ok-- I may have gone overboard in my war against snails.....

Moved 400+ miles, did not set up tank for days-- stupid ugly dumb gross snails still survived. >

So, I bleached the tank (no fish of course). The snails dropped like flies--- I let it sit with 3 capfuls of bleach in the water for a day--- then I drained the tank-- used enough dechlor for like 10 tanks its size and have now let it sit for over a week. I won't be home until at least Saturday--

Do you all think I could add fish now?

I am fully aware that I went a little overboard--- but I hate those nasty filthy creatures.

 

I might try it out with a few feeder goldfish.. let them be the canaries in the coal mine for you. I could say for sure if the tank is safe, even if it were sitting here. I think it is, but would hate to be wrong.

 

I bought clown loaches to get rid of the snail population, and at first all was well. but now even the clowns are bored of the snails! Ive tried a jar with lettuce in and after few hours taken out the jar and disposed of the snails but that don't seem to do a lot to the population. I don't really want to add solutions to the water. one thing snails are good for is cleaning the gravel.

 

I bought two ghost shrimp to get rid of my snails...So far all I ever see them eating is fish poop....Yum

 

I bought two ghost shrimp to get rid of my snails...So far all I ever see them eating is fish poop....Yum

I don't think ghost shrimps eat snails. :-\

 

You rock on with your snail killing self!! LOL!!

I bought two ghost shrimp to get rid of my snails...So far all I ever see them eating is fish poop....Yum

I don't think ghost shrimps eat snails. :-\

They don't...

 

I bought two ghost shrimp to get rid of my snails...So far all I ever see them eating is fish poop....Yum

I don't think ghost shrimps eat snails. :-\

They don't...

No, I'm pretty sure the only things available for tanks to get rid of snails is; puffer fish, loaches, or chemicals(least recommended).
Tom

 

I had a 5 gallon tank and when I put the decor from the 5 into my BRAND NEW 12 gallon tank I bleached them in double strength water and scrubbed them for a week before I put them in there. Two weeks later I saw a small snail in my new tank and I killed it. Three weeks after that there were new plants in the new tank. 4 weeks later I had 100 new snails and 6 weeks later I could not count that far in spite of taking a lot of them out of there. I eventually lost a betta to them and then I got mad. I removed everything but the gravel and the snails and the filter (already infested) and heater. I purchased Yo-Yo Loaches (3) and left 4 SidthimunkI Loaches in there. The SidthimunkI Loaches do not ordinarily eat snails but the Yo-Yo's taught them to do it and soon I had 7 loaches eating snails at light speed. It took them about 4 weeks with me getting in there and cleaning out the filter and cleaning them off the walls when I cleaned the tank to give them a little help and all. Then we had to wait to make sure that there were not going to be any more eggs hatched and all so the tank is still empty. There is gravel, filter, heater, and loaches and they get supplemental feedings as there have been no more sign of snails but I am going to give it a bit more time before I decorate and set that tank up and risk having to go through this again. The betta who is supposed to go in this tank is recovering in a quarantine tank anyway so they have a while to make sure.

Please do not go through the chemical route. I used 2 bottles of the stuff and the snails laughed at me and kept on breeding but I nearly killed my fish and I did kill all my plants.

Rose

 

I bought two ghost shrimp to get rid of my snails...So far all I ever see them eating is fish poop....Yum

I don't think ghost shrimps eat snails. :-\

They don't...

No, I'm pretty sure the only things available for tanks to get rid of snails is; puffer fish, loaches, or chemicals(least recommended).
Tom

Nah, I heard a ton of reports that lemon tetras are good at keeping snails under population but if it is true is a mystery. :

 

Genie, I now feel for you in your snail-caused pain.
I have a bunch of pond snails in my tank. They're a really pretty gold (not yellow, they are actually a metallic gold), but they breed like flies. I've seen egg masses larger than my thumbnail, but none of the snails are any bigger than a milimeter long. I just don't understand it.
I squish half a dozen to a dozen of them in a day, but every day there are more. Worse, there are Amano shrimp in the tank, as well as a Japanese trapdoor snail (I'm pretty sure the snails I'm seeing are not the trapdoor snail's spawn, they don't look right. I've seen trapdoor snail babies, and they're rounder and more opaque than the Horde) and two clams, so I can't do anything else to get rid of them. I'd have to tear the entire tank apart to find the hiding place of all of the shrimp, and risk seriously stressing the clams getting them out before I could add any fish that eats inverts.
Worst, the tank is the eventual home of a koi and a goldfish, which means that anything that eats inverts is going to be uncomfortable in the cold water.
So I'm just going to keep squishing snails until the tank dies off.

Did you go too far? I don't think so. Bleach is easily dealt with, so no big problems with that.

 

Nah, I heard a ton of reports that lemon tetras are good at keeping snails under population but if it is true is a mystery. :

Hmm.. I'd be curious to hear someone's attempt to control snails with Lemon Tetras.. I've never seen Lemon Tetras available for sale at Petco or Petsmart.

