# Snails are driving me crazy I need help



## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

I have done it all but nuke the tank and I cant because it is home to a well very large group of L-134's. I have no other tanks I want to put them in because they hold large aggressive plec's. I have done the veggie in container thing pick them out thing and a few more things LOL I cant even think of. They are taking over the L-134's caves and they are making it hard for me to try and spwn them. I just picked out about 300 this week and this is on going like every two weeks. I have a bucket here that has about 2000 of them in it. You can throw garbage ( fruit and vegggie peels ) in it and they take care of it. Even my turtles dont want to eat them anymore.

What can I do that will not harm my L-134's but will get rid of those snails?

Thanks


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Assassin Snails... Menagerie has them


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

Borrow a small puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) or a yoyo loach, then return the stuffed and happy fish to its owner once it has eaten every last snail . . . it won't take long. . .


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

KnaveTO said:


> Assassin Snails... Menagerie has them


Then will I be stuck with them and have a whole new problem? I know nothing about them


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

characinfan said:


> Borrow a small puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) or a yoyo loach, then return the stuffed and happy fish to its owner once it has eaten every last snail . . . it won't take long. . .


I would love to. I have a bunch of loaches but I cant risk adding new fish to the tank. These guy's are about ready to spawn or @ that right size and I need their tank in tip top shape for them.

Thanks for the suggestion


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Jackson said:


> Then will I be stuck with them and have a whole new problem? I know nothing about them


The don't reproduce prolifically and I have them in my L-066 tank


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

KnaveTO said:


> The don't reproduce prolifically and I have them in my L-066 tank


Awesome what do they go for? I dont wan to take a trip down there and pay $20 for a snail LOL


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

KnaveTO said:


> Assassin Snails... Menagerie has them


Totally agree, even if you put half a dozen of them in their, they will destroy the *im guessing* MTS in no time. And to my knowledge assassin snails do not spawn as fast as MTS do, so once the MTS problem is over, removing the assassins would be no problem. (besides, it doesn hurt to have a few of them in there)



Jackson said:


> Awesome what do they go for? I dont wan to take a trip down there and pay $20 for a snail LOL


check if redclove still has some.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Hitch said:


> Totally agree, even if you put half a dozen of them in their, they will destroy the *im guessing* MTS in no time. And to my knowledge assassin snails do not spawn as fast as MTS do, so once the MTS problem is over, removing the assassins would be no problem. (besides, it doesn hurt to have a few of them in there)
> 
> check if redclove still has some.


Thanks Hitch 

What is redclove?


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Jackson said:


> Thanks Hitch
> 
> What is redclove?


lol....kinda fell off my chair.

redclove is a member of this forum, sorry I wasnt very clear. He is/was selling them for $5 (my bad, he dropped the price to $4 a piece) each. I am not sure what the price at Menagerie is, but I wouldnt imagine it being more expensive then like 7.

here is redclove's thread.

http://gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9065


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

No... they are cheaper.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

KnaveTO said:


> No... they are cheaper.


What is the price there?


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Hitch said:


> lol....kinda fell off my chair.
> 
> redclove is a member of this forum, sorry I wasnt very clear. He is/was selling them for $5 (my bad, he dropped the price to $4 a piece) each. I am not sure what the price at Menagerie is, but I wouldnt imagine it being more expensive then like 7.
> 
> ...


LOL sorry i dont know all the members on the forum


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I think 4/$12, but don't be too disappointed if I'm wrong.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

ameekplec. said:


> I think 4/$12, but don't be too disappointed if I'm wrong.


LOL I wont be 

Thanks ameek

I will give them a shout.

What should I be looking for when buying them? Like quality wise


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Jackson said:


> What should I be looking for when buying them? Like quality wise


I usually prefer picking out ones that are sticking to the glass (don't know why, it just makes me feel like they are more healthy). Then the only other thing is to check if the shell is intact, looking good. A healthy specimen should have a nice purple colouration of stripes.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Hitch said:


> I usually prefer picking out ones that are sticking to the glass (don't know why, it just makes me feel like they are more healthy). Then the only other thing is to check if the shell is intact, looking good. A healthy specimen should have a nice purple colouration of stripes.


Thanks Hitch 

Just one thing. Will they eat any snail? I dont have MTS I have a red ramhorn problem LOL


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Yes they will eat any snail


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

KnaveTO said:


> Yes they will eat any snail


Thanks!!!


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

KnaveTO said:


> Yes they will eat any snail


which brings another question, would they eat their own? Cus then wouldnt they eventually kill off themselves?


