MisterGrumbles Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Okay, I need a way to basically (as bad as this sounds) come up with a genocide plan for all these snails. They have literally come outta no where and have over run. I think there's way to many for an assassin snail, plus a buddy said they are useless anyway. I need any ideas to kill off all of these little tank terrorists.. HELP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Stop over feeding. Remove as many as possible. And, stop over feeding. Their numbers should reduce over time. You can add snail predators ('useless' snails, loaches, cichlids can help), but really you need to stop over feeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterGrumbles Posted January 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 I have 15 neon and glowlight tetras each, a pair of apistos, 3 corys and a pleco. Considering those numbers and the amount of food I put in the tank, I'm not overfeeding. They are taking over like the Nazi's in France, I need drastic measures. I heard loaches are my best bet to do some exterminating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterGrumbles Posted January 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 I will work on feeding them a little less, sure. One other question I have is regarding bettas. My cousin has a betta and I heard in passing that bettas will be able to munch out some snails too. As for what I have in my tank, do you figure a betta would be alright in my tank. I mean, it doesn't have to stay in there, just for a little snail chow down vacation.. ha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 While Bettas may eat the occasional snail, I wouldn't put them in the category of snail control. There's only one reason that a snail population is able to explode: ample food. If your fish are full grown or close, don't feed them every day. If cant help yourself, get a scavenger that you like: shrimp, for example. They will over populate your tank as well, but others like them and you'll be able to sell/trade the excess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayba Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Use sand as a substrate. When I get too many snails, I simply sift it with a fishnet that is course enough to let the sand through and the snails stay in the net, then in the trash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigs Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 (edited) While Bettas may eat the occasional snail, I wouldn't put them in the category of snail control. There's only one reason that a snail population is able to explode: ample food. If your fish are full grown or close, don't feed them every day. If cant help yourself, get a scavenger that you like: shrimp, for example. They will over populate your tank as well, but others like them and you'll be able to sell/trade the excess. or to take care of the excess food in my tank I added some sailfin petricolas....they are HUGE now lol Antonio PS or get shrimp that eat snails! the red claw macros I have love them, about the only snail they cannot eat with ease are the assassin snail. They are decent sized though, and grow to about 4" overall. Edited January 25, 2013 by Tigs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremoose Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 +1 for loaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJanzen Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 The up side of snails is FERTILIZER! When my snail population gets a little high I just hand pick them out of the tank and chuck them in a freezer bag. Into the freezer they go, then come spring crush 'em up and into the garden they go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperGuppyGirl Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Depends on the betta, I have tried using them as pest snail control, and they never so much as glanced at them. The other is the tetras can get nippy on the bettas fins if you are getting one with flowy fins. Depending on your tank size loaches would be a better choice. Good luck , hopefully you won't have to gut the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterGrumbles Posted January 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 As ugly as loaches are, I think I might get a couple of them, even just for some more variety in my tank. I currently have a 55 gallon with the previous mentioned members in there. There's literally sooo many snails in there, in terms of picking them out.. that just boggles my mind. I may have to gut the tank anyway as I think I'm relocating it to my basement, but I might get a couple loaches anyway, just to ease the overpopulation of snails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJanzen Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 If you relocate the tank you can iodine bath any plants, wood, decorations, etc... That'll kill off any snails and their eggs. Might want to replace your substrate as well. Just give everything you iodine bath a good rinse after and you should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterGrumbles Posted January 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 As nicely as the live plants I have in there have grown, I actually think I might get rid of them altogether. Thanks for the idea, I wanted to switch to sand anyway, I think it looks way better in a tank than gravel. On a side note, I just noticed one of my glowlights top fins has been chomped off.. or at least what looks like that's the case. I forgot to mention the one zebra danio I have in there too. Think he could be the culprit? I don't think one of the apistos would have done that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJanzen Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Could be the danio, sometimes they can be grumpy and act like bullies when they're the loner in the tank. Usually a small school of them will take the aggression away as they'll focus on each other instead. Could be one of the other glowlights too though, unless you see who's doing it it can be hard to nail down a culprit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterGrumbles Posted January 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 (edited) Hmm.. I see. Well, I had about ten danios and I ended up keeping them all in my tank when I had Dempseys and well, long story short, there's only one left. haha. Edited January 25, 2013 by MisterGrumbles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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