getting rid of snails

[skjl47]

I had those trumpet snails in my sump, annoying as hell because they'd block the drip tray! Dunno what happened, but one day there were none. And hasn't been any in months. Never seen one in the main tank either (dead or alive, and i just removed all the sand).

Hello; I have had the maylasian trumpet snails (mts) in my tanks for several decades. I like them so it was not an issue for me. Within the last year or so they began to dissapear from my tanks to the point that there were none. I am not sure why.

The only clue my be the growth of what I call slime algae. It may also be what is known as cyanobacteria-algae. The type that forms green sheets on surfaces. For a time the sheets of algae would not form on the gravel surface. When the algae sheets began to form on the gravel, I also began to notice the lack of mts. In the past when the lights came on in the morning there would be some mts on the tank glass. I have no idea if the two things have any connection in terms of having the mts dissapear. Something else may have reduced the mts and once gone they were not arround to eat the algae.

I have been tearing down, cleaning and setting my tanks back up for many weeks now. I found some mts at an area fish store and introduced them. Time will tell if they will restablish.

 

[Stone Like Fish]

Interesting. I can't comment on the algal part in relation to disappearances. I often have that green algae that is hard to scrape off on the glass in this tank - but it's never grown on the rocks or wood or gravel (maybe my horde of crayfish eat it?) Actually they are probably why there was never any in the main tank. Still doesn't explain the sump disappearances.

I kept putting them in the main tank in the hope they would live too, but no success. I am NOT introducing them again due to the sump annoyances

 

[mattyice572]

Loaches and puffer fish are natural predators for snails, but a simple way to help lower the snail population is to put a weight on zuchinni slices before lights out. Check back a few hours later and the zuchinni slices should be riddled with these pests. Repeat until its in control.

 

[skjl47]

Loaches and puffer fish are natural predators for snails, but a simple way to help lower the snail population is to put a weight on zuchinni slices before lights out. Check back a few hours later and the zuchinni slices should be riddled with these pests. Repeat until its in control.

Hello; Interesting point of view. There are at least two camps when it comes to snails. I think of snails as an interesting addition to my tanks. Snails are a part of natural settings the same as fish. I also find them to be of real benefit in terms of maintaining a healthy tank. To each his own.

 

[tyl089]

Snails are interesting and can be useful but mts def can get out of control without some predators in place

 

[skjl47]

Snails are interesting and can be useful but mts def can get out of control without some predators in place

Hello; My experience with MTS matches that which other forum members have posted. That experience being that the MTS population being linked to the amount of food available to them. When I overfed I had a lot of the MTS. When I reduced my feeding amounts and went to fasting days the MTS population stayed down.

Regarding this, if there is a large population of MTS that means they are finding the bits of extra food available. Without them that food would decay in the water and may lead to water quality issues.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

loaches, puffers or even darters if you want a local native route to snail control, and watch the amount being fed to the tank. snails will eventually disappear if their food supply gets checked.

 

[Warborg]

Hmmm... in 26 years I have never seen a single snail in any of my tanks. I also can't keep duckweed. They disappear after a few days.

 

[benzjamin13]

I hate my snail infestation. I know a few are good for the tank especially if you have a sandy substrate, but there is a point where it's just an aesthetic abomination. Here's what I was able to scoop out BY HAND without the use of a trap in my 75g. This is a 32oz container half way filled and the only reason it's not full was because I got tired of doing it. This particular tank doesn't have a snail controller, but I have 2 more tanks with this problem as well.


I've gotten Assassin Snails in the past and most of them died off within weeks. For some reason, they never survived. I was finally lucky enough to have some that survived long enough to breed, so now I have Assassin Snails more acclimated to my water. They've done a pretty decent job in the 110g I have. There was a point where a lot of the MTS would gather up to make their way to the surface to breed (I'm assuming) and there was this spiderweb of reddish-brown mucus all over the tank each time they did this. It was pretty disgusting.

Another problem tank was my 40B. I ended up getting a group of Clown Loaches and to be honest, it was a bit disappointing. I would check on the tank at night and I would just see the glass 40% covered with MTS. I've heard Yoyo Loaches worked better, so I got a small group of them. In less than a week, there was noticeably less and the following week there was barely any on the glass. While I still have MTS in all my tanks, I felt that Yoyo Loaches were the best pick.

 

[tyl089]

Wow that is alot. Good to know about the yoyo loach. Do they need to be in a group or can it be just one or pair?