[cody6766]

I'm having a huge pond snail outbreak in my 2.5 gal. I brought in a few when I had a dwarf puffer in there and they are taking over now that he's gone. Most are very small right now, so I'd like to get rid of them while they're a managable size. It looks like I have a few young MTS as well.

WHat will make short work fo these guys w/o overrunning my tank?

my lfs doesn't have many (if any) fresh water shirmp, btw.

 

[ArkValleyCichlidLover]

Imagine your 125 mbuna tank full of snails......thats what I'm dealing with now!!!! So if you find a magic sollution let me know!

 

[JulieJeffers]

could try increasing salt a bit. i know they dont like that...

 

[cody6766]

I picked up a banded loach today at the advice of my LFS, so hopefully this will curb the problem.

keep the suggestions comming, I'm still open to ideas.

thanks!

 

[Storm_Rider]

you can feel free to give them to me

 

[cody6766]

Come to Oklahoma and pick em up! Afer you get mine, I can direct you to the LFS I got them from and they'll be happy to give you theirs as well.

 

[FelixAvery]

that loach will be in heaven with loads of snails to eat

 

[cody6766]

he's got a pretty big task ahead of him. If he runs out I may just keep them commig to him. Lord knows the local fish store wants to get rid of them. I'm hoping that I'll come home to a fat loach and a tank with much less of a snail issue in about 12hrs.

 

[macclellan]

FYI: Banded Loaches get MUCH too big for a 2.5g!!!

 

[chaznsc]

a 2.5? seems you could pluck them out. Or put in some slices of zucchini or squash on a string..........then just pull them out

 

[cody6766]

Loach size isn't a problem When he gets to bit I can move him to my roommate's tank or return him to the fish store. he's about 2.5" long right now, and fits perfectly. If they're slow growers I'll enjoy him for a good bit, and I'm ready to move him if not. Basically, this loach won't be one of tose fish that end up crammed into a tank that is much too small when they get way too big. I do understand the concern though.

chaznsc - that would have worked when they were new to the tank and few in numbers. Now they've bread and there are TONS of little ones in there.

 

[chaznsc]

try the zuchinni trick.......that with your loach may be the ticket

 

[mrbelvedere]

You have three other options. Do you own a pressurized CO2 unit? Take out the other critters for 3 hours while you raise CO2 concentration to around 50+ ppm. This will kill them.

You can use a little CuSO4 (copper sulfate i.e. Algaefix) to kill them off as long as you don't have any other inverts in there.

You can start doing water changes with distilled water until your water is extremely soft. Snails will die, their shells can't take it.

 

[mistergreen]

yeah,
don't put a loach in a 2.5g tank.. that's just torture for the poor thing.

a little aquarium salt will do.. I wiped out a whole population of snails... Then change the water when the snails are gone to get rid of the salt... You don't need much ... Maybe just 1/2 a teaspoon for a 2.5 gallon.

 

[cody6766]

I'll try the zuchini trick, thanks!
I'm going to hold off on chemicals and salt for a little while. If I can't fix the problem w/o them then I'll go that route.

the loach is fine right now. He's still very small and has plenty of places to swim/hide. I won't let him live in a cramped tank when he gets too big. It'll be time for a new home at athat point.

 

[chaznsc]

let us know how it goes? send some photos too!

 

[cody6766]

click the link in my sig and then follow it back to the 'fish tanks' section. The link in the sig is just a shot of the nano tank. There are some more detailed pics in the folder. If you look close you can see the loach's head poking out from behind the right side of the rock.

 

[armada4x4]

Some one in here mentioned to drop a piece of lettuce in the tank and the snails will begin to feed on it. Wait a day or two later and simply throw it out. Works for me

 

[tropicalfish]

It is easier to have the vegetable or algae wafer in a small cup-- that sinks..., not a floating plastic one that floats despite your efforts to keep it down. Maybe even a mug. Wait one night, then take the mug out. Make sure there are no fish in there. And... dump the contents of the cup...
and repeat if you have to.