What to do? - solved snail infestation.....

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 08 Nov 2005, 13:19

Well, I've got a dilemma.

I'm setting up a 4foot S.American community tank.
After putting in my plants, I've noticed a few snails in the tank. Now, I was careful and checked them, but found no evidence prior to planting.

I've removed about half a dozen over the last 48hours. They're fairly small (no more than 3mm) at the moment, and very soft shelled.

So the question is, do I rip out the plants and 'nuke' the tank to kill them all?

At the moment I have no fish in the tank, I was going to introduce 4 Buenos Aires tetras tommorrow.

I'd rather nip this in the bud now, than disturb the tank when it is up and running.

I really don't want snails (been there done that), and seriously thought of just plastic plants to avoid this very problem.

Also - botia & pufferfish do not enter into the equation (although I've heard Hoplo's may eat snails - anyone know how effective they might be?)

So ditch the plants now?

Or should I see how things develop?

Cheers,

Ryan

snowball · Post by **snowball** » 08 Nov 2005, 23:02

Why not use a few botias to cycle the tank for a few weeks, then remove them?

Otherwise you could take out the plants and turn up the temp, then let the rotting snails do the job. Messy, but it might be preferable to dosing the tank with copper or other poison.

I understand how frustrating it can be as I once set up a tank with much effort to eliminate snails, then after filling it up I just happened to spot a single Malaysian Trumpet snail crawling across the gravel

I was quite annoyed at the time but luckily I was able to grab it and no more ever appeared.

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 10 Nov 2005, 19:50

If they are soft shelled and not Malayan Burrowing Snails, I'd just squash them when you see them. If you are going to be keeping the temperature on the low side (23C or less) you could pick up a couple of young Gymnogeophagus balzanii, they are supposed to be at least partially molluscivorous (and with that head shape there must be some serious musculature to supply the pharyngeals, so it does make sense). There should be no problem rehousing healthy well-grown balzanii in a few months time.
Many smaller Doradids will eat snails, especially the thinner-shelled species, even if they are not that efficient at it.
Check elsewhere on the Forum for snail-related topics, some of the most attractive Loricariids available will deal with snails.
If you can find any Nannacara adoketa (they are available up here) I found that these beauties will crunch anything that resembles food.
Knowing the appetites on Buenos Aires Tets I would imagine if you went easy on the feeding they'd probably do the job themselves, you could also try something with nibbling teeth like Anostomus or young Leporinus (although you'll probably have to rehouse the Leporinus eventually, they tend to nibble a bit too eagerly as they grow).
Pete

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 11 Nov 2005, 10:32

I think they are soft shelled.

They seem to be very similar to the only other species that Iâ??ve had experience of.
I ran a 3ft community tank about 10 years ago, and it got infested with these blighters!

They were unsightly and took over the whole tank. I canâ??t remember the fish species I was keeping at the time â?? it was a long time ago now!

So not wanting this to happen again Iâ??ve taken the view that as no fish are present as yet, itâ??s a war on the snails, chemical warfare at that!

First treatment was administered last night; a repeat is advised 4 days later.
I will try my best to be patient in the meantime, but itâ??s going to be very hard.
I think Iâ??ll treat it 3 times in total, then leave for 2 weeks.
If they donâ??t reappear, Iâ??ll the sort the water quality out, and go from there â?? I might get some fish in by xmas!

If they do persist, I'll have to have a rethink, and employ some natural snail predators...

What makes it doubly infuriating, is that Iâ??ve just found a shop thatâ??s even more local to me than all my other LFSâ??s and theyâ??ve got a decent range of well priced tetras and about half a dozen small C. sterbai for cheap too!

Thanks for the replies, roll on Decemberâ?¦

Cheers,

Ryan

stuart32249 · Post by **stuart32249** » 12 Nov 2005, 15:37

Had A similar problem Myself. I was quite happy with a few Snails knocking about but that few turned into many.

So, I employed the services of a couple of clown loaches and was amazed. After only a couple of hours acclimatising they set to work.

WhitePine · Post by **WhitePine** » 12 Nov 2005, 19:15

Go to the forums area, then do a forum search for Snails. You will get a ton of hits.

LFL This one is good.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... ght=snails

Cheers, Whitepine

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 12 Nov 2005, 19:59

Well - I haven't seena snail since the first treatment.

Although the water is a touch cloudy now...had to take the carbon sponge out of the filter.

Also some of the plants look like they are not doing as well pre-treatment.

Still early days though...

Cheers,

Ryan

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 18 Nov 2005, 13:55

Well, here's an update...

The plants (mostly the cuttings in hindsight) which were just starting to establish themselves took a bit of a hit after the first dose had been administered. The water also went a little cloudy (it was gin clear previously).

However, the affected plants were recovering nicely just in time for the second dose (not that I'd seen any snails in the interim). Same results, a few withered leaves, and lack of growth for 2-3 days. No cloudiness to the water though.

Still no snails.

I've got the last treatment to add tonight.

Then I'll leave it a week, do a 25% (is that enough?) water change, leave for another week, then test water parameters.

Cheers,

Ryan

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 28 Nov 2005, 15:54

Well, all seems fine on the snail front - phew.

I've since added 7 beunos aires tetras 2 large 2 medium and 3 small, they seem to be doing well, and eggs were even produced on the fiurst morning (most were immediately eaten by the 3 smallest though!) Can't remember who commented on the appitite of these fish, but they've really got stuck into some of the plants - particularly the less robust ones!
I'm feeding them an extra veggy diet, but they're always on the prowl for more. I think they'll calm down a bit when some tankmates arrive.

A shoal of black neon tetras is next on the list, as I have 5 in my smaller set up already, another 5 should do it, then on to the catfish stock...

declan · Post by **declan** » 03 Dec 2005, 02:56

if you really want to get rid of the snail infestation the green puffer fish(tetraodon nigroviridis)is an anti-snail weapon

. my local petshop owner uses them to rid his tanks of snails. your only problem is that it is an asian fish

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 05 Dec 2005, 10:25

Haven't seen any evidence of snails for ages - I only went the chemical route becuase I had no fish stock in the new set-up...

It seems to have worked a treat.

Cheers,

Ryan

Kana3 · Post by **Kana3** » 17 Dec 2005, 09:29

Snails are something else I've never concerned myself with. And to be honest, I don't understand why people go to great lengths to get rid of them. I've had those little Malaysian runts for years. I've even had the Apple snails going for a while (thanks kids!). I cannot recall ever having a plant damaged by them.

They're good at keeping algae down (certain types). Most of the time they're unseen. And my favourite bit - when the population does get noticeable, crushed tasty snail treats for everyone. Never had a fish refuse this delicacy.

The big ones go on the chopping block first, and I leave a few young ones to re-stock the larder for next time.

However, if you're very keen on your plants, and dislike your snails. The carbonic acid from your CO2 system will dissolve the snail shell, killing them. And there'll be no second generation, because the hatchlings can't outgrow the dissolution.

This is probaly the the most lethargic method however. But no snail has survived in my main tank (with CO2). The remaining shells eventually dissolve to nothing...

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 19 Dec 2005, 10:04

Kana3 wrote:However, if you're very keen on your plants, and dislike your snails. The carbonic acid from your CO2 system will dissolve the snail shell, killing them. And there'll be no second generation, because the hatchlings can't outgrow the dissolution.

That works well if the tank has relatively soft water. However, in tanks with hard water (like most of the south half of England), the calcium in the water will be sufficient to resist this change. Like everything, the same solution doesn't work for everyone.

I have one tank that is literally FULL of snails. I don't kill them, but they are (slowly) eating the plants in the tank. Every now and again, I'll put some in my BIG tank, and they get eaten - evidenced by the empty shells that I find, and there's certainly no risk of them overrunning the big tank, as there's plenty of fish to eat the babies.

Rosy barbs seem to be good at eating snails too, as well as algae of different types - no need to crush them either, they'll just nab them when the snail body sticks out of the shell and pull it out.

--
Mats

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 19 Dec 2005, 13:10

Well the snails are long gone...

The tank is coming along nicely - but those pesky BA tetras keep taking chunks out of the plants...no matter how often I feed them veggie flake

As for the other inhabitants, I bought a dozen Rummy nosed tetras last week, they are shoaling nicely, as are the pencilfish.

On the catfish front I snapped up a pair of juvenlile 'hoplo cats' (Megalechis thoracata) and they were excellent value at Â£3.49 each (one advantage of having a site in Merthyr Tydfil!), and much cheaper than the Callichthys callichthys I was eyeing up.

They joined my 3 C. sterbai and all are very busy.

I'm still hoping to get my C. gaupore shoal after xmas...although the only ones I've seen have been about Â£11 each!

Just a water change and spruce up before I leave them for a few days over xmas â?? looks like theyâ??ll get at least one feed whilst Iâ??m away - and I'll be scouting around for a few dwarf cichlidsâ?¦
Merry Xmas all (or happy holidays at the very least!)
Cheers,
Ryan

bsfoord · Post by **bsfoord** » 26 Jul 2006, 14:16

Hi there,

Are the Callichthys caliichthys still for sale?
I've been hunting for these for years!!

Barry

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 12 Sep 2006, 21:16

Sorry Barry, I haven't been on here for ages.
They sold them a while ago - but give them a ring as they get new stock in regularly - Maidenhead Aquatics at Whetley - nr Oxford - recommended.

Crazie.Eddie · Post by **Crazie.Eddie** » 13 Sep 2006, 07:21

There may not be any visible snails, but there is still a possiblity of snails in the tank. They could be hidden or even have laid eggs. If there are no fish in the tank, you can dose the whole tank with the filter running, with potassium permaganate. It's the best solution for getting rid of external bugs/parasites on fish, killing snails/eggs, and sterilizing equipment. You can put a few granules in the tank, until it turns purple. I like to put enough to turn the water deep purple and keep everything soaked for at least 15 minutes. This will NOT harm plants. In fact, PP is commonly used to sterilize plants including killing snails and eggs. After enough time, rinse out everything. You can also use dechlorinator to nuetralize PP. Keep in mind that the granules DO NOT dissolve immediately, so it's best to pour the granules in a cup and add water, becuase if you add the granules directly in the tank, you may have to constantly add water the subtrate, then remove the water several times.

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 14 Sep 2006, 16:39

Snails are long gone - treatment deleted them

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 14 Sep 2006, 19:01

So now you have BA Tetras in your planted tank.Should have tolerated the snails. BA's are notorious plant eaters.

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 15 Sep 2006, 12:01

apistomaster wrote:So now you have BA Tetras in your planted tank.Should have tolerated the snails. BA's are notorious plant eaters.

Hello Larry,

If it did come down to a choice of a set-up with snails or having one without them - I'd always choose the latter. I had snails tank-over a 3ft tank when I was younger, and it was awful. I'd totally strip a tank before putting up with them (anyway they didn't last very long - good job I caught them early)

The BA tetras are awsome â?? they were nearly mature when I introduced them last year. It was always my intention to add them to the set-up â?? I had them in a smaller tank before I bought this one. Now they (3 males 4 BIG females) are in great condition and nice and fat.

They are very greedy, always looking for food, so they get their fair share of shredded lettuce and also take the cucumber and Courgette (Zucchini?) I offer to my L numbers.

Some of the plantâ??s didnâ??t tolerate the snail treatment â?? and yes, some (mostly the fine leaved plants) have suffered and now have been removed due to the attention of the BA Tetras. But I still have a nice mix of Java fern/Cryptoâ??s and 3 other plant species (that I have no idea what they are) â?? these are the ones which donâ??t get any attention from the Tetras or my L numbers.

