MisterGrumbles Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Hmm. I'd have the gut the tank, take all the fish out, all my decor and then use this HCI? What is HCI anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Znaika Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 HCl is a hydrochloric acid - a pretty strong substance. Not sure if you need to go that far. Beware! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterGrumbles Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Like I said, I don't really like the idea of using chemicals. If I want to keep the substrate, I guess my only option to boil it. Damn it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Znaika Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 If you want to sterilize it, another option is to microwave it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 HCI? I don't know about chemicals, really. I want a more natural way of getting rid of snails. Bleach is a chemical - HOCl2. Salt is a chemical - NaCl. Muric acid - HCl - is more benign than many of the other treatments suggested for getting rid of snails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterGrumbles Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 You mean as opposed to boiling them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Znaika Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 You mean as opposed to boiling them? Yes. 10 min in a microwave will kill anything water-based. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Znaika Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Bleach is a chemical - HOCl2. Salt is a chemical - NaCl. Muric acid - HCl - is more benign than many of the other treatments suggested for getting rid of snails. I guess everything depends on concentrations, but the same concentration of Hydrochloric acid is way more corrosive than bleach (sodium hypochlorite) and not even comparable with table salt NaCl. Moreover, unless you are into developing chemical weapons, do NOT combine Hydrochloric acid and bleach - they will react producing chlorine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekbottom Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 I think if you're going to keep an underwater ecosystem in a tank you need to be prepared to deal with/accept the less desirable parts that come with it. Snails happen, for a reason. When I start a new tank I intentionally transfer pond snails in. The population explodes for a while, eggs everywhere, then 4-6 weeks later things level out. They clean places I can't get, eat stuff fish won't. Tearing a tank down and nuking everything in it sounds mighty drastic to me. Learn to manage the tank and accept what is in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 My 90g has snails, I don't mind a few, but when they start to increase population I simply bait a snail trap with an algae pellet and drop it in overnight. Snails go in but can't get out of the trap. It won't get rid of all of them, but I like how they keep the tank clean of rotting food. I had some assassin snails, they left a lot of empty snail shells as trophies of what they had accomplished, but they never bred for me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterGrumbles Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 You mean as opposed to boiling them? Yes. 10 min in a microwave will kill anything water-based. Stove top! Escargot for dinner. haha. I think if you're going to keep an underwater ecosystem in a tank you need to be prepared to deal with/accept the less desirable parts that come with it. Snails happen, for a reason. When I start a new tank I intentionally transfer pond snails in. The population explodes for a while, eggs everywhere, then 4-6 weeks later things level out. They clean places I can't get, eat stuff fish won't. Tearing a tank down and nuking everything in it sounds mighty drastic to me. Learn to manage the tank and accept what is in it. You can intentionally do whatever the hell you want, I do not want snails in my tank. I appreciate your attempt to counter this entire thread, but I don't appreciate you telling me "learn to manage the tank and accept what is in it.". I know what's in the tank and have accepted that there are hundreds of snails.. all of which will pay for this devastating infiltration. As for "tearing a tank down".. I plan on relocating the tank (had you read previous posts, you would have known this..) anyway, so I have no problem gutting the tank. Also, (as stated in previous posts) I don't have much intention of keeping that gravel as my substate anyway. Since you love snails so much, want some snail infested black gravel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 To snail or not to snail...reminds me of that old dead writer guy lol None the less, I just want you to be happy as what this hobby is all about. :drunk: If you have a garden the substrate with inhabitants would provide nice fert for your plants! (between just me and you...I hate planaria and have nuked an entire tank just to remove them...so I do hear where your coming from) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterGrumbles Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 There's just so many options for what I can put in my tank that as it stands right now, I want to just keep it a community tank. Regardless, I would like to keep that black gravel if I stick with my tetras, rasboras and what not. So I might just end up cooking up some gravel in a huge pot. haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted January 31, 2013 Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 Depending on how many snails are in the gravel it may smell, you might consider cooking them outside - anyone for a weekend BBQ? I personally have black sand in all of my aquariums, as far as my plants go, I have far better luck with sand than gravel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterGrumbles Posted January 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2013 I really like the look of black gravel. Especially if I were to throw in some of the dark/light blue mix, it would look stellar for sure. The best thing about gravel is how easily is can be cleaned with a syphon while doing water changes and the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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