dvc_r

My beautiful 30 gal hex (the one i had in the Aug aquarium of the month contest) is loaded with snails! About three months ago I was getting a few here and there, but I would pick them out by hand. But then I was pulling out about 20 a day so I bought two yo-yo loaches. They are not doing anything! I pull out 50 a day for the last two weeks so I moved one of my 5 inch clown loaches to take care of the job. He just swims up and down the tank, I think he wants to go back with the other clowns.

My tank also has about 20 male fantail gupppies, 4 panda corys, and 4 ottos.

I hate to juggle fish around , the tank is too small for my clown loach, Because of my corys and loaches I can't put in salt or copper in the tank so the LFS suggested a figure 8 puffer.

Am I stirring up a can of worm (no pun intended)? From what I've read, I have a real bad feeling I got some bad advise from the LFS.

I don't know what to do
Please help
Edited by Ken

TFA101

if you are having a problem with those snails, you can try one of two techniques I use.

1) Snail outbreaks are almost always a result of over feeding. After manually removing as many snails as possible, I fast the fish for a couple of days, and then feed them smaller portions from there on.

2) If this doesn't work, you can use a type of snail trap. I rubberband a slice of blanched zuchinni or lettuce to a flat rock, and then wait for a half hour to and hour. During this time (if you fish haven't gotten peckish) you should have a lot of snails on the rock and vegetable. You can now take out the rock and the vegetable and place them in a compost bin or the trash. I use my compost bin.

dvc_r

I've been doing that everyday. I only feed them once a day (I'll try every other day for a while) I also do the blanched Zuchinni every day but I only get about six a day on the veggies, I pull off the other 45 a day mostly from the java ferns, and the rest from the glass. I just replaced my filter and there are about 15 in there and spots of clear gel!

Is this were there breeding!!!

pinkfloydpuffer

Don't put a figure 8 puffer with those other fish.... they will end up nibbled to bits.
You could get a new tank, put the f8 in your tank and all the fish in the new one. (MTS ) But definitely don't keep them together. F8s are brackish anyways.

dvc_r

Hey PFP;
I was hoping you'd find this post! You're the guru of puffers! I had a feeling I was getting so bad advise. I would love to do as you suggest but I already have 6 "working" tanks. My wife has made it clear... no more tanks!
Oh yea, Speaking of wives...
Congratulations

Thanks again

pinkfloydpuffer

Lol, darn. My parents thought I was only allowed to have 3 tanks.... now I have 6 haha

Thank you for the congratulations