# how would you get rid of/manage snails in P-tank?



## SimplyOrange (Jun 5, 2003)

im seeing those very small snails less than a 1mm. and i know loaches are one of the best ways to keep the #'s down, but im guessing i would just have to replace the loaches everytime they end up on the menu.

i mean siphoning doesnt clean it up( the snails) since they can cling on to stuff and arent as light as poop.

so how have you been able to manage the snail population if you have them?
and how did they get there?

thanks.


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

you say your clown loaches wont last - is this your piranha tank? or large cichlids?

anyway you can buy a product called "snail away" it is made by Interpet.

or silver dollers - they might even shoal with your piranhas - not guarenteed

or just leave them - are they really a problem?
I always kinda liked having snails, not that I have had any for years
 








Oh, and Welcome to PFury


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## DonH (Jan 25, 2003)

Besides adding fish that actually eat the snails and not wanting to add any chemicals to your tank, you can use a small bottle that your fish won't be able to get into and add a few slices of cucumber. Put it in the tank and you should find a bottle full of snails the next day. Toss it out and do it all over again to control the population of snails.


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

DonH said:


> Besides adding fish that actually eat the snails and not wanting to add any chemicals to your tank, you can use a small bottle that your fish won't be able to get into and add a few slices of cucumber. Put it in the tank and you should find a bottle full of snails the next day. Toss it out and do it all over again to control the population of snails.


 wow - what a good idea









Thanks Don


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## SimplyOrange (Jun 5, 2003)

there not a problem yet. but i just dont want a large pop. of snails.
(do snail shells increase the ph like other shells?)

the snails are in the rbp tank. there is also an electric catfish, 2plecos and a zamora woodland catfish.

the snails are very small still. less than 1mm. but thanks for the bottle idea i'll try that when they get bigger.

i'll look into the chems.

*thanks for the greet and the tips. loving this forum.


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## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

> *thanks for the greet and the tips. loving this forum.


thanks we try


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

I'm not so sure that an E-cat and RBPs are good tankmates - I predict a disaster in that tank.

and yeah, this forum rocks


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## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

Trust me.. Ive delt with this way too many times. Rafael Catfish or Tiger Barbs are and will help eat and reduce snails in your tank, but they will most def be eatten by your Ps in time. I tried the cucumber/apple method also.. did reduce a bunch that were eatting the friut, but the population would multiply because of eatting. My last resort was chemicals. As worried as I was to use chemicals, it was the best way to go. Sail Away and/or Snail-i-cide WILL eliminate your snail probs for good. Just do water change after and/or replace carbon in your media filter if your worried. Other than that, your snail problems will be a thing of the past..


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## mantis (May 16, 2003)

i just crush them with my finger every now and then


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## SimplyOrange (Jun 5, 2003)

Innes said:


> I'm not so sure that an E-cat and RBPs are good tankmates - I predict a disaster in that tank.


 he can defend himself. he did just that when they arrived and nipped his tail fin. now i dont see any part of his fin nipped out. he also swims out to steal the food from the p's.

but then again theres 5 of them. hopefully he'll last longer than any other tankmates.









RhomZilla- did the snails come back after the chem treatment? because since i have small ones and prbly a pop. under 100 then it may be better to do that now before theres a pop. boom.


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## tinyteeth (Mar 12, 2003)

this probally wont work in everyones tank, but worked for me

i got 3 yellow fin barbs, starved them for a couple days, they ate all the snails (and got some fin nips)


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## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

SimplyOrange said:


> Innes said:
> 
> 
> > I'm not so sure that an E-cat and RBPs are good tankmates - I predict a disaster in that tank.
> ...


Nope, after the treatment non was present









IMO: Under 100 is nothing.. my snail problem was so bad, my aquarium background was black!!!


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## SimplyOrange (Jun 5, 2003)

k, i'll try that out. i just dont want snails in the tank. and since their small it might do the job very well. now thats bad if it covers that much background. my background is also black. just not because of snails.

tinyteeth- were those barbs with the p's?

i might end up doing a chem treatment. before its gets any more serious.

thanks for the info everyone. you can come over and i'll let you pet the p's.















thanks again.


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

SimplyOrange said:


> Innes said:
> 
> 
> > I'm not so sure that an E-cat and RBPs are good tankmates - I predict a disaster in that tank.
> ...


 I never doubted it, but I am still of the opinion that these are not suitable tankmates.


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## SimplyOrange (Jun 5, 2003)

Innes said:


> I never doubted it, but I am still of the opinion that these are not suitable tankmates.


 i know, i just dont want to believe one day the ecat will be gone.









and cuz of you i had a dream his fins was torn up bad. seriously. im not reading anymore of your post.







jk.


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

if you do like your e-cat - or even the piranhas as e-cats do have their suprise electric attack!!! you should seperate them.

how big are they?
and how long have you owned them?


