Guidance needed on tank cleaning for snails

[BadhbhCatha]

BLUF: how often do snail keepers change water in your snail tanks? My snail tanks STINK after 72 hours! How do keepers of messy snails keep the stink in check?

Details of the situation:
Our snail tanks are stinky as all get out. We do 40-50% water changes on them every week like we do the fish tanks but you can smell the stink on the top of the snail tanks within 48 hours and by 4 days in the smell is permeating the entire room.

We have 4 tanks running right now.

1. Our son’s 29G display that has 4 glow fish tetras and a blushing tetra, 3 assassin snails and a bunch of baby ramshorns we pick out every day because we put 2 ramshorns in to feed the assassins but they were super lazy and took 3 weeks to even eat 1 which was plenty of time for those guys to procreate.

2. A mystery only 29G display containing 6 mysteries. Originally they lived in our QT tank to keep it cycled but we got 4 additional assassins to help handle the ramshorn outbreak in my sons tank which had to QT so we had to take them out. originally they were in a third tank with all the ramshorns but they started doing poorly and trying to climb out of the tank so we got them their own tank.

3. The QT tank currently has 2 glofish tetras quarantining plus 4 assassins who are making good progress (with the help of hand removal) on getting rid of our ramshorn infestation in that tank. There are twice as many empty shells as their are live ramshorns so I think we are doing pretty good over there.

4. The official ramshorn tank (as opposed to the tanks they took over). It also is a 29G, but I could not even venture a guess as to how many snails are in that tank. The mysteries used to share the tank but very quickly were noticeably not doing well, so we made them a new home after keeping them in a bucket for several days and removing the ramshorn babies that dropped off them and then scrubbing their shells for eggs. And yes, the ramshorns had laid eggs all over them. The caveat is that this tank has a giant fake rock structure and real driftwood but no bottom covering media.

The issue is our sons display and our QT tank are not stinky at all; even on water change day. The brand new mystery tank and the well established ramshorn tank are stinky as **** and just a few days after vacuum and WC.

 

[ChrissFishes01]

What are you feeding the stinky tanks? Is it a fishy smell, or more like a rotting smell?

If I had to guess, the sheer amount of poop in the ramshorn tank may have something to do with it. They poop a LOT, especially if you're feeding lots of food - and I'm sure there are hundreds of them in there. The mystery tank... I'm less sure about. But, maybe it's just the food.

 

[BadhbhCatha]

So mysteries get snail jello 3x per week. Various blanched fresh veg 3x per week. Blood worms once a week. Brine shrimp once a week. Protien pellets probably 2-4 times a week.

the ramshorns get the same diet but where the mysteries get it 3x the ramshorns get it 1x. Protein pellets 1x per week.

Our tap water is super high in calcium (KH and GH are 123 ppm+ out of the tap) but our mystery shells showed serious deterioration before we moved them to their own tank. We are going to add a few crumbles of cuddle bone this week.

So mysteries get snail jello 3x per week. Various blanched fresh veg 3x per week. Blood worms once a week. Brine shrimp once a week. Protien pellets probably 2-4 times a week.

the ramshorns get the same diet but where the mysteries get it 3x the ramshorns get it 1x. Protein pellets 1x per week.

Our tap water is super high in calcium (KH and GH are 123 ppm+ out of the tap) but our mystery shells showed serious deterioration before we moved them to their own tank. We are going to add a few crumbles of cuddle bone this week.

I will add that we are TERRIBLE about removing uneaten food because someone is always eating. Not sure how to handle that part of it.

 

[Marlene327]

I've raised a few clutches of Mystery Snails in a bare bottom 10 gallon tank. I keep 2 sponge filters running. This tank can get gross very quickly. I keep about 8 gallons of water in it, and I change out 2 gallons at least every other day. I could take less, but I siphon the poop and my 2 gallon bucket is full by the time it's cleaned up. I hate the smell of it when there are many adults in the tank! Cleaning out those filters takes me some preparation, but I dislike doing it from any of my 4 tanks. When the snails are young it's not so bad, but if there's 20 large snails, yuk. There are times when I've done it every day just to avoid that.
I feed them lots of things, including Algae wafers, Sinking wafers, Crab Cuisine, Shrimp pellets, other things around here and of course Zucchini nearly every day unless I run out. (I just bought 4 small zucchinis, will cut them up and cook them a bit tomorrow, spread them out on trays, freeze them, then put them into a freezer bag. This works very well for me.) I used to feed morning and evening but have found they do well on the biofilm during the day and clean up what I give them at night most of the time. It's cut down some on the bioload.

Yes, they are super poopers and after a couple days it's noticeable!

 

[BadhbhCatha]

I've raised a few clutches of Mystery Snails in a bare bottom 10 gallon tank. I keep 2 sponge filters running. This tank can get gross very quickly. I keep about 8 gallons of water in it, and I change out 2 gallons at least every other day. I could take less, but I siphon the poop and my 2 gallon bucket is full by the time it's cleaned up. I hate the smell of it when there are many adults in the tank! Cleaning out those filters takes me some preparation, but I dislike doing it from any of my 4 tanks. When the snails are young it's not so bad, but if there's 20 large snails, yuk. There are times when I've done it every day just to avoid that.
I feed them lots of things, including Algae wafers, Sinking wafers, Crab Cuisine, Shrimp pellets, and of course Zucchini nearly every day unless I run out. (I just bought 4 small zucchinis, will cut them up and cook them a bit tomorrow, spread them out on trays, freeze them, then put them into a freezer bag. This works very well for me.)

Yes, they are super poopers and after a couple days it's noticeable!

So aggressive cleaning is really the only way? Bah, but I’ve grown so attached I’ll do it.
It’s just the so full WC every 3 days.... so much

 

[Marlene327]

So aggressive cleaning is really the only way? Bah, but I’ve grown so attached I’ll do it.

I don't know if I'd call it cleaning so much as just some suctioning. Really my easiest tank, but it's just done more often. When I can't handle it, I'll stop raising them up. I've been a softy about keeping clutches but lately have destroyed about 5 as soon as I found them, I can't do that much without an outlet to get rid of them. Right now I had some Magenta snails finally start laying, so I have some wee ones of them coming up. But having surgery in a couple weeks and need to back off awhile. Not sure exactly how we're going to handle this - hubby can add food to tanks while I'm in the hospital a few days, but I don't want him to have to do that job, he didn't sign on for it!

 

[BadhbhCatha]

So mine are freaking particular. If it’s not green they won’t eat it. If it’s not spinach or zucchini they will only eat it if they have no other choice.
I put brine shrimps in but they all treat that like ‘hm, no thanks, maybe later.’

 

[Marlene327]

So mine are freaking particular. If it’s not green they won’t eat it. If it’s not spinach or zucchini they will only eat it if they have no other choice.

Those are the Ramshorns? I've never had them.

 

[BadhbhCatha]

Those are the Ramshorns? I've never had them.

They are ramshorns

I don't know if I'd call it cleaning so much as just some suctioning. Really my easiest tank, but it's just done more often. When I can't handle it, I'll stop raising them up. I've been a softy about keeping clutches but lately have destroyed about 5 as soon as I found them, I can't do that much without an outlet to get rid of them. Right now I had some Magenta snails finally start laying, so I have some wee ones of them coming up. But having surgery in a couple weeks and need to back off awhile. Not sure exactly how we're going to handle this - hubby can add food to tanks while I'm in the hospital a few days, but I don't want him to have to do that job, he didn't sign on for it!

But how do you not suck up the babies?

I don't know if I'd call it cleaning so much as just some suctioning. Really my easiest tank, but it's just done more often. When I can't handle it, I'll stop raising them up. I've been a softy about keeping clutches but lately have destroyed about 5 as soon as I found them, I can't do that much without an outlet to get rid of them. Right now I had some Magenta snails finally start laying, so I have some wee ones of them coming up. But having surgery in a couple weeks and need to back off awhile. Not sure exactly how we're going to handle this - hubby can add food to tanks while I'm in the hospital a few days, but I don't want him to have to do that job, he didn't sign on for it!

Ummm...you have magenta’s?

Those are the Ramshorns? I've never had them.

No, the ramshorns are the goats of the snail world. They will literally eat anything you put in.

Those are the Ramshorns? I've never had them.

No my mysteries are particular. The ramshorns will eat anything!

I don't know if I'd call it cleaning so much as just some suctioning. Really my easiest tank, but it's just done more often. When I can't handle it, I'll stop raising them up. I've been a softy about keeping clutches but lately have destroyed about 5 as soon as I found them, I can't do that much without an outlet to get rid of them. Right now I had some Magenta snails finally start laying, so I have some wee ones of them coming up. But having surgery in a couple weeks and need to back off awhile. Not sure exactly how we're going to handle this - hubby can add food to tanks while I'm in the hospital a few days, but I don't want him to have to do that job, he didn't sign on for it!

What???? I want a magenta! Or a pink or a purple!

Those are the Ramshorns? I've never had them.

