solve this riddle...
- Thread starter The_Nuge
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If your LFS sold you the loach to eat the snails and he isnt, you should take him back and get your money back. Not all sunnies eat snails, mainly Redbreast, Pumpkinseeds, and Redears. The good thing is that Pumpkinseeds rival many cichlids in color and temperment and Redbreasts are close behind ....and you dont need a heater! If you want sunnies already trained to eat pellets you can buy online from Zimmermans fish, Jonahs Aquarium or Sachs Aquaculture. Redears are the best at eating snails....but get larger and arent as pretty as the other sunnies IMHO. If you dont want to purchase them you can use a aerated minnow bucket for couple of 3-5inch Pumpkinseeds (theyre all over Minnesota in the lakes and 3-5 inches is big enough to eat snails) to transport them home and catch them on small non-barbless hooks (if its legal in Minnesota check your local DNR for applicable laws). I must warn you that sometimes they are easy to pellet train from the wild .....and sometimes very difficult. I dont know the laws in Minnesota but in Missouri its legal to release fish into private ponds....that might just be the best home for a LMB (unless someone has a 250g or bigger). Ps in either case you will have to do a 50% water change to get rid of some of the chemicals.
Sun fish, bluegill, carp/koi, goldfish. they have all been known to eat snail including many other fishes. But I don't think the snails are the problem here. I think it's the water chemistry in your tank. Somethings not right. Could be ph or nirate nirite levels. Too much waste and a poor filter can easily throw your fishes off. I know I've been there done that. I say get make sure your sump is doing it's job or filteration system is doing it's job. Also to have a busy tank it helps to have a good water flow/current going.Creates oxygen and keeps the fish moving just make sure it's not too strong.
I'm surprised your LMB hasn't eaten most of your fishes unless he/she's not that big. I remember having a LMB about 6inches eat everything in my tank other than the fishes bigger than it which was an albino oscar a tiger oscar and a 2lbs blue gill. Yeah highly reccomend you do some water change or take out anything that could be potentially hazardous to the fishes. Well good luck with the tank i have afew sunfish myself with very hardy fish.
I'm surprised your LMB hasn't eaten most of your fishes unless he/she's not that big. I remember having a LMB about 6inches eat everything in my tank other than the fishes bigger than it which was an albino oscar a tiger oscar and a 2lbs blue gill. Yeah highly reccomend you do some water change or take out anything that could be potentially hazardous to the fishes. Well good luck with the tank i have afew sunfish myself with very hardy fish.
Well feeders didn't bring you snails your live plants did. Snails are not harmful in fact they eat algae and uneaten food. When keeping live plants you never want to treat chemicals. There are other ways to keep snails in check without chemicals. You can bait them and collect lots of them out. Or get an Assassin snail to hunt them down. Or as mentioned get a Loach to eat them.
Copper is a harsh chemical that will linger in the tank well after many water changes. You will probably have to start over with new gravel to really be sure to get rid of the copper.
Copper is a harsh chemical that will linger in the tank well after many water changes. You will probably have to start over with new gravel to really be sure to get rid of the copper.
Normally I would agree with the loaches being a natural/effective/safe way to control snails. BUt if you intend to re-do the tank anyways and re-home your bass.. IMHO I would strip it down. Even if you want sunfish. as said copper can linger. so doing a complete break-down/wash of everything is a good idea. I would do it after you find the bass a home and before you get your sunnys. replace the plants/wash the gravel. strip out your filter and replace/thoroughly clean the media.
MonsterMinis;4851762; said:
PS- that had a snails stuff can be like setting off a nuke.. def a last ditch concern. Chalk this up as a lesson learned to avoid Chemicals at all costs but the most extreame.
copper kills plants and can kill inverts. your snails came with the plants. next time you can do preventive measures, the guys in the plant fourm can help alot more then i with that.
Clown loaches Are schooling fish. For 40$ it must be a fairly large one. Since you dosed copper did you add any plants? i would assume thats why the snails came back. If you search around the stickies theres many ways to get rid of snails without chems, or fish to eat them.
Clown loaches Are schooling fish. For 40$ it must be a fairly large one. Since you dosed copper did you add any plants? i would assume thats why the snails came back. If you search around the stickies theres many ways to get rid of snails without chems, or fish to eat them.
I do fairly regular water changes and im running a marineland C-530 canister filter (the big dog of my local shops shelves) I would hope its enough filter. I also have a 600 gph current pump by looking at it you can see it has plenty of water movement. I think ill give this loach a week and see if the snails go away or not just for curiosity. then i ll move or sell him along with the bass and tear the tank down. its going to suck and take up a whole day but I think ill be able to enjoy it again knowing i dont have residual copper in the system. I would realy like to get a good healthy self sustained system going.
I agree , I hadnt even thought of the filtration, I assumed it would be working good.....DOH! I had some Green sunnies I loved, extremely hardy fish, just big eaters with aggressive attitudes, Pumpkinseeds would definately be better for snail controll.juzbmez;4851600;4851600 said:
