# snails "suiciding" on the filter's intake?



## monk21 (Dec 5, 2012)

As some of you may know I have (had) at around a hundred baby snails in my tanks. lately I see many of them on the filter's intake, stuck for hours or maybe even days, and next day new empty shells in my tank.

What i see happening is they go there for some reason, the intake's flow is too strong, they get stuck there and they cannot leave, so they eventually die. Is this possible? Anyone with similar experience?


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

They are dumb and want to eat whatever they smell in the filter. Only way to prevent this is with a sponge placed on the intake.

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## monk21 (Dec 5, 2012)

Jackson said:


> They are dumb and want to eat whatever they smell in the filter. Only way to prevent this is with a sponge placed on the intake.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


yeah i thought of that but then again I am thinking, If the reason why the get stuck there is the fast flow and if by altering the filter I prevent that, it means I am actually altering the flow of the filter which I wouldn't want to do


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

You wouldn't be altering the flow with a sponge as long as it's kept clean.

Or you can make a DIY snail guard

I use empty pill bottles. Make a bunch of wholes all around it and cut a whole in the lid to slip the intake in. I use a o ring to keep it in place. It works great and doesn't need to be cleaned as often as a sponge

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## monk21 (Dec 5, 2012)

Jackson said:


> You wouldn't be altering the flow with a singe as long as it's kept clean.
> 
> Or you can make a DIY snail guard
> 
> ...


but here is the thing. If the power of the intake doesn't decrease, then the snails will still get stuck in anything with a hole


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## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

The most powerful siphon of the filter is at the smallest part of the intake. If you can increase the size by adding a sponge or any other device that keeps the snails away from that smallest part they'll be strong enough to move around freely.
--
Paul


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## monk21 (Dec 5, 2012)

Y2KGT said:


> The most powerful siphon of the filter is at the smallest part of the intake. If you can increase the size by adding a sponge or any other device that keeps the snails away from that smallest part they'll be strong enough to move around freely.
> --
> Paul


wait, so you mean the sponge should go outside of the intake or stuff it on the inside?


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

Cut a hole in a piece of sponge and slip it over your filter's intake.


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## monk21 (Dec 5, 2012)

Oh that's what you mean. Does it have other positives or negatives on a tank?


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

monk21 said:


> Oh that's what you mean. Does it have other positives or negatives on a tank?


Reduces the filters flow rate slightly. That's it. It keeps poo and uneaten food out of your filter.


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## greg (Apr 29, 2012)

monk21 said:


> Oh that's what you mean. Does it have other positives or negatives on a tank?


Provides additional surface area for the 'good' bacteria to colonize, so in that sense it's like adding additional filtration media to your tank. As mentioned the main downside is that it does clog over time. I have them on quite a few tanks and depending on the tank and the density of the foam being used, need to give them a quick rinse every 2-4 weeks. Basically, when the filter flow slows more than I want, I give the pre-filter foam a rinse.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I find my snails, and shrimp, like to graze on sponge type prefilters. They do grow BB, and catch any larger particles, and thus become both an additional food source and filtration source. 

Make sure you get a sponge that has coarse rather than fine pores. Fine pores will clog up much faster than coarser ones do. Sponge texture similar to those of the sponges you get for an Aqua Clear filter are ideal, I think.


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## zfarsh (Apr 7, 2011)

By the way, even with the sponge prefilters, you will still somehow get snails in your filters, and they will live there. Sometimes, even the little shrimps get there time to time. But it is a good thing, both for snails and shrimp can gaze on your sponge prefilter for food / bacteria, and helps to keep your filter cleaner. Just don't forget to clean it same way you do with your other filter elements every week or so, so as not to cut flow.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Too true zfarsh.. I find surprising numbers of shrimp in my AC mini that I have on a small shrimp tank. I've found as many as twenty or so in there.. usually in the sponge portion of the filter. It has pieces of coarse sponge instead of a chunk so they find room to crawl around and feed in there. Seems to work just fine for them.. I just have to be careful to have the filter over a bucket when I clean it, so if there are any jumpers, they don't hit the floor.


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