# Snail infestation. Nightmare.



## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

*Update: Snail infestation. Nightmare. (NOW WITH PIC!)*

I just set up my tank almost a week ago, with plants and everything. 

Apparently, I didn't get _just_ plants. I got snails! :-x

How can I get rid of them? I'd like to use some kind of medication but I'm worried it'll ruin my plants. Also, I thought about a clown loach but I don't believe 30 gallons is enough. I also read they need to be kept in groups. 

Is there any other alternative? 

btw, in the middle of fishless cycling!

Thanks


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## Shaggy (Apr 29, 2005)

How many snails are there? Is it a massive amount? How long have you been in your cycle?


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## InuGirlTeen (Oct 26, 2008)

There are a lot of great ideas on this webpage beyond using chemicals. I hope it helps.

http://www.aquariumfishwonders.com/health-care/how-to-get-rid-of-snails-from-an-aquarium/


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Shaggy said:


> How many snails are there? Is it a massive amount? How long have you been in your cycle?



Looking at it, you don't see any but once a day, I'll throw out two. The next day two more, and again and again and again. When I think they're gone, I always find more. They are really tiny.

It's only a week into my cycle.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

If you had fish, I would say don't kill the snails, you will make an ammonia spike. But since you are fishless, if you want to "nuke" the snails, go ahead. If you are worried about the plants, you could take them out and dip them in something to kill snail eggs, then put them back after you treat the tank. I think bleach, salt, and potassium permanganate are all used. There must be instructions somewhere. 

Snails are common in planted tanks, are you sure you want to get rid of them?


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## Tinywoods (Dec 4, 2008)

Hi, 
Is there any chance to use life instead of medicine? 
Carinotetraodon travancoricus (Malabar pufferfish) is a snail-eater. 
In addition, if snails are very small (less than 2mm) Trichopsis pumila is a best fish that I know. Trichopsis pumila is also worm eater that has a mild character.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Tinywoods said:


> Hi,
> Is there any chance to use life instead of medicine?
> Carinotetraodon travancoricus (Malabar pufferfish) is a snail-eater.
> In addition, if snails are very small (less than 2mm) Trichopsis pumila is a best fish that I know. Trichopsis pumila is also worm eater that has a mild character.


I'm going to look into those puffer fish. But we'll see, I live in Germany and I think my options are limited. Thanks to all!


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

you can just put in a piece of cucumber and take the snails off it each morning.
I am surprised that the snails are surviving the cycling process- I find them to be finicky about water conditions.
Also they will help the cycling process by adding natural ammonia to the tank- if you feed them a bit.
I like a few snails in a tank. They help keep down algae on plants living or dead- in fact they keep the black algae off my anubias plants.
A couple of small loaches of any sort will also help decrease numbers of them-- after the cycle is over.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

since you are doing a fishless cycle you can add a copper sulphate based med.just overdose the tank a bit.maybe 2 or 3 times the normal dose.leave it in for a few days and then keep up with water changes.


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## Lupin (Aug 1, 2006)

The problem with copper sulfate is that some traces will remain in the tank rendering that tank incapable of housing any future invertebrates. Forget the chemicals. I'd simply remove them manually or bait with lettuce. They will not hurt your tank or plants in any way and are part of the ecosystem. I do not see why you would have to worry about the snails proliferating quickly. Try some assassin snails if you really like these snails. They can cost you a bit at $3.99 and over each. These are not prolific so they are fine especially in planted tanks. Their eggs are laid individually and most are found stuck on plant stalks. Leave them to hatch.


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## eterry (Dec 7, 2008)

*Easy Fix*

We had an outbreak of red snails in our Gourami tank. They reproduce faster that we could believe. 20 egg patches in the tank from about 20 snails. We started throwing them out into our plant pots on the porch. We also cleaned the glass and gravel to get all of the egg patches. If more snails appeared we threw them out and looked for more patches. Now we don't have any snails in there. I do however, have two very large snails in my 40gal tank. One is a 2 inch tall ivory snail and the other is a 1.5 inch tall blue snail. They don't reproduce asexually like the red snails.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Thank guys.

I've been doing it manually. I start to see one every now and then, so it's not too bad now. I was just worried because they were eating my plants!


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Fishychic said:


> I was just worried because they were eating my plants!


Fc:

Those are not your everyday, run of the mill pond snails.

Do you have a photograph?

TR


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

there are many species of snails that are voracious plant eaters.but only a few that do not eat plants.the only snails that i might want in my tanks are malaysian trumpet snails.
when i get new plants that i want to make sure there are no snails i soak them for exactly 2 minutes in a solution of 1 part bleach and 19 parts water..i then rinse them 3-4 times with clean fresh water..this not only kills the snails;but also the egg clusters...
and when i do get some snails in the tanks,they get squashed and fed to the fish...


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

jones57742 said:


> Fc:
> 
> Those are not your everyday, run of the mill pond snails.
> 
> ...


