what can i use to control snails

[Kaga's Kritters]

I have an overpopulation of snails in my 10 gal. I have snails in my 29gal too but the yoyo loaches take care of them. What can I put in the 10 gal to help control them some?

I have attached a pic of my 10 gal so you can see the snails everywhere.

[Jacko]

Before I suggest any fish, what is the stocklist on there? I see turquiose and those can get 4-5 inches and prefer to school so definitly aren't 10 gallon compatible. Those are MTS so you'll have a hard time finding a fish for them. The best suggestion I would give you for an actual snail eater would be Assassin snails, they work alot better on MTS than any loach.

However, such a population as you have is a major indicator of water quality problems. Snails only multiply when there is excess food for them in there, so waste or spare food floating around. To keep population under control cut back on feeding and increase water changes.

What is your current schedule for feeding and water changes?

[Lady Hobbs]

If the yo-yo's are doing it for you, why not just get more. When the snails are gone and done for, add your yo-yo's together.

[Lady Hobbs]

Oh my gosh. Are those all snails I am looking at in your pic? WOW. I'd be going nuts, moving that stock elsewhere and tearing that tank down. I hate snails!!! LOL

[Jacko]

I wouldn't get yoyos for a 10 gallon, since if they eat alot of snails, they're going to poop out alot of snails or put it all into massive growth spurts, but being that they are loaches I would bet on the first one. That would way overly tip a bioload since I see a bolivian ram, a rainbow and a rasbora and assuming that the rasbora is just a part of a school, that 10 gallon is already overstocked.

And with that being gravel it will be harder for the loaches to sift further down and reach any low lying MTS and once the loaches are gone the MTS will return.

[Lady Hobbs]

You're right, of course. I jumped in without looking at her pic or even seeing the stock.

[Kaga's Kritters]

currently in the tank are:
2 rasboras (had 7 but the filter took a fit and shut off during the night and lost 5 of them)
1 pristella tetra
1 red claw crab
1 bolivian ram
1 bosemani rainbowfish

i feed a small amount of food once a day and do water changes maybe 2 times a month (yea i know, should do them more.....been having health probs and feel like hell so i dont get them done as much as i should)
the 29gal gets the same feeding and water change schedule but water is usually higher in nitrates than in the 10 gal. only have 2 yoyo's in the 29gal and pretty much no snails, never really see any live ones, just empty shells. i even gather up a bunch of snails out of the 10 every once in awhile and put them in the 29gal.......but you still never see any crawling around in the 29gal.........guess those yoyos really like them...lol

[troy]

You have lot a schooling fish in their that should be in proper schools. The bosemani rainbow, 2 rasboras, and pristella tetra should be in schools of at the very least 4 fish. You need to reconsider the inhabitants of this tank.

[Kaga's Kritters]

i know the fish aren't in proper schools. what i am looking for is an answer to my snail problem.

[korith]

I had my 10g shrimp tank get infested with them over a 3 week period while I was gone. I more or less sat in front of the tank, taking them all out for a while. Repeated that over a few days, and slowly got them under control. At the moment I can't see any but I'm sure there are a few in there.

You could make a snail trap, basically it just consists of a bottle cut in half and the top piece is inverted into the bottom piece. Toss some food in there to lure the snails in. You can probably google snail trap or search for it on this site, to see pics of it.

[Jacko]

i know the fish aren't in proper schools. what i am looking for is an answer to my snail problem.

Yes, but stocking is key to helping with the snail problem. Fish shouldn't be subject to an already overstocked tank so it isn't really ethical to suggest any untill your stocking gets under control.

Jess's snail trap thing is a good idea, there is a link somewhere around here.

[Kaga's Kritters]

Yes, but stocking is key to helping with the snail problem. Fish shouldn't be subject to an already overstocked tank so it isn't really ethical to suggest any untill your stocking gets under control.

Jess's snail trap thing is a good idea, there is a link somewhere around here.


well what do you suggest i do then? get rid of everything? I have tried selling/giving away fish on an online classifieds in my area and never have any luck......and the closest lfs is at least 30 min away. and only one of them will even take fish in, and that is only sometimes.

[Jacko]

with a pretty much empty 29 gallon on hand, with only 2 yoyo loaches you could move 1 of either the tetra or rasboras and give them a school of 6, the bolivian ram, and the rainbow. That would stock the 29 gallon and then you could up the school of schooling fish in the and get a couple assassin snails via the internet. That would give you a snail eater and a fairly active 10 gallon and the same with the 29 gallon. Even if the 29 gallon is a bit small for a rainbow, it will work for a while.

[karbomb]

most fish won't eat the Malaysian Trumpet Snail which is what you got a whole lot of. if you take all of your fish out of that tank and buy a dwarf puffer that'll solve your problem.
there are definitely other issues at hand as other people have suggested already. if you make a snail trap and work to correct the issues at hand you can slowly decrease the population of snails in your tank.

