# Snail problem



## degordon3000 (Jun 22, 2009)

I have a NPT tank - plants are doing well and platties and amano shrimp are thriving. Now I have about 5 types of snail in the tank. I have ramshorns, one apple snail (quite large now), another two species and thousands of Malaysian Trumpet snails. It's the MTS that are the problem. The tank is now inundated with them. Before I kept shrimp I used to use clown loaches to keep the snails down, but I don't want to risk keeping loaches if they'll eat the shrimp.

I'm a keen gardner so I get my hands and arms scratched a lot, so I'm reluctant to stick my hands in the tank unless the wounds are healed. Apart from buying a pair of rubber gloves does anybody have a suggestion to how I can keep the snail population down to a reasonable level (and apart from the Zuchini suggestion).

David


----------



## RoseyD (Jul 9, 2009)

Do people buy MTS? I wonder if there are people who have loaches who'd buy them off of you...


----------



## Alex123 (Jul 3, 2008)

No, ppl don't buy MTS. They are considered pest snails. I don't know of anything that will eat MTS. Not even loaches. I have a ton as well in one of my tank. Their shells are too hard to crack without a tool like a plier. So I don't see how a fish is able to eat them. I would imagine putting food any food on a small plate and wait a few hours during lights out and take the plate out full of them.


----------



## Travis.808 (Apr 2, 2009)

I think some people may buy them or you may be able to gift them to people. I've heard they are useful in the fact that they will aerate the soil in your tank. Post a thread in for sale or trade maybe someone may take/ buy them from you. As for what Alex said I think he's right in the fact that puffers and loaches won't eat them, at least that's what I've been told. Just my .02 though good luck.


----------



## highoctaneman1 (Aug 6, 2009)

thats funny, i love my MTS. I have about 10,000 of them, they only come out at night and during they day they hide in the substrate, mixing and airateing it for me. by the time my lights come on at 9am there all gone with just a few straglers left. they only come out of the substrate after my lights go out.

i do use Turface as my substrate, and ive heard it's fairly light. maybe it's really easy for the MTS to get down into it. the only way i would not like having MTS is if they were not hiding in the soil during they daytime. is that what your dealing with?


----------



## degordon3000 (Jun 22, 2009)

highoctaneman1 said:


> thats funny, i love my MTS. I have about 10,000 of them, they only come out at night and during they day they hide in the substrate, mixing and airateing it for me. by the time my lights come on at 9am there all gone with just a few straglers left. they only come out of the substrate after my lights go out.
> 
> i do use Turface as my substrate, and ive heard it's fairly light. maybe it's really easy for the MTS to get down into it. the only way i would not like having MTS is if they were not hiding in the soil during they daytime. is that what your dealing with?


Well my MTS are the glass cleaning crew but for some reason they're not scared of the light and stay out  - though the tank is shadier than others (because of duckweed and water lettuce). I don't want to get rid of them completely - just keep their numbers down - I know that they aerate the soil and help with the root system of plants.

No - I've found out something last night and decided to get hold of a few Assassin snails (anentome helena) and we'll see if these become a pest instead!  Sombody who lives near me is selling them cheap on ebay so I'll get some.

http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/cleahelena.html
http://theaquariumwiki.com/Anentome_helena

Thanks everyone for replying.

David


----------



## Felf808 (Mar 21, 2006)

Do what Alex123 said and place a piece of hard vegetable like a carrot in there(so it doesn't breakdown) then scrape off daily and reuse accordingly.


----------



## degordon3000 (Jun 22, 2009)

Alex123 said:


> No, ppl don't buy MTS. They are considered pest snails. I don't know of anything that will eat MTS. Not even loaches. I have a ton as well in one of my tank. Their shells are too hard to crack without a tool like a plier. So I don't see how a fish is able to eat them. I would imagine putting food any food on a small plate and wait a few hours during lights out and take the plate out full of them.


I used to have clown loaches and they used to relish MTS so not sure what is different here. I don't want to keep putting my hands in the tank - I keep my interference in the tank to a minimum so I would prefer to use a natural predator such as the Assassin snail than keep on fishing out a piece of carrot - but if the A snail isn't working I'll use your idea as a back up. Thanks for all your responses. This thread can be closed now.


----------



## brenmuk (Oct 7, 2008)

I've got assassin snails in my tank - they took a few months to work but eventually there were no other snails left!! I'm not sure that removing all snails is best for the tank but they are quite attractive. They don't reproduce too much there is now about 10 or so after 8 months although there could be more as they spend a lot of their time hidden in the gravel.
Lowering the ph and/or softening the tank water can also help control the numbers of snails btw.


----------



## degordon3000 (Jun 22, 2009)

brenmuk said:


> I've got assassin snails in my tank - they took a few months to work but eventually there were no other snails left!! I'm not sure that removing all snails is best for the tank but they are quite attractive. They don't reproduce too much there is now about 10 or so after 8 months although there could be more as they spend a lot of their time hidden in the gravel.
> Lowering the ph and/or softening the tank water can also help control the numbers of snails btw.


Hi Thanks, hmm, maybe I should have bought 1 snail only then.  As for lowering the pH, Diana Walstad advised having the pH at the average end and having hard water for plants to get the edge over algae. So I won't be able to go with that option. I have one huge apple snail (which the assassin snails won't be able to harm - too big) and a number of large MTS (which again I don't think the assassins will be able to harm until they gain the same size I suppose), and I've read that the A snail will also graze on algae. So we shall see. Maybe I'll regret this but I'd prefer not to go the loach route as I like my shrimp too much, and I definitely won't go for pygmy puffers (they are fin biters and known to attack other fish).

Thanks for the reply.

David


----------



## degordon3000 (Jun 22, 2009)

brenmuk said:


> I've got assassin snails in my tank - they took a few months to work but eventually there were no other snails left!! I'm not sure that removing all snails is best for the tank but they are quite attractive. They don't reproduce too much there is now about 10 or so after 8 months although there could be more as they spend a lot of their time hidden in the gravel.
> Lowering the ph and/or softening the tank water can also help control the numbers of snails btw.


Brenmuk - how many did you put in your tank and how large was the tank?


----------



## bradac56 (May 9, 2007)

A peace of 1/2 inch rigid tubing with shrimp pellets in the middle makes a good snail trap you just turn the lights off for a few hours and they should run inside for easy pickup.

~

Keep in mind that large snail population spikes is nearly always a sign of overfeeding. Control the food and the population should stay at a reasonable rate over the long run without needing predators or traps.

- Brad


----------



## degordon3000 (Jun 22, 2009)

bradac56 said:


> A peace of 1/2 inch rigid tubing with shrimp pellets in the middle makes a good snail trap you just turn the lights off for a few hours and they should run inside for easy pickup.
> 
> ~
> 
> ...


That's an idea - for when I get tired of the Assassin snails.


----------