 

Nah, I heard a ton of reports that lemon tetras are good at keeping snails under population but if it is true is a mystery. :

Hmm.. I'd be curious to hear someone's attempt to control snails with Lemon Tetras.. I've never seen Lemon Tetras available for sale at Petco or Petsmart.

Here's the link:

 

So much for listening to the guy at the LFS....Not one I usually go to..... :-\

 

I understand completely!!I also am at war with the snails!!! they just breed soooooo fast! and rose I also discovered the snail killer didnt even stun them, they just slithered along breeding away regardless. jI'm used API algaecide and it killed his snails (unintentionally), so I was going to try that, but I can't find it anywhere!!
I certainly can see why you went for the bleach!!! I think it must be the only way.
just be really careful when you add any new decor/plants/nets........... anything to the tank to ensure you don't re-introduce any more snails!! they are quite indestructible!! what I find odd is they actually SELL these pond snails on ebay! I wouldnt wish them on my worst enemy!! their only purpose is to feed puffers/yoyo's etc!

 

Tan, is there any aquatic life you won't sell? Ooops, misread this. I thought YOU were selling the snails. It figured with the whole fish 'Tan has a fish store' theory ;D

Is it possible to get unwanted snails (from dormant eggs or something) from using gravel from an old tank? I bought this 2nd hand tank and she gave me the gravel with it, and I used that. I am wondering now if I am going to get any nasties from that gravel. I did boil it like 100 times. No traces of snails or anything. Just wondering for future reference. 

 

yep boiling is one of the few ways to kill them! but otherwise there is a chance that 2nd hand gravel may contain snails and/or eggs >. 2nd hand gravel = fab for fast cycling, not so good for snail infestations!
when I have a blitz at netting them I dip the net in a jug (not a kitchen one for hubby to mix up!! one just for fish!!) of boiling water and they die within a second. also when i've done a water change and syphoned out as many as I can get to and see and tip the bucket onto the garden the pesky snails cling to the bucket, so when i'm done throwing water out and ready for putting fresh water in I pour boiling water in the bucket and swirl it to kill the snails and any eggs so I don't reintroduce them into the tank.
your gravel will be fine, just take care that any plants/decor you add is snail and egg free!! good luck! these snails are clever at finding a way in! (and so are my mystery slitherers - no idea how they got in!) no danger of snails and slithers going extinct any time soon!

 

snails are one of the reasons that we're finally just going to go with good silk plants.. buying bulbs, buying plants.. it just seems to end up the same and with how much we've wasted, it's just going to be cheaper in the long run to get the good silk plants from DFS. Guaranteed to be snail free.

 

That sounds just horrid! My plants are a danger too? I figured you'd see it at the shop if they had a snail problem. Not the case, then? Could they go dormant in the shop, or be in an early phase or something. Sounds just horrids. But there are fish that eat them you say?

 

That sounds just horrid! My plants are a danger too? I figured you'd see it at the shop if they had a snail problem. Not the case, then? Could they go dormant in the shop, or be in an early phase or something. Sounds just horrids. But there are fish that eat them you say?

some loaches love snails.

 

Hmmmm. I have a snail infestation in my 15 gallon tank too. I pick out about 3 or 4 snails a day on the average. I put them in my 'snail cup' which now has around 40 or 50 snails- who knows if they're dead or alive, and frankly, who cares. But the novelty is fading fast. I'm getting sick of snail hunting on a daily basis. I certainly don't have room for any more fish on the minimal chance that they'll eat a few snails, much less take care of the problem altogether. I'm thinking about moving all the fish to my discus tank for a few days and dumping a few pounds of salt in the snail tank. Does salt kill plants?

 

How irritating. So you'd have to move all your fish for these unwanted guests. I didn't know anything about them, but the more I read, the more I sincerely hope I never get them (fingers crossed). Good luck with that, sounds really annoying.

 

Hmmmm. I have a snail infestation in my 15 gallon tank too. I pick out about 3 or 4 snails a day on the average. I put them in my 'snail cup' which now has around 40 or 50 snails- who knows if they're dead or alive, and frankly, who cares. But the novelty is fading fast. I'm getting sick of snail hunting on a daily basis. I certainly don't have room for any more fish on the minimal chance that they'll eat a few snails, much less take care of the problem altogether. I'm thinking about moving all the fish to my discus tank for a few days and dumping a few pounds of salt in the snail tank. Does salt kill plants?

Salt might kill them, but would probably take out the cats as well and maybe the other fish if in heavy enough quantities. Coppersafe can work, but I think it also is negative for snails. i'm not sure on the killing of plants, but a lot of salt probably would.

 

Yes, salt would likely kill the plants. Most plants can't even live in brackish (kind of salty) water. Because they have rigid cell walls, when the water gets sucked out of the cells, they actually rupture a bit, making it harder for the plant to heal.