[Kaga's Kritters]

the 29 gal is not empty. it has a fruit tetra (last one left of the group), 2 yoyos, 3 opaline gouramis, 1 small bala shark (yes i know), 1 small pleco, 1 asian upside down catfish, and 1 small jack dempsy (trying to sell this one).

so i obviously cannot move anything from the 10 to the 29.

[Wild Turkey]

Start removing them by hand while experimenting with different traps, thats what im doing my ten gal for the pond snails(new...oi) and the mts, there are probably 100 not counting little tiny babies....theres nothing for them to eat now but there was a ton of algae and 20 turned into hundreds very fast...the algae was gone in two days though lol

[Kaga's Kritters]

Start removing them by hand while experimenting with different traps, thats what im doing my ten gal for the pond snails(new...oi) and the mts, there are probably 100 not counting little tiny babies....theres nothing for them to eat now but there was a ton of algae and 20 turned into hundreds very fast...the algae was gone in two days though lol

my 10 gal have been covered in algae (mainly on the walls of the tank) for a long time now, the snails weren't helping, even though it looks to be over 500 probably. i had to take a razor blade and scrape the algae off the walls the other day cause I finally got tired of looking at it.

[Northernguy]

The best way to get rid of them is drain some tank water into a bucket and place your fish in it.
Now gut the tank and clean your gravel in hot water.Clean all the eggs out of the tank by washing it.
Either replace the gravel or reuse but make sure its clean.I suggested hot water to kill off any eggs and snails.
Do not clean out your filter yet but do not wait to long.You will still have snails and eggs in the filter.
This is the only way I could get rid of them without adding any chemicals.
Here is a link to Jess's trap.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[Wild Turkey]

Persistance at removing the manually, in combination iwth watching how much you feed should reduce them to numbers you can stand pretty quick, tearing down the tank is a last resort for me, but it is one way to do it.

[mac]

Persistance at removing the manually, in combination iwth watching how much you feed should reduce them to numbers you can stand pretty quick, tearing down the tank is a last resort for me, but it is one way to do it.

I agree with you WT.

As for the advice with AlexW I am in concordance with. IMO it sounds like a imbalance in the tank. And all this extra algae sounds like a contributor to it.

Because the algae comes from Phosphates, and Phosphates come from fish waste and decaying matter like algae plants food, then I think there is a imbalance in the water changes, which need to be done more often.

IMO with a regular weekly water change, and a change in the stocking of the tank your problem will be solved soon.

mac

[Kaga's Kritters]

i used to do weekly water changes and that never helped the snail population......still had tons of algae too.

exactly what do you suggest i do about my stocking. i cannot move them to a different tank, have no luck rehoming any fish, and taking them to any of the lfs in my area is not really an option. (only one may take them and that is not a garuntee)

[mac]

i used to do weekly water changes and that never helped the snail population......still had tons of algae too.

exactly what do you suggest i do about my stocking. i cannot move them to a different tank, have no luck rehoming any fish, and taking them to any of the lfs in my area is not really an option. (only one may take them and that is not a garuntee)


HMM, new tank?

As for the water changes that should be helping with the phosphates which will help slow the algae down.

What type of filter do you have?

As for the fish I would get a new tank for the larger ones, and get the small ones into proper schools.

With regards to the snails I would use one of those glass cleaners and just squash them. But once you do that you will need to do a large water change.

mac

[Kaga's Kritters]

i can do more water changes.

the filter is a 10-20 aqua tech

getting a bigger tank is definitely not an option. no where to put it and no money to even get it anyway.

pretty much the fish are stuck where they are at for now. my main concern right now is getting either something small for the 10g that will eat the snails, or a good way to trap them so i can get them out of the tank without making a mess and lots more work to clean that up.

[Northernguy]

Start picking every snail you see out of the tank.
I tore my tank right down,I got sick of trying all the other methods.
I haven't seen a snail since.

[Demjor19]

My school of Clowns destroy MTS! I actually catch a few dozen snails out of my 180 every so often, just to feed to the loaches. I know clowns are much too large for your 10gal, but they are an incredible snail killer. In fact my office tank recently had an infestation of MTS, so I "borrowed" some loaches from my school at home and they have already neutralized the MTS in about a week. Amazing!

As for your situation...I would do as said above. Reduce feedings, step up waterchanges, and pick every one out that you can by hand.

Good luck,

[mac]

My school of Clowns destroy MTS! I actually catch a few dozen snails out of my 180 every so often, just to feed to the loaches. I know clowns are much too large for your 10gal, but they are an incredible snail killer. In fact my office tank recently had an infestation of MTS, so I "borrowed" some loaches from my school at home and they have already neutralized the MTS in about a week. Amazing!

