Over Abundance Of Snails!

[Tanganyifan]

i had 4 pea puffers in a fluval ebi once and they didnt fight, they were young though so i dont know what would have happened long term.

[MisterGrumbles]

Well, I've got four of them in a tank together now. I have some live plants in there right now, but would like to add moss (java or willow) because apparently that's the kinda set up they like to breed in. What did you have in your tank with them? Not necessarily fish, but decor and/or plants.

[CursiveDuck]

Seachem Fluorite has a black sand that you can use for a planted tank still and easy shifting of snails. An some of the smaller loaches are kind of pretty patterned, like the kubotai or queen.

[MisterGrumbles]

Still and easy shifting of snails? What?

[CursiveDuck]

Phone auto corrected funny sorry.* Seachem has a black sand that you can use for plants, while still bein able to sift snails easily.

[MisterGrumbles]

Sift, as in syphon or just with a net?

[CursiveDuck]

With a net. Goes right through.

[MisterGrumbles]

If I gut the tank and switch substrate, maybe. As for the gravel, I'm hooped.

[ckmullin]

If you want to rid 100% of any sort of snail in the substrate an if you were frustrated enough to break the tank down...try this as it will work.

Remove all substrate throw in a pot and boil it on the stove or throw it on a pan and place in the oven. If boiling make sure it hits 100c and actually boils for a few min (longer if you want revenge on the snails). If doing by oven the key is to heat enough to kill but not to actually make your substrate glow red, perhaps 150c-200c. I've done both methods in the past and both work equally good. After doing this if you had tonnes of snails...just sift out the little carcasses and throw on your garden for good fert.

Just make sure you cleanse your tank with bleach etc to kill any snail egg that might be on the glass.

I'll also say that if you throw substrate in your oven, it will not explode. The purpose is to cook the snail tissue not cook the rock.

[MisterGrumbles]

Honestly, I might just get rid of the substrate altogether. As for bleaching.. I'd never, ever do that, no matter how much I were to rinse it. I will, however, make sure there's no eggs after I get rid of the gravel. The loaches actually did some work on the snails, but they come out after lights out. I might try the "meat in a bag" trick. Haha.

[CursiveDuck]

Bleach can be easily neutralized with prime if you were to go that route. A good rinse out and some prime, and you'd never know the difference.

[ckmullin]

Heck people (I) use CLR and other chemicals on tanks...bleach is the only proper method used to regenerate Purigen...as per manufacturer. After it sits in a 50/50 bleach/water mix, dechlorinator is used to remove the bleach residue. As mentioned above Prime or any dechlorinator will work. I, like many many others have used bleach in their EMPTY tanks and as with any chemical use it responsibly and there is no harm.

If the end if you choose not to, that's perfectly fine...I just wanted to be clear there is no harm to sanitize an empty tank with bleach.

[jvision]

If you can get a source of HCl, you can pour that into your substrate. Not only will I kill your snails, but it'll also dissolve their shells. Again, make sure you rinse well and use Prime, etc.

[MisterGrumbles]

HCI? I don't know about chemicals, really. I want a more natural way of getting rid of snails.

[ckmullin]

If you can get a source of HCl,

Got mine from Rona. I will caution tho...for people who have not used such products...read and reread instructions.

Edited January 30, 2013 by ckmullin