# Recomendations on snail munching fish??



## Vito (1 Oct 2008)

Hey guy's, I have an abundance of snails at the moment that I try removing manually but they never seem to go, I've read the most effective way is to get a snail eating fish, I have a Rio 125 and I would like one that doesn't munch my plants and stays small any recomendations?

Vito


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## JamesM (1 Oct 2008)

I heard yo-yo loaches are good, but mine doesn't touch them.

Best way I found to control snails is to cut back on feeding and make sure any dead plants/leaves are removed asap.


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## Terry (2 Oct 2008)

I've got 4 x Dwarf Chain Loach in a 250 ltr planted tank and they demolish any snails with relish.

Terry


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## jay (2 Oct 2008)

My male dutch ram takes care of a majority of snails.


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## Dusko (2 Oct 2008)

Anentome helena (the snail-eating snail) aka Assasin Snail can be helpful in smaller tanks (I use them)

Dusko


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## Tom (2 Oct 2008)

Puffers are the best of the best when it comes to snails, but you need to watch what you have them with.


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## Fred Dulley (2 Oct 2008)

My 2 Yo-yo Loaches happily snack on snails.


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## san-ho-zay (2 Oct 2008)

Five zebra loaches for me (B. striata). Not a snail in sight. If I find one in another tank, I throw it in - they love 'em.

Do any of you keep loaches with shrimp? I bought a couple as a trial, thinking the loaches would probably eat them but they haven't. But they do hide all the time.


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## Fred Dulley (2 Oct 2008)

I added 4 Amano shrimps to my 125litre tank with the 2 Yo-yo Loaches in, and I see some shrimp occasionally. It was a sort of test to see if it worked. It was 2 females and 2 males I added. One of the females is HUGE! Even though I carried out the test, I haven't really been able to draw a conclusion because I don't know if some shrimp have been eaten. I could be seeing the same shrimp every time  :?


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## Vito (3 Oct 2008)

Ok guys thanks for the advice, I ended up buying 2 Botia striata this morning and they seem to be settling in quite nicely.

Thanks again,

Vito


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## san-ho-zay (3 Oct 2008)

Botia striata are a great little fish. They interact so much you'd get more out of them with a larger group though. Even one more would be better. Five is a good minimum. They typically grow to about 3" SL.


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## joyous214 (6 Oct 2008)

puffers, or i did have some loaches that became so fat from eating snails that they stopped!!!!!!!!!!! Then i had to just suck them up when i cleaned out


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## Fred Dulley (6 Oct 2008)

If loaches stop eating snails then starve them for a few days and they usually go back to eating snails. Think about it from the loaches point of view, why should I go out looking for snails when a nice person makes me fat with flake food and bloodworm.


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## tanker (7 Oct 2008)

mini puffers. they're the best, and their appetite is large... can clear your snails within days. then u'll notice lots of dead snail shells that has turned white on your substrate, looks like snail mass grave   

but puffers also eat shrimps, harass oto, snaller fish. uncontrollable.


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## Jeremy (8 Oct 2008)

Paradise fish are killer snail eaters, as are convict cichlids.

Wouldn't have convicts in a planted tank though due to aggression, although they do eat filamentous algae too.


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## George Farmer (8 Oct 2008)

san-ho-zay said:
			
		

> Botia striata are a great little fish. They interact so much you'd get more out of them with a larger group though. Even one more would be better. Five is a good minimum. They typically grow to about 3" SL.



Totally agree with the above.  Great fish in their own right, and super snail destroyers.


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## Vito (14 Oct 2008)

Well I must say the 2 Botia striata have eliminated all the snails and they are a great addition to my tank, not only do they serve a pupose but they also look really nice and I have never been a fan of loaches...

The only thing is I think they might be the culprits of my HC uprooting time to time... any way I would have to say they are really active and seem to be happy, thanks for all the advice guys, really appreciate it.

Vito


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