As for your situation...I would do as said above. Reduce feedings, step up waterchanges, and pick every one out that you can by hand.

Good luck,

HMM, yes they work. But they are not that great a solution if you can't get rid of the fish once you have them.

IMO and IME I try to not do that, with fish like that, it stresses them.
They are better of going in a bigger tank. Even for a short time.

mac

[rageybug]

Wow, lots of opinions on this one! Sounds like you may want to do a little bit of each. Cut back on the food, step up the water changes (when you feel up to it) remove as many snails by hand as you can, but do not add any more fish. We have all established that the 10g is over stocked... probabbly better discussed in a different thread. Adding another "snail eater" to the tank will only compound the issues you already have.

I liked the idea of putting the fish into a bucket and tearing down the tank. Use lots of hot water to clean it out and just say vigilant with the hand-picking of the snails.

You might have success with Kijiji, Craig's List etc in making a trade. You may find someone who will trade a larger tank for your 10g and 29g. I know it is a long shot but not everyone can keep up with a larger tank and may be looking to downsize. Then you could keep everyone in the same tank!

[Demjor19]

HMM, yes they work. But they are not that great a solution if you can't get rid of the fish once you have them.

IMO and IME I try to not do that, with fish like that, it stresses them.
They are better of going in a bigger tank. Even for a short time.

mac

In my case...these are my pets and I have never wanted to get rid of a single loach, they just happen to serve an alternate purpose. If anything I always want more Clowns!

[Kaga's Kritters]

Wow, lots of opinions on this one! Sounds like you may want to do a little bit of each. Cut back on the food, step up the water changes (when you feel up to it) remove as many snails by hand as you can, but do not add any more fish. We have all established that the 10g is over stocked... probabbly better discussed in a different thread. Adding another "snail eater" to the tank will only compound the issues you already have.

I liked the idea of putting the fish into a bucket and tearing down the tank. Use lots of hot water to clean it out and just say vigilant with the hand-picking of the snails.

You might have success with Kijiji, Craig's List etc in making a trade. You may find someone who will trade a larger tank for your 10g and 29g. I know it is a long shot but not everyone can keep up with a larger tank and may be looking to downsize. Then you could keep everyone in the same tank!


I cannot trade for a bigger tank. I don't have room for a bigger tank, even if i get rid of the 10 and 29. The 29 is the biggest thing i can fit. I have been trying to sell my jack dempsey and asian upside-down catfish out of the 29, then i could move the ram and rainbow into it. If i can get rid of the opaline gouramis then i will move the tetras too and make nice schools of each in the 29. then i can tear down the 10 or something.

for now i just keep pulling snails out each day. I only feed a small amount once a day, so i dont see how i can cut down.

[mac]

In my case...these are my pets and I have never wanted to get rid of a single loach, they just happen to serve an alternate purpose. If anything I always want more Clowns!


Clown need large tanks. 50 gallons, for young juveniles. And then after a short time they then need to move on to large tanks, like 200 gallons.

For placing them in a 10 gallon for a week or so is cruel. They have limited space. And they are only in there to eat snails. Really using other methods are much better than hurting fish.

[Demjor19]

Clown need large tanks. 50 gallons, for young juveniles. And then after a short time they then need to move on to large tanks, like 200 gallons.

For placing them in a 10 gallon for a week or so is cruel. They have limited space. And they are only in there to eat snails. Really using other methods are much better than hurting fish.

First off, I dont keep mine soley for the purpose of eating snails...all I said is...they are very effective at doing so.

Secondly, have you ever seen how slow a Clown Loach grows? I have had most of my school (5 out of 9) in a 75 gallon tank for 2-3 years and none of them have grown any more than 1 inch in that time. I keep my water pristine by running excessive filtration and doing (2-3) 50% water changes every week. They also have an excellent diet (raw shrimp, sinking pellets, algae wafers, scallops, krill, frozen blood worms, and whatever else they find along the way. I moved my 4 smallest loaches (between 1.5 and 2 inches) into my 30 gallon office tank where they will remain until I see fit. they are not there "just to eat snails"...they are there as pets.

Lastly, in my original post...I did state that there are much better methods for one to rid their tank of snails. Loaches are just one method that does work as long as the proper tank and parameters are provided for keeping them.

[mac]

First off, I dont keep mine soley for the purpose of eating snails...all I said is...they are very effective at doing so.

Agreed.

Secondly, have you ever seen how slow a Clown Loach grows?

Yes. Also have you seen them grow 4 inches in 4 months? All depends on the fish, the tank tank mates school size water condition ect, to how fast they grow IMO.

I know many people in NZ who have had these fish for 20++ years and they have had ones grow slow, fast and very fast, and some never grow.

