" are only named Tropical because of the temperature of the waters they live. cold water fish are normaly what we would put in a pond outside that can tolerate colder temps. Fancy goldfish are bred in tanks kept at temps of 22-28 degrees, so infact this does not do this fish any harm.

But back to the snails, the best thing to do is either use a net to scoop them out, as putting your hands in the water all the time to crush them is no good for the fish, or get a weather loach, which is a cold water fish aswell but highly recommended for a warm water tank, and they are very good at removing snails.The one loach that does eat snails.
Or as stated in earlier post ASSASSIN SNAILS.

Well i for one dont agree with keeping a cold water fish in warm water,It's just not right.I cant find the web site i seen it on but they put a good case forward that warm water speeds up their metabolism, which makes sence to me as they ARE classed as coldwater fish.

Now the snails. why would you want to put a snail into a tank to rid it of other snails? Sure they do eat other snails but they dont eat their own kind, So what are you left with,Snails that breed,they lay between 2 and 15 eggs a day and they take 3 to 4 weeks to hatch,What are you left with then?

Billy Boy
30-Dec-08, 21:37
Heres some more info from someone who keeps them.

http://arizonainverts.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=204

router
30-Dec-08, 21:42
Well i for one dont agree with keeping a cold water fish in warm water,It's just not right.I cant find the web site i seen it on but they put a good case forward that warm water speeds up their metabolism, which makes sence to me as they ARE classed as coldwater fish.

Now the snails. why would you want to put a snail into a tank to rid it of other snails? Sure they do eat other snails but they dont eat their own kind, So what are you left with,Snails that breed,they lay between 2 and 15 eggs a day and they take 3 to 4 weeks to hatch,What are you left with then?

No pest snails
Sails that sell (assassin)
and healthy fish, which is better than any chemical solution money can buy.
Anyway one is bowing from this,will we have to agree to disagree. its down to A9RUNNER to decide what they choose to do with the problems.

Billy Boy
30-Dec-08, 22:10
See you removed your link sharpish there router, In my eyes it makes no sence to put snails into a tank to rid it of snails when the snail your putting in breed's quite fast themself's.
I myself have used eSHa GASTROPEX with good results, that combined with a yoyo loach, snails no more, And i can tell you that it had no affect on my fish and my water quality is second to none.

router
31-Dec-08, 14:00
Only because i realised you had posted a link and wanted time to read it.
But nothing was gained by that and to be honest could not be bothered to do it all again.:roll:

Billy Boy
31-Dec-08, 21:13
Only because i realised you had posted a link and wanted time to read it.
But nothing was gained by that and to be honest could not be bothered to do it all again.:roll:


Aw well,we will leave it at that then [smirk]