Hungry malayan shrimps

[diki]

I got up this morning and when I was feeding my fishes, found that 3 of the malayan shrimps are feeding on the biggest snail in my 1 ft shrimp tank. Have not fed them for the past few days or it is a week?!? I have just taken out a java moss on bogwood to retie the java moss. Now left with the only a java moss on driftwood and a small nana. Since got around 30 of them in the tank, maybe they are too hungry. My wife and me feed them some sinking pellets and turtle food (floating type) just now. This happen just as I was about to send the snail away. (snail boom, so taking them out from my tank one by one and decide to "donate" to a canal near my place.) So sad for the pitiful snail. Should have send it away earlier.

[Justikanz]

Please do NOT throw unwanted animals into our waterways! That is not very responsible... Either for the environment OR the animal. The snails can breed and over populate the waterways. If they are not found naturally here, the can do a lot of harm, like introducing diseases and fighting local species for food. We should take care of our already badly damaged environment.

Anyway, what snail is it? The snail could have died before the shrimps get to feed on it.

[diki]

Should be the common snails. Not any special ones. Should be those small snails that sometimes comes with the plants. A bit round shell (small) or oval (bigger). Does not really cause much harm in my tank but finds them a bother when seeing more of them lately.

Is there any place u can put them away? Hope not kill them or through the toilet bowl. Thanks.

[Justikanz]

They should be normal ramshorn and pouch snails. It is pretty normal for shrimps to eat such snails...

We still should not be dumping them in our waterways cos they can breed very easily as you probably had witnessed... I usually dump my snails in tanks that contain snail eating fish... There are also lots of puffer owners who would love to take them off your hands. You can find several such threads on the market place. Sorry if I sounded too harsh...

[diki]

Well, it is a better idea than putting them into the waterways.

Is there any more alternatives? If that is none, will do that if I have another load of them. Thanks for your advice.

It is ok. From wat u have said, u care about the environment. Sometimes many people just throw away their fishes or other stuff into ponds and waterways without thinking. Louhans comes into the mind. Really affect the ecosystem in the pond or waterway. Actually I have also seen this happen at Kent Ridge Park. Saw 2 aros (tink is silvers), 5-8 blood parrots, 3 kois and other unknown fishes that I cannot identify. Poor fellas but unless we end their life, is there any other way?

[Justikanz]

I know of some people who crush them so that the fish and shrimps can feed on them...

Is the snail population very big? Else, they are ok to live with... They are efficient cleaners too...

Seems we have no choice... If we do not want to harm the environment, we have to kill them...

As for the fish that are dumped... The best way is to STOP buying them. Or STOP selling them... Best thing is to read up on the intended purchase to understand how big the fish can be, how long its lifespan is, what are its needs, etc... The same can be applied to other pets that people throw away after impulse buying, eg, hamsters, cats, dogs, rabbits etc...

[diki]

Ok. Thanks for the tips of disposing them. I think it is better to give them away and hopefully they get a painless death. I think crushing their shell would not kill them instantly. Somemore my shrimps actually pulled out the snail from its shell. Was wondering wat it was until realize that it is the snail body floating on the water surface.

Efficient cleaners? Wat they do? Eat algae? Like I said they are ok but don't like see too many in my 2ft tank. Scared they prey on my plants. Somemore heart not strong if see my 2 ft tank infested with baby snails. Still see some of them but leave them alone (for now )

[Justikanz]

You can place them in a strong salt solution for a quick death... Painless death? Think only by feeding them to a BIG fish can that happen... Or a quick slam with a hammer... *Sigh*... The things we have to do...

The dun seem to attack plants... but rather feast on weak/dying plant parts... as well as picking up the left over food that the fish cannot reach...

The ramshorn snails do look good when fully grown... But I agree with them looking disgusting when they are babies and start crawling all over the front glass...

[ahkarboy]

Or you can throw them in the bowl behind his back!!!!

Just kidding!! Just throw them in the bin. Doesn't smell or anything. (still dies)

[spinex]

2 forumers here collect Snails for their puffer fish. You can kindly donate your snails to them

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=16415
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=15689

Let your snail die with some value

[creampuff]

Yeah yeah! Puffer owners will gladly take your snails with no questions asked. Provided they're not MTS. Cos those are too hard for the teeth of the puffers. If you happen to live around central west, I'd be glad to offload your snails from you! I've got three puffer "pigs"...

[diki]

I stay in the west. If outbreak again would contact u. Thanks.

[XnSdVd]

Or if you don't want them being fed to puffers, I need trumpets for my tank to counter the base fert digging tubifex

And if they're ramshorns I'll take them too. don't have any im my tank and I don't mind them. And as justi said, they're efficient cleaners =) 5 months of sunlight and still not spot algae. Good stuff.

[XnSdVd]

Apologies to puffer owners for hijacking your fish food

[Justikanz]

Haha... You can get snails from me lah... Just remind me via sms tonight so I can prepare them for tomorrow's excursion... I should be able to get some ramshorns and pouch snails out... I had a big group of them in my temp paludarium cos really dun like to kill them...