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Nope... they are carnivores not cannibals


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Hitch said:


> which brings another question, would they eat their own? Cus then wouldnt they eventually kill off themselves?


That is a great question good thing we have the answer


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

lol...too bad they are not cannibals...

cus then I figured that you could put in like a dozen, and then they will eat all other snails and then destroy themselves....kinda saves you the trouble of removing them...

but I guess its not that convenient. lol


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

Just be careful putting these guys in a tank with snails that you want to keep. I have heard of them ganing up on apple snails and other large snails. Needless to say they get nowhere near my tank with Sulawesi's


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

oooo...sulawesi...what specie do you have?


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

These guys are yellow. Can't remember the specific name though. Harold is trying to get more species in.


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

KnaveTO said:


> Just be careful putting these guys in a tank with snails that you want to keep. I have heard of them ganing up on apple snails and other large snails. Needless to say they get nowhere near my tank with Sulawesi's


I don't know if it was mentioned, but what about Zebra nerite snails?

I do want to get rid of MTS in my tank, as they breed a little too quickly.

Also, I suspect there are some plant eating snails as well. Does Assassin take care of them?

Oh well, I think I'm on my way to Menerage before the road gets too crowded. It's a long drive from where I'm at.

Ross, is that a new dog or you have many dogs?


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Do you know if fish can eat them? I hope they are not filled with poison or parasites.

I have a group of CW-28's in there with the L-134's so I dont want my group to be in danger.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Im not too sure about dietary habits of nerite snails. But assassins would kill any snail if given the chance.

As for corys and plecos, I doubt they would eat the actual snails (at least I dont think L134 is one of the snail eating species). But the snail eggs are fair game.

But I would recommend a couple of weeks of quarentine before the addition. Last thing you want is for your pest remover bringing in more pests that would do more damage than the original pests.

Oh, speaking of plecos eating snails. What about adding some plecos that feast on snails, or are they all to aggressive for L134s. I know vampire is one of them, but they are pretty aggressive, not too sure about other snail eating plecos.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Conix~ do not make the trip they are sold out!!!!!


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Hitch said:


> But I would recommend a couple of weeks of quarentine before the addition. Last thing you want is for your pest remover bringing in more pests that would do more damage than the original pests.


What other kinds of pests can they bring in?? I cannot really think of some..


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

I was thinking more interms of parasites


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Hitch said:


> Im not too sure about dietary habits of nerite snails. But assassins would kill any snail if given the chance.
> 
> As for corys and plecos, I doubt they would eat the actual snails (at least I dont think L134 is one of the snail eating species). But the snail eggs are fair game.
> 
> ...


I have a huge group of L-091's and they do eat snails but they are huge when compared to the L-134's and they tend to kill other plec's. I know all too well what they can do when they want to go crazy LOL

I see the cory's and L-134's eat snails here and there but I dont know if the snails were dead already or crushed some how.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

ya, I dont think I know of any snail eating plecos that are smaller than 5 inches and that are not aggressive.

As for the parasites, more research is required. I am not sure if quarantine alone would ensure parasite free snails. But I dont think your L134 and corys are actively eating/hunting the snails.


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Man this thread is growing so quickly. Luckily I saw Jackson's post and still at home


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

conix67 said:


> Man this thread is growing so quickly. Luckily I saw Jackson's post and still at home


lol...ya, good thing you checked before you went.

Synodontis multipunctata also eats snails, and they are rather docile, so if you already have them, put one in the tank.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Hitch said:


> ya, I dont think I know of any snail eating plecos that are smaller than 5 inches and that are not aggressive.
> 
> As for the parasites, more research is required. I am not sure if quarantine alone would ensure parasite free snails. But I dont think your L134 and corys are actively eating/hunting the snails.


That is for sure they are not doing any of that if they were I would not have this problem LOL I wish they would 

How would I even start to find out about the parasite thing? I only know snails as being a pest not a pet. I do know from reading about snails being eaten by other animals that they can carry parasites that kill.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

I do agree with hitch .. so i dont QT snails .

but think our fish are safe !
I do treat my tanks with prazzi pro when the snails get out of hand then sit down for the long haul picking .

there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to parasites and snails .... I still have my *Brotia pagodula* snails in qt and I got them in feb .... after looking at them under the microscope I have noticed featherduster like things sticking out of them .....could this be a parasite or the babies .....they have their own tank now .
and nothing to read about them because its unknown ..

I wouldnt worry tho as long as they are kept under conrol (bit PITA)

I am going to see harold next week(for rare snails) ill see if there are any there then .