I don't have a photo but when I next see one, i'll take a pic and show you.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Fishychic said:


> ... *when I next see one*, i'll take a pic and show you.


Fc:

Roflmao: no need for a photograph if you have been this successful in ridding your tank of these pesky little devils!

TR


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

jones57742 said:


> Fc:
> 
> Roflmao: no need for a photograph if you have been this successful in ridding your tank of these pesky little devils!
> 
> TR


I'd like to believe they are all out! I've picked out about 10 so far. I'm worried there might be more! Hopefully not!


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## smark (Dec 2, 2008)

We have the PeaPuffers and we do not have any other fish with them as I am uncertain if they would get along with any other fish.








I have never had snails though.


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

to control snails in my dads planted tank he keeps one pea puffer in a 5G planted, and once a month or so acclimates him to the 75 and lets him run the tank for a week or so, then back to the 5g. gets rid of a lot of the little guys


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## smark (Dec 2, 2008)

What other fish are in the 75. Just wondering how big they might be.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

I wish I could find some pea puffers. They are so darn cute but I guess they don't get along well with others?


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## smark (Dec 2, 2008)

They are ferocious eaters that go thru blood worm real easy.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Fishychic said:


> I'd like to believe they are all out! I've picked out about 10 so far. I'm worried there might be more! Hopefully not!


Fc: once again roflmao

There are a bunch in that tank you just cannot see them primarily due to their size. They will probably always be there.

If you have them down to where you can only observe a few every now and then you are doing good.

TR


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

there are a bunch of tetras, barbs, gouramies, and cories in the 75G tank. the pea puffer harasses all of them, but gets the job done.


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## Lupin (Aug 1, 2006)

Fishychic said:


> Thank guys.
> 
> I've been doing it manually. I start to see one every now and then, so it's not too bad now. I was just worried because they were eating my plants!


Are the leaves of your plants healthy? Pond snails and ramshorns tend to eat only the dead and decaying parts, not the healthy parts.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

jones57742 said:


> Fc: once again roflmao
> 
> There are a bunch in that tank you just cannot see them primarily due to their size. They will probably always be there.
> 
> ...



OHHHHHHH! I thought there are suppose to be Zero in the tank! 

Well good then!


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

Lupin said:


> Are the leaves of your plants healthy? Pond snails and ramshorns tend to eat only the dead and decaying parts, not the healthy parts.


Well I noticed some of the leaves are half eaten and some have holes :/


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## Lupin (Aug 1, 2006)

They could have been dying already. Which plants are these?


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

I'm not sure what the names are....They're in German : /


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## smark (Dec 2, 2008)

You need a translator.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

I found THREE today! 

Got one out, sorry the pic is crappy. I don't have a good camera and believe it or not, my laptop was better! I wish i could get a closer shot but then it gets all blurry  












Its just black with brown spots. 

What kind of snail is it?


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

OMG THEY'RE POND SNAILS! 


I just did some research


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## smark (Dec 2, 2008)

You just need fish that enjoy snails.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

/agree.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Fishychic said:


> OMG THEY'RE POND SNAILS!
> I just did some research


Fc:

Getting back to the basics your original post indicated that your concern was snails munching on your plants and this indicated that were not common pond snails.

As you have determined now that the snails are common pond snails the deterioration to your plants was from some other cause.

Placing three loaches (minimum required as they are social creatures) into your tank would be like dropping a hydrogen bomb on the snails as within a couple of weeks none would be (or very rarely be) observable*.

Unfortunately I am not aware of three loaches of a species which would be happy campers in a 30G tank and thus you are into manual reduction and not overfeeding*.

TR

*As I indicated you will probably not be able to eradicate the snails but you should be able to reduce the population to where they are rarely visible. Not overfeeding is the key here.


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## Fishychic (Dec 7, 2008)

jones57742 said:


> Fc:
> 
> Getting back to the basics your original post indicated that your concern was snails munching on your plants and this indicated that were not common pond snails.
> 
> ...


hmmmm, Well then I have no clue why my plants have holes in them  

Ya, I don't plan on getting clown loaches, i'll just manually pick them out.


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## hckygirl_31 (Dec 19, 2008)

i have lots of snails in my 30g tank and i have tried manually removing them but it seems like they just keep coming back i was looking to get a fish that would eat them but i already have 2 bala sharks 1 blue gourami 1 angle fish 1 cory and 1 pictus catfish so i dont no what fish would be able to go in there have enough room and get along with the fish i already have


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## FlatLine (Dec 30, 2008)

Try assassin snails?


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## hckygirl_31 (Dec 19, 2008)

how many should i get and wont they reproduce to?


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## OldMan (Dec 30, 2008)

Yes assassin snails will breed and become your next problem.


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## hckygirl_31 (Dec 19, 2008)

well then what kind of fish can i put in a 30g tank that has 6 fish in it already still have enough room but will do its job


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