A lot of the time the people I know have a hypothesis, that the Loaches they have kept which have staid small were pre stunted or grown up in small tanks, leading to small Clown Loaches. While other fish they have kept have come from reputable breeders who have grown the young up in large tanks. Consequently leading to large fish, with steady growth.


I have had most of my school (5 out of 9) in a 75 gallon tank for 2-3 years and none of them have grown any more than 1 inch in that time.

How big were they when they were placed in the tank, two to three years ago???

{QUOTE]I keep my water pristine by running excessive filtration and doing (2-3) 50% water changes every week.[/QUOTE]

That is great.

They also have an excellent diet (raw shrimp, sinking pellets, algae wafers, scallops, krill, frozen blood worms, and whatever else they find along the way. I moved my 4 smallest loaches (between 1.5 and 2 inches) into my 30 gallon office tank where they will remain until I see fit. they are not there "just to eat snails"...they are there as pets.

Good food diet. Though the Scollops IMO would not really be that great a idea.

As for keeping them in a 30 gallon is no go. To small even at that age, and size. Also they like to be kept in much larger groups then that.

As for being pets smaller Loaches would be better, like the smaller Botia types. Along with Kulies, and the Dwarf Loaches.

Lastly, in my original post...I did state that there are much better methods for one to rid their tank of snails. Loaches are just one method that does work as long as the proper tank and parameters are provided for keeping them.

Quite right. Just Clown Loaches in that size tank is a no no. And some people just jump to it and go out and get the Loaches to solve the problem, and do not understand that this is not a option.

mac

[Demjor19]

Agreed.



Yes. Also have you seen them grow 4 inches in 4 months? All depends on the fish, the tank tank mates school size water condition ect, to how fast they grow IMO.

I know many people in NZ who have had these fish for 20++ years and they have had ones grow slow, fast and very fast, and some never grow.

A lot of the time the people I know have a hypothesis, that the Loaches they have kept which have staid small were pre stunted or grown up in small tanks, leading to small Clown Loaches. While other fish they have kept have come from reputable breeders who have grown the young up in large tanks. Consequently leading to large fish, with steady growth.




How big were they when they were placed in the tank, two to three years ago???

{QUOTE]I keep my water pristine by running excessive filtration and doing (2-3) 50% water changes every week.

That is great.



Good food diet. Though the Scollops IMO would not really be that great a idea.

As for keeping them in a 30 gallon is no go. To small even at that age, and size. Also they like to be kept in much larger groups then that.

As for being pets smaller Loaches would be better, like the smaller Botia types. Along with Kulies, and the Dwarf Loaches.



Quite right. Just Clown Loaches in that size tank is a no no. And some people just jump to it and go out and get the Loaches to solve the problem, and do not understand that this is not a option.

mac[quote=mac]

I have yet to see a fast growing Clown loach, but I suppose they are out there. Also...I was under the impression that Clowns are extremely hard to breed in captivity and very few have ever done it.

The loaches I was refering to were between 1 and 5 inches when I aquired them and none of them grew alot and a few may not have grown at all. As I said...I do my best to provide adequate conditions and diet, so I do not feel they were stunted much under my care.

I know the 30 isn't the 'perfect tank' for them, but at 1-2 inches, I would hardly call them cramped. After they put a little more size on them, I will take them back home to join my larger school in the 75. Also...after I upgrade my predatory fish from the 180 to the 375, I will be moving the loaches and their current tankmates into the 180.

[mac]

Well if they have been in the tank for a long time, and have not grown, sounds more to me like they are stunted. If that is the case a larger tank is what is needed.

As for breeding, they are hard to breed. And the people who have bread them have only done it by accident according to them. Anyway NZ is full of clown Loaches, and a lot of them are around 17 inches long, and 10-15 years old. And according to some of these people the Loaches grew the from 2-10 inches very fast then slowed down the last part.

mac

[Jacko]

ON the subject of breeding clown loaches...

If you do it successfully, you are a GOD! It has been recorded several times that they breed in captivitiy but never that I have heard of without hormones have fry survived from egg. I remember one guy on Loaches had 1 male CL about 16 inches and a female about 17 in a 300 gallon on their own, they'd have eggs but the eggs would always fungus. It might be down to farm raised fish and the hormones used on them affect their breeding capability or a tank just isn't the same as a large clean river.

The more they eat, the better their water quality and the size of their tank and all around care, the faster they will grow. But don't expect them to shoot up from 1 inch to 4 in 1 year time, maybe 3. I've had them before as juvies in a 65 gallon and it took them 3 years to reach 4 inches, at which time we traded them in. And this was a fairly well maintained tank with an abundance of food (daycare kids liked feeding them).

[mac]

I think I should have stated this in the first place. The people are keeping them in large tank like 1000+++ gallons.

And in very very large shoals. As for the breeding I don't know if they are accident, or they were induced. But I know they were and are bread.

mac