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

He was trying to get in some Sulawesi's


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

blossom112 said:


> I am going to see harold next week(for rare snails) ill see if there are any there then .


let us know if there are any thing interesting.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Snails can carry a lot of parasites, as many parasites use them as intermediate hosts until they can find their final hosts (ie fish). I'm not sure of the life cycle and length, but for the most part, I'd assume they're safe - you can do a dose of prazi to make sure, or fluke tabs, but those might kill the snails.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

On a side note, the ones I got are already chowing down on small MTS - none of them have attacked the bigger ones yet.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

I will for sure .......

prazzi hasnt yet affected my fancy snails ,and i accidentally overdosed lol

wtg on the find eric!


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

blossom112 said:


> I will for sure .......
> 
> prazzi hasnt yet affected my fancy snails ,and i accidentally overdosed lol
> 
> wtg on the find eric!


LOL... yeah he found them in my tanks


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

im gonna have to come and RAID you of fancy snails ......pretty please lol

oh and i love your area ............


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

KnaveTO said:


> LOL... yeah he found them in my tanks


 Along with a crab


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

ameekplec. said:


> Snails can carry a lot of parasites, as many parasites use them as intermediate hosts until they can find their final hosts (ie fish). I'm not sure of the life cycle and length, but for the most part, I'd assume they're safe - you can do a dose of prazi to make sure, or fluke tabs, but those might kill the snails.


I think the prazipro will not kill the sanils or shrimp. I have used 3x the ammount once when I brought in some plec's and the shrimp and pest snails did not die off.



ameekplec. said:


> On a side note, the ones I got are already chowing down on small MTS - none of them have attacked the bigger ones yet.


Are you talking about the assassin snails? Please say yes  I want them to destroy the snails that are driving me mad.

My assassins should be here tomorrow


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Yeah, they're chowing down on the small MTS. No move on the bigger ones yet though, as some of the MTS are twice the size of the assassins.


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## Al-Losaurus (Jul 21, 2009)

Hitch said:


> lol...too bad they are not cannibals...
> 
> cus then I figured that you could put in like a dozen, and then they will eat all other snails and then destroy themselves....kinda saves you the trouble of removing them...
> 
> but I guess its not that convenient. lol


rofl that would be fun to make bets on the last survivor too funny "there not cannibals" wish i could say the same for my damn jaguar cichlids the male keeps taking chunks of the in-mature female


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## redclove (Feb 26, 2008)

I've got some assassin snails available, healthy colour with perfect shells.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

redclove said:


> I've got some assassin snails available, healthy colour with perfect shells.


I think Jackson got some assassins now.


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## aquanic (Oct 7, 2008)

looking through my medicine chest and found APpro aqauri-sol, a mild ick preventative. read what its not good for, shrimps crayfish crabs(tg i dont have crabs) and snails among others. i just used 3ml in my 55g and the baby snails were dropping like leaves from a tree. a beautiful sight indeed. I also used this method while curing some new living rock for a salt water tank. It kills the aptasia. A kind of nuisance feather duster you don't want spreading on your coral reef. Don't forget to turn on the uv filter and put back your carbon in the hob.when done. and dont overdose. LR should be in a separate pail and use a water pump. when finished in about a day. rinse LR then let sit in freshly made salt water for a day before putting into tank.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

First, never sell your live rock without telling people you've used copper on it - it'll be useless in a reef/coral tank as the copper has a severely detrimental effect on corals and other inverts. It's only good for fish only tanks now.

Second, that copper medication in your FW tank now means that your tank will probably be inappropriate for shrimps and other inverts. Also, watch the growth rates of your plants - excess copper can have deleterious effects on tip growth in plant cells as well.

This is why people labor to find natural non-chemical methods to treat their tanks. Not to mention that many fish are also very sensitive to copper based medications. 

If it were as easy as drop in some copper solution, this thread probably wouldn't be pages long - natural remedies are your friend.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

99.9% of the time, overfeeding is your snail population explosion cause.

Remove, feed less, remove - should cut down on the population.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Hitch said:


> I think Jackson got some assassins now.


LOL yes I did


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## killpoint2008 (Sep 3, 2009)

my sister had a snail problem once and we never knew why they kept comming back.
if you still have the problem do what i do when i see an infestation comming.
first pick all the snails out with a net ( try to break the shells) with a net.
once your 100% sure they're gone take out the filter, caves, anything the eggs can hide in and poor hot water from the tap all over them and clean the intake tube with hot water the whole filter.
once your done spawning angel fish, clown loach, puffers love to eat them.
alway make sure there are no eggs.


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