Deadeye
you'll like what I originally planned for this tank: The tank is a 2.7 gallon that I originally intended to grow bladder and ramshorn snails in as a food source for puffers. But at the moment, its holding 2 2" bichirs until another growout opens up at home (I know this is much less than ideal but I didn't have anywhere else to put them at the time). I have no other snails in the tank and quite honestly don't know where the MTS came from as I never had them in any tanks before and was always careful not to introduce snails up until I got interested in puffers.Ways to get MTS out of tank?
- Thread starter Sirtrashcan
- Start date
Deadeye
you'll like what I originally planned for this tank: The tank is a 2.7 gallon that I originally intended to grow bladder and ramshorn snails in as a food source for puffers. But at the moment, its holding 2 2" bichirs until another growout opens up at home (I know this is much less than ideal but I didn't have anywhere else to put them at the time). I have no other snails in the tank and quite honestly don't know where the MTS came from as I never had them in any tanks before and was always careful not to introduce snails up until I got interested in puffers.
Unfortunately, for that size tank, it's very unlikely any loach would be comfortable enough to eat snails, due to lack of space.
However, I do remember you asking me about loaches for your 284 liter once your gars are done with it. If the trumpet snails end up in there, the best trumpet snail eater is probably the horseface loach since they burrow like trumpet snails do and have an easy time eating them.
I have never had horsefaces but have seen them reported to be good trumpet snail eaters, in line with my guess:
However, I do remember you asking me about loaches for your 284 liter once your gars are done with it. If the trumpet snails end up in there, the best trumpet snail eater is probably the horseface loach since they burrow like trumpet snails do and have an easy time eating them.
I have never had horsefaces but have seen them reported to be good trumpet snail eaters, in line with my guess:
Do you think its one that a juvi could live in long enough to clear out the population and then move up? I have an LFS that almost exclusively sells new born fish. If not then I'll set myself up a nice little snail trap to get them out.
The Mts probably came in on plants.
2.7 is pretty small as M MultipleTankSyndrome said, and I’m not sure of any loaches that can go in there for life. As a growout it can work for a number is species.
Another thing that came to mind is actually African dwarf frogs. I’ve seen one rip a Mts right out of the shell.
2.7 is pretty small as M MultipleTankSyndrome said, and I’m not sure of any loaches that can go in there for life. As a growout it can work for a number is species.
Another thing that came to mind is actually African dwarf frogs. I’ve seen one rip a Mts right out of the shell.
Honestly, they are easier than most fish. And the toy store ones managed to outlive the petsmart ones (petsmart ones never last more than a few months for me). Very low maintenance as long as they get meaty foods and you stay on top of water changes. It’s been a while since I had them, if I had a setup I could put them in I would.
Purely hypothetical, but I would like to get a betta in this tank after I move the bichir out shortly. Is the frog capable of co-habitating with a betta? Or would that be a bad idea?
It really depends on the betta, some tolerate others, some don’t. Mine wouldn’t bother frogs. In less than 5 gallons I probably wouldn’t try it though.
My guess would be not, trumpet snails take a while to eradicate even in a tank the fish is comfortable in due to their numbers. And with that long while in your tank comes stress from, so I suggest the snail trap.
GL!
Hello; Being a tank of less than three gallons a tear down is easy. Perhaps if space allows getting a five or ten gallon replacement would be even simpler.
The MTS are livebearers meaning the offspring are born alive rather than from eggs. I have not searched to see how small they can be but imagine they are small enough when young to be missed on nets and other things such as plants.
A reported simple way to remove snails is to drop a bit of lettuce in a tank and leave it a while. Probably during the dark. Then lift out the lettuce with snails attached. I have not tried this myself so cannot say how well it works. Sounds reasonable.
One additional point is being such a small amount of water ( under three gallons) with small fish and lots of snails there is a possibility of high nitrate levels. It is very good you do WC several times a week. The snails add to the biomass of the tank which adds to the ammonia to nitrites to nitrates cycle. This is why i mentioned a new tank with only the two fish or a cleanout of the existing tank. The two fish alone are likely pushing things without any snails at all.
In a larger tank a few snails are good, in my view. They eat any excess food. I think it is better to have excess food pass thru the gut of a snail rather than to decay. I like snails.
The MTS are livebearers meaning the offspring are born alive rather than from eggs. I have not searched to see how small they can be but imagine they are small enough when young to be missed on nets and other things such as plants.
A reported simple way to remove snails is to drop a bit of lettuce in a tank and leave it a while. Probably during the dark. Then lift out the lettuce with snails attached. I have not tried this myself so cannot say how well it works. Sounds reasonable.
One additional point is being such a small amount of water ( under three gallons) with small fish and lots of snails there is a possibility of high nitrate levels. It is very good you do WC several times a week. The snails add to the biomass of the tank which adds to the ammonia to nitrites to nitrates cycle. This is why i mentioned a new tank with only the two fish or a cleanout of the existing tank. The two fish alone are likely pushing things without any snails at all.
In a larger tank a few snails are good, in my view. They eat any excess food. I think it is better to have excess food pass thru the gut of a snail rather than to decay. I like snails.
