Snails

Is your Catfish eating your Tiger Barbs? Well, get help here -- anything non cichlid!

Snails

Postby Indy on Thu Jun 07, 2007 6:01 am

My tank is all of a sudden loaded with snails.  I have not introduced anything new to the tank and don't know where they may have come from.

Does anyone know of a way to get rid of them.  I have been using a product called "Had A Snail" and that has not seemed to help. 
User avatar
Indy
Cichlid Member
Cichlid Member
 
Posts: 200
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 4:19 pm

Re: Snails

Postby Barb Okla on Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:48 am

DO you have live plants?? They seem to mostly come into a tank through live plants. SNAILS are a plus if you do live plants as they eat the algae on the leaves and not the plant them selves.. IF you have African cichlds, they EAT snails.. IF you have a Puffer fish OR want one in the future, keep the snails as they need the shells to keep their teeth short.. So really not a problem unless you have guppys or other tropical fish.. I had a bunch in one tank, but my Moorii Dolphins ate them all.. Bummer really as now the FAKE plants have algae and I have to take them out and gently scrub them with a brush.. Snails eat algae so they do a good job on keeping the tank cleaner, less work for you.. I like snails for this reason.. To many thou and all you have to do is add in a ANY AFRICAN cichild and in a weeks time OR so, no snails.

Now as you have added in a herbicide to kill out the snails, you need to do a water change IF you do the African cichlids/Puffer-eat-snails way.. IF not, then just net them out to a DRY bucket, and that will KILL them too but this wont' get them all, just keep the numbers down..

Taking the tank down to NOTHING and letting it DRY Completly is the sure way to kill out ALL the snails.. Use hot water in the substrate to kill them out and LET IT DRY for days in the hot sun..  This is a good way with out using chems to kil the snails.. IF this is not practical way for you to go due to tank size, do the African cichilds/Puffer deal and watch them disapear faster..   
User avatar
Barb Okla
Senior Cichlidfish Staff
Senior Cichlidfish Staff
 
Posts: 694
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 9:35 pm
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Snails

Postby DanRad on Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:55 pm

Hi, Indie!  I agree with Barb.  I like to have snails in the tank.  Trouble is, they're tough to keep with most cichlids, as once the cichlids reach any size at all, they eat them with relish (or plain!).  The only exception to this so far seems to be my Pollenis (they also mostly allow plants to survive with them too!).  Loaches, bettas, and various other fish are also avid snail eaters.  Like Barb said, if you have enough of them they really do a good job of algae cleaning -- a job I hate!  Beyond the utility though, I've always found them interesting to watch in their own right.
Last edited by DanRad on Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
DanRad
Senior Cichlidfish Staff
Senior Cichlidfish Staff
 
Posts: 967
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2003 10:51 pm
Location: NYC

Re: Snails

Postby Indy on Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:52 am

Thanks Guys!  The snails are getting worse.  The filters are clogged with them and they are all over the glass.  My fish don't seem to be bothering (eating) them.  Do you think it would be okay to put a African Cichlid into a all south American tank?  If so which one would you recommend to eat the snails? 
User avatar
Indy
Cichlid Member
Cichlid Member
 
Posts: 200
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 4:19 pm

Re: Snails

Postby DanRad on Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:04 am

Hi, Indy!  What kind of snails are they?  Also, remind me what fish you currently have in the tank.
User avatar
DanRad
Senior Cichlidfish Staff
Senior Cichlidfish Staff
 
Posts: 967
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2003 10:51 pm
Location: NYC

Re: Snails

Postby Indy on Wed Jul 04, 2007 6:04 am

Hi Dan,

Attached is a picture (a little blurry) of one of the snails.  My profile shows what fish I have in the tank.

thanks for the help, these things are driving me crazy.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
Indy
Cichlid Member
Cichlid Member
 
Posts: 200
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 4:19 pm

Re: Snails

Postby DanRad on Wed Jul 04, 2007 10:43 am

Hi, Indy:  Pic didn't come thru.  Try emailing it to me.  I'd like to see them -- My O's and Severums eat any snails they can get into their mouths.
User avatar
DanRad
Senior Cichlidfish Staff
Senior Cichlidfish Staff
 
Posts: 967
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2003 10:51 pm
Location: NYC

Re: Snails

Postby Indy on Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:10 am

Thanks for the advise Dan.  Got 2 Puffers and put them in the tank.  Poof, :icon_cheers: no more snails.

Paul 
User avatar
Indy
Cichlid Member
Cichlid Member
 
Posts: 200
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 4:19 pm


Return to General Freshwater


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests

cron