Kill snails while leaving cherry shrimp?

**PUNISHER VETTE** · 10-14-2011, 07:29 PM

I'm pretty sure i've researched this to death and it looks like i'm SOL but I figured i'd ask anyway.

30g live planted tank.
only cherry shrimp are in it.

over 9 months tiny snails have taken over. Must be millions of them in there by now. I've had 6-8ish assassin snails but obviously they can't eat enough or don't like this snail.

Even if the assassin snails did eat the pest ones it would take 100x more assassins to take out this population...

Chemicals usually kill all inverts...which would include the shrimp.

Fish i'm pretty much ruling out since I don't want fish.

lettuce method would take forever and wouldn't be that effective with all the other plants around...

I only feed algae pellets every couple of days for the shrimp which seem to eat them up within a few hours...

**Strider199** · 10-14-2011, 07:55 PM

Your correct on the poison method killing your snails and shrimp PUNISHER VETTE.

This problem took a while to get to this point and it will take a while to eliminate it. Here is how I got rid of my unwanted pond snail explosion.

Buy a turkey baster. This tool will be invaluable.
When it's time for a water change instead of just getting the gravel vac out, start with the turkey baster. Suck up as many of those snails as you can with the baster and destroy them. Than finish up your water change.
I used a small sponge to wipe the eggs from the glass while doing my water changes.
Watch your feeding, I know you said the shrimp eat the algae wafers in a few minutes and you feed every other day but, cut back on the feeding for a time. Maybe go 3 days between feeding or 4. You said there are plants in the tank which will usually supplement the shrimp for a time.

Sorry I don't know of an easier method.

**Pulmonatus** · 10-14-2011, 07:58 PM

This won't help with the problem, but it could prevent its growth: try adding some very porous rock (unpleasant for snail feet) and feeding the cherries fry food powder instead of algae pellets. The powder should get stuck in the porous rock for them to pick out, but the snails would be hard pressed to sustain themselves that way. I've fed amanos and bamboo shrimp on fry food (sometimes with a little spirulina powder mixed in) very successfully.

**Strider199** · 10-14-2011, 08:00 PM

Very nice first post Pulmonatus.

Welcome to the AC.

**Lady Hobbs** · 10-14-2011, 08:04 PM

No one could have more snails than I did. I started feeding sinking shrimp pellets and those snails reproduced worse than rabbits. I put slices of cucumbers in my tank and trapped a whole lot of them. I'd pull the cuke out, knock the snails off and replace the cuke several times a day. I also pulled the wood out of the tank and run hot water over it almost daily. But the assassins I got really went to town. Like you, I thought they could never eat that many snails but then I started seeing empty snail shells......everywhere.
I have 0 snails now! It works.

**PUNISHER VETTE** · 10-15-2011, 02:16 PM

Here are some photos....

I used to have terrible pond snails(maybe bladder snails?) but I have a feeling the assassin snails have eliminated them as the ones I have now are tiny and have a slight point to them. Maybe the assassins don't like eating theses...

I guess the only snail they really resemble is the trumpet snail, but they seem to stay very tiny and I remember seeing large trumpet snails...

**PUNISHER VETTE** · 10-15-2011, 02:16 PM

**PUNISHER VETTE** · 10-15-2011, 02:17 PM

I feel bad for the tank. It's hanging on with how little I do to it.
Trying to get the algae issues under control first and foremost.

Far cry from what it could look like if I took better care of it. :(

**Strider199** · 10-15-2011, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by PUNISHER VETTE

30g live planted tank.
only cherry shrimp are in it.

Fish i'm pretty much ruling out since I don't want fish.

...

I know it says you dont want to introduce fish but there are some species that do love to eat those little snails. Yes your shrimp population may take a hit but probably just the new born.
Clown or Yoyo loaches love to eat small snails.
Certain puffers also devour them with relish. The thing is you'll have to re-locate the fish when the job is done or bring them back to the lfs.

Another way is a trap (what Lady Hobbs was refering too).

Get a small glass jar like a salt shaker. Remove the top. Be sure the jar is clean. Then put a small piece of lettuce or perhaps some fish food in the jar, and fill it with aquarium water. Carefully sink it on the bottom of the aquarium. The next day it will have lots of small snails inside! remove them and repeat the process.

**toddnbecka** · 10-16-2011, 03:35 AM

I have something similar in a 40 breeder, hundreds (if not thousands) of tiny little buggers that creep around the driftwood. Mine are something called quilted melania, closely related to malaysian trumpet snails but generally don't run amok as quickly. That one tank seems to be the exception, I have them in most/all of my tanks to stir the sand but not in excessive numbers.