first there was plants; and then came snails

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WestTex

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jun 15, 2008
135
0
16
New Braunfels, Texas
Howdy,

So, about 6 months ago I planted my 55 gallon. It has taken off and now I have to trim and remove plants almost on a weekly basis. This last week I have noticed more and more snails inside the tank...I ordered my plants from Live Aquaria.com.

Years ago I had snails in the tank from some wild plants I added from a local creek. These look like the same snails. Is the clown loach still my best bet for getting these little boogers under control? I bait them ever day and I keep removing every single one I can get my hands on. Will a clown loach mess my plants up?

Thanks in advance. Any advice on the snail problem would be helpful.

WT

Oh yeah. I have a 20 gallon cycling, with plants growing in it. The plan with this tank is to add 4 or 5 dwarf puffers in there in the hopes that they will have a nice steady supply of snails. My main concern is the plants though. I don't want to lose what I have grown.
 
Cichlids period......they will mow your plants down to the roots and commit genocide on your snails
 
I was going to suggest the pea puffers, but you already plan on them. It's not too massive of a tank, so I'd just pick off as many as I could see, in addition to the pea puffers.
 
Piece of potato every night, remove before too much light is on the tank in the morning. A net helps a lot with removal. I place the net under the potato when placing it in the tank.
 
I can vouche for the potato method. Pond snails can't resist it...

You could always get a bunch of Assassin snails.
 
It is susually not so bad to have to have a few snails in a tank and they generally only reproduce a lot if there is abundant food for them. Have you tried cutting back on fish food a but and also doing more water changes.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I tried baiting the snails at night, and when I get home at about 3 AM, the net is full of them. I probably do have a tendancy to overfeed on occation. I will be more careful about that. I do 25% every two weeks, I think that is sufficient.

Thanks for all your suggestions!
 
Are you able to get your hands on Botia Sidithimunki? AKA Dwarf Chain Loach? Works like a charm on snails and people. Stays small and don't mess up plants.
 
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