Deal with snail population explosion (or fish selection)

[obsessed]

I have no intention of spending months and months for those snails to disapear. I want to sell the tank asap so that it is spotless.

Ok I get that, then chemicals is the way forward.
Cheers

 

[Matt @ ScapeEasy]

Are dwarf chain loach effective snail eaters?

 

[sciencefiction]

I want to sell the tank asap so that it is spotless.

You are going to mislead the customer 🙄

I'd rather buy a tank full of snails than someone selling me a snail free tank that had been overfed but the snails were nuked with chemicals of unknown kind and consequences to the future well being of potential inhabitants.

Snail explosion is always caused by too much food available for the snails.

P.S. The tank is way too small for most fish, and certainly for loaches, except for perhaps kuhli loaches that don't eat snails. Loaches are hyper active fish, they need room. You'll end up with stressed and sick fish instead of some harmless snails.

If you're selling the tank, remove the snails by hand until it is not so unsightly and stop feeding for a week. The shrimp will be fine.

 

[Hanuman]

You are going to mislead the customer 🙄

No I am not. That is a rather bold assumption you are making by insinuating that I will mislead people. I would never sell a tank that is unstable after treatment or at least I would make it clear about the history of the tank and chemical used. My understanding is that Gastropex breaks down within 2 weeks without leaving any trace.

Snail explosion is always caused by too much food available for the snails.

Yes I am aware of that. If you read earlier in the thread I said the tank didn't even have snails (other than the nerites) to start with when I purchased it. I usually lightly fed that tank 2/3 times a week. I simply added ONCE some Bacter AE (under-dosed it in fact) and that is when I started seeing eggs everywhere. If that's overfeeding then fine. Regardless it's me who mistakenly introduced the snails when adding a floating plant around 2 months ago. Reason I want to sell is that it's taking too much of my time. I already have 2 other tanks to care for. Not everyone wants snails in their tank although I can understand you wouldn't mind having them.

P.S. The tank is way too small for most fish, and certainly for loaches, except for perhaps kuhli loaches that don't eat snails. Loaches are hyper active fish, they need room. You'll end up with stressed and sick fish instead of some harmless snails.

Yes I have come to the same conclusion. Initially the tank was packed with fish which had no business being in a nano tank and I did them a favor by removing them from there within the first few days of having that tank. Only shrimps and nerites snails are living there now.

If you're selling the tank, remove the snails by hand until it is not so unsightly and stop feeding for a week. The shrimp will be fine.

That to me is actually misleading people. Making them think the tank is free of snails when in fact there are, unless informing the new owner of course. As soon as food will be added the population of snails will start growing again.

Thanks for the input.

 

[sciencefiction]

No I am not. That is a rather bold assumption you are making by insinuating that I will mislead people.

Why not sell the tank as it is then?

My understanding is that Gastropex breaks down within 2 weeks without leaving any trace.

Meds of this sort don't kill just snails. They can also kill small micro-fauna that is part of a balanced tank and recovery is way longer than two weeks, it is more likely months.....And if you don't remove the rotting dead snails you may have an even bigger problem.

As soon as food will be added the population of snails will start growing again.

Not really. I have tanks running for years with snails. You've gotta look to see the snails. Only excess food will start growing big population of snails. Hence snails are just a bio indicator of what's happening in the tank.

That to me is actually misleading people

I suggested this because you mentioned that as you are selling the tank, you don't have the time to wait for months for the snail population to naturally diminish.

P.S. Having said all that, it is really your choice what you do in that tank. It does not concern me that much at all. I am just expressing my own opinion.

 

[Chuck Turtleman]

Perhaps pond snails are viewed differently on this side of the "pond," but to me it's madness that anyone would nuke their tank to get rid of a beneficial organism. I add pond and Malaysian trumpet snails to my planted tanks, no matter the set up. They eat detritus and algae, never healthy plant growth. And their population is totally dependent on the keeper. Nothing reproduces beyond its resources. Just offering another perspective, I love 'em!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I add pond and Malaysian trumpet snails to my planted tanks, no matter the set up. They eat detritus and algae, never healthy plant growth.

I think <"opinion is divided"> in the Old World.

Personally I'm a snail fan, but I know others aren't.

cheers Darrel

 

[Chuck Turtleman]

Interesting read, so surprised by the snail hate! I had a pair of high tech 125 gallons for a few years in my shop (still have them running, but long gave up the CO2 and bright lights). I couldn't keep algae off of old growth Anubias leaves to save me. 50 MTS later, and it looked like a new tank in probably a week. That was the turning point from "they don't hurt anything" to "all tanks must have snails" for me. I had worked for a discus breeder decades ago, and he wanted every bladder snail I could bring him for his rearing tanks. I wish I'd have had my ah-ha moment then, I think my hobby would have been more successful over the years. Give snails a chance!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

. I had worked for a discus breeder decades ago, and he wanted every bladder snail I could bring him for his rearing tanks.

You might be interested in this thread on PlanetCatfish: <"Live tips to save.....">.

cheers Darrel

 

[rebel]

So keen to hear how you destroy the pest snails. I love a good snail eradication story. Pond snails can be killed with dropping the kH to 0 for months but mini ramshorn are another story.