No the mysteries, the ramshorns will eat anything

I've raised a few clutches of Mystery Snails in a bare bottom 10 gallon tank. I keep 2 sponge filters running. This tank can get gross very quickly. I keep about 8 gallons of water in it, and I change out 2 gallons at least every other day. I could take less, but I siphon the poop and my 2 gallon bucket is full by the time it's cleaned up. I hate the smell of it when there are many adults in the tank! Cleaning out those filters takes me some preparation, but I dislike doing it from any of my 4 tanks. When the snails are young it's not so bad, but if there's 20 large snails, yuk. There are times when I've done it every day just to avoid that.
I feed them lots of things, including Algae wafers, Sinking wafers, Crab Cuisine, Shrimp pellets, other things around here and of course Zucchini nearly every day unless I run out. (I just bought 4 small zucchinis, will cut them up and cook them a bit tomorrow, spread them out on trays, freeze them, then put them into a freezer bag. This works very well for me.) I used to feed morning and evening but have found they do well on the biofilm during the day and clean up what I give them at night most of the time. It's cut down some on the bioload.

Yes, they are super poopers and after a couple days it's noticeable!

So you mention sponge filters. I totally thought I understood sponge filters until recently. All of our filter intakes have sponge over them due to me not wanting to kill the baby snails I actually want to get rid of. Are you talking about those or the sponge in my actual filter system (in which I actually am finding baby snails).

I've raised a few clutches of Mystery Snails in a bare bottom 10 gallon tank. I keep 2 sponge filters running. This tank can get gross very quickly. I keep about 8 gallons of water in it, and I change out 2 gallons at least every other day. I could take less, but I siphon the poop and my 2 gallon bucket is full by the time it's cleaned up. I hate the smell of it when there are many adults in the tank! Cleaning out those filters takes me some preparation, but I dislike doing it from any of my 4 tanks. When the snails are young it's not so bad, but if there's 20 large snails, yuk. There are times when I've done it every day just to avoid that.
I feed them lots of things, including Algae wafers, Sinking wafers, Crab Cuisine, Shrimp pellets, other things around here and of course Zucchini nearly every day unless I run out. (I just bought 4 small zucchinis, will cut them up and cook them a bit tomorrow, spread them out on trays, freeze them, then put them into a freezer bag. This works very well for me.) I used to feed morning and evening but have found they do well on the biofilm during the day and clean up what I give them at night most of the time. It's cut down some on the bioload.

Yes, they are super poopers and after a couple days it's noticeable!

I’m learning less is more with the feedings. One Algae wafer then another when that one is done. It gets tough with the fresh veg. We try to provide a balanced diet but they are kinda dicks. If I put a carrot in there they will all run to the top of the tank like it’s an explosive. People are like oh mysteries love yams. Not mine. They evacuate. Mine LOVE slightly blanched spinach and zucchini AND NOTHING ELSE. Lol

I don't know if I'd call it cleaning so much as just some suctioning. Really my easiest tank, but it's just done more often. When I can't handle it, I'll stop raising them up. I've been a softy about keeping clutches but lately have destroyed about 5 as soon as I found them, I can't do that much without an outlet to get rid of them. Right now I had some Magenta snails finally start laying, so I have some wee ones of them coming up. But having surgery in a couple weeks and need to back off awhile. Not sure exactly how we're going to handle this - hubby can add food to tanks while I'm in the hospital a few days, but I don't want him to have to do that job, he didn't sign on for it!

My apologies if I’ve offended you. Apparently I offended you.
Aww that’s super cute how you did that. Good life.

I've raised a few clutches of Mystery Snails in a bare bottom 10 gallon tank. I keep 2 sponge filters running. This tank can get gross very quickly. I keep about 8 gallons of water in it, and I change out 2 gallons at least every other day. I could take less, but I siphon the poop and my 2 gallon bucket is full by the time it's cleaned up. I hate the smell of it when there are many adults in the tank! Cleaning out those filters takes me some preparation, but I dislike doing it from any of my 4 tanks. When the snails are young it's not so bad, but if there's 20 large snails, yuk. There are times when I've done it every day just to avoid that.
I feed them lots of things, including Algae wafers, Sinking wafers, Crab Cuisine, Shrimp pellets, other things around here and of course Zucchini nearly every day unless I run out. (I just bought 4 small zucchinis, will cut them up and cook them a bit tomorrow, spread them out on trays, freeze them, then put them into a freezer bag. This works very well for me.) I used to feed morning and evening but have found they do well on the biofilm during the day and clean up what I give them at night most of the time. It's cut down some on the bioload.

Yes, they are super poopers and after a couple days it's noticeable!

I’m right there with you. They are TS worst