'De-snailing' plants

[Justikanz]

Dunno if this is the right thread... moderators, please shift to appropriate thread if you deem so. Thanks!

I have some plants in a 'holding tank' (previously my shrimp tank ) and there are pouch and ramshorn snails all over... I want to plant the plants in another tank and do not want to introduce the snails unknowingly as some babies and eggs might be attached and cannot be detected.

Read some where that it is ok to saok the plants in salt water before rinsing them to plant. Can anyone here advise if this method is ok? Is it a surefire method? Also, if this is the right method, how much salt to ensure the 'de-snailing' takes place?

Many thanks!

[XnSdVd]

Dear god why does everyone kill snails?! Just drop a puffer fish into the tank. It'll eat everything NOT plant.

[comebashme]

Dear god why does everyone kill snails?! Just drop a puffer fish into the tank. It'll eat everything NOT plant.

Lol. I suppose u have a snail tank...
Somehow I think it'll not work because soaking in saltwater only removes snails but not the eggs. If you wanna get rid of them by soaking, I think you'll have to soak for a long time n I think the plants will in saltwater before they hatch!
Maybe you wanna use ur loaches to see if they can do a good job coz they also eat snails.

[XnSdVd]

I maintain that snails + those things too small to see + daphnias + woodshrimp = the best "biological" filter you can hope to find

[Justikanz]

Yes, its a snail tank now! Over run with normal ramshorn and pouch snails. Their babies are all over the place... Even the Darios are unable to control them...

Cannot use loach cos still cannot catch the loach out from the 4ft tank! *Yikes!*

Need to remove the snails cos will be introducing the red ramshorn in the new tank and don't want them to mix and interbreed, if any. Also, find pouch snails ugly...

Will not introduce puffers cos I don't want to buy a fish and then give away after making use of it... not fair for the fish...

Anyone else knows if the salt water soak can rid the snail eggs?

[Fei Miao]

There are threads on this topic before, do a search...

One of the method is using a solution diluted bleach to soak the plants.
Use 1 part liquid household bleach (Clorox or equivalent) to 19 parts water.
Soak for about 2-3 minutes and wash the plants clean of bleach before putting them back into the tank.

[Justikanz]

Thanks, Fei Miao!

[StanChung]

works only for tough plants...
not blyxas or other soft leaved ones like a crispus ime. melted them!

[Aquatic]

XnSdVd your signature very cute leh~
Stop killing snails! They have feelings too!
suit this topic~

[StanChung]

yea, i like red ramshorns...the small round ones are altum food.

but got overrun by those pointy ones. boiled 30kg of gravel and chucked 200 bucks worth of plants...not for the weak hearted!

nowadays i use one pgymy puffer to do the job. very hardworking fellow. never out of work...

[XnSdVd]

If you're feeling experimental you could try these:

1) Plant your... plants emersed. The snails will die after awhile I assume

2) Seal your tank and cover it with a blanket. No photosynthesis, no oxygen, no snails

3) Give the buggers to me

[Justikanz]

If you're feeling experimental you could try these:

1) Plant your... plants emersed. The snails will die after awhile I assume

Can't... 1) With SOME water, snails will not die. But some (most) plants will... I am intending to transfer pelia, moss, APP and MM...

2) Seal your tank and cover it with a blanket. No photosynthesis, no oxygen, no snails

No photosythesis, no oxygen, no plants too... Keke...

3) Give the buggers to me

This can... But too many to catch all! Too many babies, and too many plants. (VERY dense). I just removed more than 10 adult ramshorn (Damn big!) for stormhawk... And some of the babies are growing liao... But I am more irritated about the pouch snails... But hor, you are Pasir Ris, me at Jurong West leh... Not worth it to travel for snails lah...

[kniveswood]

Will not introduce puffers cos I don't want to buy a fish and then give away after making use of it... not fair for the fish...

Then like me, after my dwarf puffer got no more snails to eat, I placed him in a small typical betta tank. Then fed him frozen bloodworms and the occasional snail that appear along the water surface.

Slowly, my tank became devoid of snails. I'm rather surprised, since snails only need 1 to reproduce. But hey, I'm not complaining.

[aquarius]

Wonder has any one tried using de-snailing medication to treat the plants first b4 putting them in their tanks?

[Justikanz]

Wonder has any one tried using de-snailing medication to treat the plants first b4 putting them in their tanks?

Good idea... I never did that! The snails were decendants from snails brought in the older tanks many many years ago!... Never thought of anything until now...

Btw, still will not use puffers cos 1) Both tanks are shrimp tanks and 2) No more space for extra puffer tank liao!... I am even thinking of going to the extent of renovating my room to accomodate the tanks I already have now!...

I will try the salt water method... Scared the bleach method too strong for the MM and the pelia...

[kniveswood]

Btw, still will not use puffers cos 1) Both tanks are shrimp tanks and 2) No more space for extra puffer tank liao!... I am even thinking of going to the extent of renovating my room to accomodate the tanks I already have now!...

I had malayans and yamatos in my tank too, I believe as long as there are many snails around, they would prefer to eat those. Or maybe the puffer I got is very guai hehe.

But since your already infested by snails, how you gonna soak with salt? Uproot every plant and soak?

After much reading on snail removal, the best is to properly clean your plants even before introduction. And once your tank got snails, the simplest way is to put in a dwarf puffer. Any other fishes like loaches and rams all got reports of not eating snails at all. Dwarf puffers bao eat one hehe. And loaches can uproot small plants and are hard to catch. If you cant accomodate more tanks, why not return the puffer to the LFS once it has done its job? Though most likely, snails will slowly return with the absence of the puffer. That's why I kept him in a separate tank while new snails appear. And maybe one day, your snails will miraculously disppear like mine.

And of course, I'm strongly against using snail removal chemicals.

[Justikanz]

Oh, no... I am not going to remove all the snails... I have some plants meant for transfer to the new shrimp tank temporarily floating in the 'snail' tank... They are now also covered with tiny snails and I would like to remove them...

[kniveswood]

Oh, no... I am not going to remove all the snails... I have some plants meant for transfer to the new shrimp tank floating for temporarily floated in the 'snail' tank... They are now also covered with tiny snails and I would like to remove them...

Pardon me for not reading your first post carefully!
That means you are not going to bother with the snails in your 'snail tank'? XnSdVd will be glad to hear that!

[StanChung]

did the chemical thing before. doesn't remove eggs. the best you can do is to quarantine the plants you wanna put in main tank for a week before putting in main tank and then cross fingers.. [put a p puffer in to do it's job lor]

[Naquatics]

Puffer is the answer for me ... and the puffer is gettign fat ..even when its not puffed!

although when there is no snail .. it might go on a hunger strike!