# I hate pond snails!!!!!



## 207lauras (Jan 28, 2009)

Has anyone seen a pair of LONG plastic tongs anywhere lately? I am getting kinda sick of sticking my entire arm into the tank 3x a day to sqwoosh these snails. AAAAaaRRrrRRGGGggGGHhhhHHH! They are driving me insane! Like 2 seconds after I go on a killing spree and then clean my hands up 10 more come out I got one today that was almost the size of a dime
I am generally a very peaceful person but these things SUCK literally and figuratively. Maybe I can fashion a pair and then patent them for aquarium use??? hmmmmmmmm........


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## StripesAndFins (Dec 31, 2008)

are they in 40 gallon? try getting snail predators like loaches or raphael cats (maybe) i would go with kuhli loaches because they stay fairly small and arent aggressive. they are fairly social however so a group of 3+ will be best. i dont know if there is any other way to get rid of them.

Hope this helps


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

dont think raphaels will eat snails? and as far as loaches, clown loaches work best. they'll get too big for the tank, but they grow real slow.


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

Clown Loaches will eat up snails very quickly.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Try putting a slice of veggie (zucchini or cucumber) in a clip (with a suction cup) overnight and collecting the snails off it in the morning.


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2009)

yea i hate them 2!


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## StripesAndFins (Dec 31, 2008)

justintrask said:


> dont think raphaels will eat snails? and as far as loaches, clown loaches work best. they'll get too big for the tank, but they grow real slow.


I could have sworn that i read somewhere saying they did. Anyways, clowns get fairly large so i dont know how many could fit in the 40. i cant find any other snail predators, so they may be your best bet. good luck ;-)


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## 207lauras (Jan 28, 2009)

Are there any species of puffer fish that would be ok with my current set up? I dont necessarily need another fish for snail control.....the tongs of doom are always the cheapest option....


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## Delthane (Sep 2, 2008)

Could always get a 2nd tank for a puffer. That way you just pluck the snails out when its feeding time. You will have a happy puffer and you will be getting rid of snails.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You can use those really long stainless steel tongs they sell for grilling. Just dry them thoroughly after use.


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## oliesminis (May 7, 2007)

Snails are very dumb. leave a piece of cucumber on the bottom of the tank overnight and there will be hundreds on it in the morning


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

I use a leaf of Romain lettuce, by morning its covered with the pesky things.


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## SunshinePlaty (Mar 14, 2009)

Just wondering, do snails negatively effect the tank? I have one pond snail in there that came accidently on one of the plants I got at petsmart, and I noticed that there are a lot of baby snails in there.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Living snails are just more bioload. One more thing eating and pooping. But if they are eating food that the fish weren't eating, anyway, its about the same as uneaten food rotting. But if the all die at once (say because you add an anti-ich med, or snail-B-gone because they are bothering you), you can get a massive ammonia spike that can kill fish. Harvesting them daily with lettuce makes more sense, esp. if you have snail-eating fish to feed them to. If you do plan to "nuke the snails", its a good idea to move the fish out while you do it because its really hard to know how many snails are really in your tank.

Lots of people like snails because they do eat uneaten food and the algae off the leaves of live plants. Other people hate them passionately, usually after a population explosion due to overfeeding.


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## Delthane (Sep 2, 2008)

http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwinverts&1239411305 You could also fight fire with fire in a manner of speaking


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## 207lauras (Jan 28, 2009)

hmmmm. do those breed like crazy and will i just be trading in one problem for another? :? i like the thinking behind that though....
also, my new tongs are working ok, it helps that I dont have to stick my whole arm in up to the elbow anymore!!


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## Delthane (Sep 2, 2008)

http://theaquariumwiki.com/Anentome_helena

According to this site they are very slow breeders. Maybe someone who has had experience with them can tell you. I personally haven't, I just know them to be an alternative to other snail removal and an attractive alternative at that.


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

Laura, try the lettuce trick, just veggie chip a piece near the top where you can reach it easy. You'll be amazed how fast they go to it.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

justintrask said:


> dont think raphaels will eat snails?


Supposedly they do, although I don't know how. I've had one forever now and I've never seen him eat a snail, then again I hardly ever see him. Don't they make clicking noises? Maybe they swallow the snails whole, and break up their shell, that's the only possible way I can see them eating a snail since their mouth isn't like a loach's.


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## StripesAndFins (Dec 31, 2008)

Shev: talking cats do. i think they are Amblydoras hancocki. but Raphaels may make it as well. i read somewhere that they are natural snail predators but you cant believe everything you read, right?


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## yippee (Apr 30, 2009)

207lauras said:


> I got one today that was almost the size of a dime


If you can get me one roughly the size of a dime i'd gladly pay for shipping. I need an emergency clean up crew for the outbreak of algae i have. Then they are off to the puffers for food.


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## 207lauras (Jan 28, 2009)

well, I have been very diligent about squishing them at first sight so I havent spotted any recently that large but will let you know if I do!


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## aquatico (Mar 5, 2009)

emc7 said:


> Try putting a slice of veggie (zucchini or cucumber) in a clip (with a suction cup) overnight and collecting the snails off it in the morning.


I use the same trick I just microwave a piece of romaine lettuce. Then put it in the tank (it floats  ) and in the morning there is usually 15-20 snails on it. this significantly reduces the amount of snails (not altogether though :/) but does help. Mine are in a 10 gallon so I can't put any loaches or anything in their. Hope it helps some.

I hate killing things but they forced me into it DX


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## MommaStrode (May 12, 2009)

I have two gouramis that actually ate my whole pond snail population. I had no idea they even did that! I had atleast 50 tiny snails all over my 55 gallon and when I added the 2 gouramis, they started picking them off the tank sides and eating them. Is that normal? I may have to keep these 2 around for future snail-breakouts.


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## Guest (May 14, 2009)

Gouramis!!?!??!? which kinda gourami do you have Momma?


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## MommaStrode (May 12, 2009)

I can't quite figure that out. The pet store guy said they were opaline gouramis, but they don't look at all like any opaline gouramis I have ever seen. They are quite large and range from a dark blue to a dark blue/almost black in the evening. He also told me they were not aggressive at all. Well, I ended up having to remove them from the 55 gallon to a seperate tank b/c they were harrassing the other fish. Any clue what kind that would be? (I'm sure you have figured out by now that I'm new to all this.)


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