Pesky little tiny snails

[Memnoch]

I have a big problem with little snails. These buggers got introduced into the tank with some plants and now they are all over the place!!!, theres so many of them, at least 3-4 on each leaf no matter how i keep manually removing them...

I know that people usually put in a pufferfish to clean up, but i have shrimps too... guess loaches wont help too...

Please recommend me a fish that will eat these snails and leave my shrimps alone... if there is such a thing...

sigh

[juggler]

How about ghost shrimps? They help keep snails under control.

[oldman8]

Can side track abit? Is the pufferfish dangerous to keep?

[bryan]

Clown and Yoyo loaches are recomended by most aquarist to eat snails. If you have a planted tank they might mess it up though. Do you keep any larger fish? barbs or tetra?(eg. rosy, congo etc) You can crush the snails for them.
Or you can get the small and rather expensive dwarf loach.

[kemp]

it would be better that you start off a new thread on this

Can side track abit? Is the pufferfish dangerous to keep?

[bryan]

Oops, sorry missed out on your shrimp part. You could try a snail trap. I think its been mentioned before. Cucumber in a container left overnight in the tank.

[tweety bird]

I have a big problem with little snails. These buggers got introduced into the tank with some plants and now they are all over the place!!!, theres so many of them, at least 3-4 on each leaf no matter how i keep manually removing them...

I know that people usually put in a pufferfish to clean up, but i have shrimps too... guess loaches wont help too...

Please recommend me a fish that will eat these snails and leave my shrimps alone... if there is such a thing...

sigh

Can you identify the snail? any pictures on the snails?

If it is Malayan trumpet snails (MTS), Puffer and Snail remover medicine doesnt work at all. You might have to tear down the whole tank to get rid of the MTS.

[Memnoch]

I dont have any pictures, but its not the trumpet snails, instead its those round tiny snails with semi transparent shells....

I have alot of shrimps - cherry, mosquito, bee, yamatos, green, blue, in the tank... so i dont want to keep anything that will eat them... (like puffers)

I understand that ghost shrimps will eat tetras at night, so cannot also...

Will the expensive dwarf loach eat shrimps?

[Hanako]

Oops, sorry missed out on your shrimp part. You could try a snail trap. I think its been mentioned before. Cucumber in a container left overnight in the tank.

i tried the snail trap but could not catch one single snail inside the bottle .

[futoi71]

Hello,

I've been googling for snail eaters and some sites recommend betta or gouramis besides the usual botias and puffers.

Has anyone here used bettas to control snails?

TIA

[benny]

Bettas usually don't find snails appertizing. Perhaps very small ones for a be of recreational exercise.

If you don't have any other invertebrates, you can try Interpet's Anti Snail medication. It's basically a copper based compound which is fatal to all invertebrate.

Cheers,

[des]

is there any recommended medication that can get rid of snails and white worms while not harming the shrimps as well?

[benny]

is there any recommended medication that can get rid of snails and white worms while not harming the shrimps as well?

None that I know of and so far if it kills snails, it kills shrimps. Don't risk it.

Cheers,

[ankank]

From your description you either got ramshorn snails (helisoma trivolvis) or physa marmorata (which I don't know the trivial name of). Both are ubiquitous, they come with just about anything you put into a tank. And once you got them in you won't get rid of them unless you completely tear the tank down.

Which ... you shouldn't. Both species are considered beneficial to the habitat, sometimes taking care of algae but more important: they always take care of food remains.

Which also explains your problem. Overpopulation of snails is almost always a symptom of overfeeding, which is also supported by your report of them not taking a cucumber as bait. They are already well fed wherever they are, they aren't interested in a stupid cucumber.

In german forums you will usually only get one -- and only one -- advise, and it's as straightforward as it can be: "Throw less food into your tank."

Feed your other inhabitants less, less often, more directed. Don't feed and walk away, watch your population feed and take note of how much they really eat. Over the time, you will notice the population of the snails to be stalling. If still collected manually, they will reduce to an "aesthetic" minimum and just about stay there.

And: Yes, I speak from own experience.

[CK Yeo]

A puffer definitely will get rid of the snail problem. They are cute to watch, but soon you will run out of snails to feed them. I know the dwarf puffers does a good job of eating snails too. They leave fish alone, but I don't know what they might do with shrimps. There might be a problem catching it out later if you have a heavily planted tank.


You can also try acidifying the water or limiting the calcium. They hate the water and they have problems growing their shells.
Or like some others suggested earlier, leave lettuce/cucumber overnight in the tank. Remove daily.

ck

[benny]

That's en excellent picture of the puffer just about to devour the snail!!!

But good point about the long term diet requirements for the puffer.

Cheers,

[valice]

A puffer definitely will get rid of the snail problem. They are cute to watch, but soon you will run out of snails to feed them. I know the dwarf puffers does a good job of eating snails too. They leave fish alone, but I don't know what they might do with shrimps.
ck

Actually, they don't exactly leave the fishes alone, they like to nip the fins once in a while...That's the experience I have with my dwarf puffer in my snail tank... THe lone tetra with the puffer was nipped a couple of times...

[ankank]

A puffer definitely will get rid of the snail problem. They are cute to watch, but soon you will run out of snails to feed them.

That's exactly the problem. They will feed on the snails for a week, maybe two. And then you'll find yourself in the position to breed snails for them, as they specifically need hard shells to wear away their teeth on. You'll end up breeding "the problem" you got them to get rid of to begin with.

[Justikanz]

Both species are considered beneficial to the habitat, sometimes taking care of algae but more important: they always take care of food remains.

Which also explains your problem. Overpopulation of snails is almost always a symptom of overfeeding, which is also supported by your report of them not taking a cucumber as bait. They are already well fed wherever they are, they aren't interested in a stupid cucumber.

In german forums you will usually only get one -- and only one -- advise, and it's as straightforward as it can be: "Throw less food into your tank."

Feed your other inhabitants less, less often, more directed. Don't feed and walk away, watch your population feed and take note of how much they really eat. Over the time, you will notice the population of the snails to be stalling. If still collected manually, they will reduce to an "aesthetic" minimum and just about stay there.

Good point, Ankank! Thanks for sharing! I certainly agree with your point... I realised my snails will control their own population once there is a limiting factor, usually the lack of food...

Unnecessarily controlling the snail population without controlling the feeding amount sometimes will result in a growth in planaria population, which, in my opinion, is a bigger problem aesthetically...

[XnSdVd]

I really recommend leaving the snails alone. But if you insist on getting rid of them.. lower your pH to about 6 - 6.5 and kH to 1 - 2. Snails can't exist in large numbers in conditions like that. And your fish will probably start breeding too