Current occupiers are -

7 BA Tetras
3 Bleeding Heart Tetras (added recently from my smaller set-up â?? 2 more to come)
1 Black Neon tetra (she is as old as the hills)
5 Beckfordâ??s Pencilfish
5 Dwarf Pencilfish
10 Rummy nosed tetras (lost 3 during a whitespot outbreak)
1 Anostomus ternetzi (if he were human heâ??d be sectioned â?? mad as a snake!)
1 Flash Pleco L204
1 Mustard spot pleco LDA31
2 Meglaechis thoracta (mature pair)
3 Brochis spendens
3 Corydoras adolfoi (recent additons â?? one to be retruned â?? has odd tail)
3 Corydoras schwartzi
1 Corydoras sterbai (returned the other 2 as they were not quite right â?? strange body shape)
1 unknown Apisto (female) â?? I canâ??t remember the name from the shop â?? fairly small and drab green â?? but an interesting little fish nonetheless
4 Biotodoma wavrini

Edited for latin names and updated list.

Crazie.Eddie · Post by **Crazie.Eddie** » 15 Sep 2006, 12:49

Ryan S wrote:Snails are long gone - treatment deleted them

What did you use to treat? Most snails meds just kill snails, PP can kill both and is harmless to plants. BTW, I wouldn't use the carbon media at all. It may contain snails or snail eggs, then you'll end up back where you started.

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 15 Sep 2006, 13:33

Crazie.Eddie wrote:
Ryan S wrote:Snails are long gone - treatment deleted them
What did you use to treat?

This was the stuff that did them in.

Crazie.Eddie · Post by **Crazie.Eddie** » 15 Sep 2006, 15:03

I did a google search and all I found is that it kills snails and not eggs. Again, keep an eye. I have a feeling they will come back becuase of the eggs. If there are still no fish in the tank, I would dose with Potassium Permangate. This WILL kill snails and eggs and is harmless to plants. In fact, it's used for plants to kill snails, eggs, bugs, parasites, etc. A weak solution is also typically used for fish to kill external parasites.

BTW, I know becuase I had the same experience you did. I used snail meds, which didn't work. Unfortunately, I had fish in the tank, so it killed more fish than snails. I also ripped apart the whole tank, poured hot water and used bleach on most of my equipment, except some filter pads, which I reused. After awhile, the snails came back. I think it was through the pads or other stuff I didn't clean thouroughly. Now, when I sterilize, I use a strong dose of PP and soak EVERYTHING in the solution. I let all my filters, powerheads, sponges soak in the solution also. I fill the tank with lots of water and PP solution, it will almost overflow and let the filter run for at least 30 minutes. And I disinfect plants with PP all the time. Ever since then, I never had any problems with snails in the tanks I don't them in. My 125 gallon tank, I don't care if I have snails, since my clown loaches will snack on them.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 15 Sep 2006, 15:12

Crazie.Eddie wrote:I did a google search and all I found is that it kills snails and not eggs. Again, keep an eye. I have a feeling they will come back becuase of the eggs. If there are still no fish in the tank, I would dose with Potassium Permangate. This WILL kill snails and eggs and is harmless to plants. In fact, it's used for plants to kill snails, eggs, bugs, parasites, etc. A weak solution is also typically used for fish to kill external parasites.

Don't know how long you expect the snails to survive in egg-form, but if they cleared in November last year, they probably would have come back before now - and there's definitely fish in the tank...

--
Mats

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 15 Sep 2006, 15:31

Yes - just to clarify I set up the tank late last year â?? as soon as the plants were introduced the snails apperaed (not in any great numbers). No fish were present, so I treated the tank with the above snail treatment. This did the trick and after a few weeks of monitoring, and water changes â?? the fish were added.

Ryan S · Post by **Ryan S** » 18 Sep 2006, 15:47

Well I returned my pair of bristlenoses. Iâ??ve also removed the female Apistogramma nijsseni who was being a bit of a nuisance.

Iâ??ve added a few oak twigs to give some midwater structure to the tank and they work quite well. I think Iâ??ll get some more, as the pencilfish seem to be swimming all over the tank now â?? instead of congrigating in just one end. (must take some picsâ?¦)

Oops - almost forgot - 2 more bleeding hearts were added

What to do? - solved snail infestation.....

What to do? - solved snail infestation.....

Update.

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