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## SimplyOrange (Jun 5, 2003)

im about to remove the ecat and the sm. pleco they are going into a 10g for now. i just dont trust those guys anymore







. but i might keep the lg. pleco with them.

the p's are between 2 1/2- 3inchs long and 2in tall. theres five of em. the ecat is about 4-5in long and 1 1/2in thick.

better to remove him now before he gets messed up.

plus i wanted to wait to get him out before i use chems to get rid of the snails. you know, that scaleless fish thing and chems.

***hey RhomZilla where did you get the snail away/snail-i-cide? 
LFS? Petsmart/Co?
i searched the net but all stores comes up in UK. are you in the UK?

the active ingredient might just be the thing that kills them.

Product Name: Aquarium Science Snail Away (For Aquarium Use)
Active Constituent/s: 1 g/L copper present as copper sulphate
Applicant Name: Universal Manufacturing & Laboratories Pty Ltd
Applicant ACN: 010 668 729
Summary of Use: Controls snail infestations in freshwater aquariums.
Date of Registration: 10 January 2002
Label Approval No: 54556/1201

from here. http://www.apvma.gov.au/gazette/gazette0202p4.shtml


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## SimplyOrange (Jun 5, 2003)

actually found these helpfull infos to. 
http://www.petfish.net/hadasnail.htm
http://www.petfish.net/snails.htm

so if i cant find snail-away or snail-i-cide the had-a-snail will be my next choice. and guess it was the copper that kills snails. also since my snails are very small the dead ones wont mess up the water balance with their rotten corpse. and yes i'll make sure to check above the water line and in the filter.


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

I dont know if snail-away is under another name in the USA, but I'm sure your LFS will have such a product - go to a proper LFS and not petsmart so you can at least speak to someone who thinks they know what they are talking about and not some spotty 15 year old from high school.


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## rday (Mar 10, 2003)

also be aware that if you use a copper containing product, you will probably never be able to use that tank for saltwater. i dont know if that's even an issue, but i think most freshwater fish keepers have saltwater as an eventual plan... i dont know all the details of copper and marine invertebrates, but i have heard of past copper use causing problems. maybe someone else can elaborate?


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## SimplyOrange (Jun 5, 2003)

Innes said:


> I dont know if snail-away is under another name in the USA, but I'm sure your LFS will have such a product - go to a proper LFS and not petsmart so you can at least speak to someone who thinks they know what they are talking about and not some spotty 15 year old from high school.


 lol, you got that right. i'll find something.

rday: dont plan on a 55g saltwater tank. im satisfied with my FW tank. unless theres a saltwater p. then maybe.

thanks for heads up though.


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## RhomZilla (Feb 12, 2003)

SimplyOrange said:


> ***hey RhomZilla where did you get the snail away/snail-i-cide?
> LFS? Petsmart/Co?
> i searched the net but all stores comes up in UK. are you in the UK?


 UK?? Theres one in every LFS here in the Bay Area, Ca. Where are you from? PM me and Ill try and help you get one. If all else fails Ill mail it to you..


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Ime, raphael cats are good fish to control the number of snails in your tank. I had a snail plague a couple of months ago, and after getting a some striped and spotted raphael cats, they had the snails problem under control in no-time. There are still a few snails left, but I never see more than one at one spot, so I don't mind them...
Just make sure they have some good hide-outs for the cats during day-time, and they'll be fine, since they are only active at night (when the piranha's are asleep).

Personally, I prefer trying natural solutions to problems like snail infestations first, before starting to mess around with chemicals. You just never know what unwanted side-effects chemicals might have...


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## SimplyOrange (Jun 5, 2003)

if its not to much trouble could you tell me some of the better lfs in S.F. (anywhere)? 
i can just stop by there when i go to downtown sf (its my relaxation hideaway.) from sac.

as for the raphael. would they survive better than the zamora woodcat that i had for a week







? just as long as theres a lot of hiding spots, right?

im still debating, but once the e-cat gets transfered to the 10g. ima have to pick one. i didnt want to have to worry about chems and the e-cat, cuz its scaleless.

Rhom- as for the chem. treatment how did your p's handle it. if they were in there.

thanks again everyone


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

SimplyOrange said:


> as for the raphael. would they survive better than the zamora woodcat that i had for a week
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Yup, they'll be fine, since they are almost strictly nocturnal, and hardly show up as long as it's light in the tank... They are very low maintenance, and will accept all sorts of food (shrimp, pellets, etc.)
Like I said, I have a couple of them with my reds, and sometimes they were 'missing' for many weeks, only to show up when I did some tank redecorations: they are true masters of hiding... And if you happen to see them, you'll notice they're pretty attractive as well.


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## tinyteeth (Mar 12, 2003)

i got bala sharks and tinfoil barbs. they ordinarily eat pellets, but if i dont feed for a couple days, they start eating everything; plants, gravel, snails and wahtever look like it fits in their mouth.


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