FishProfiles.com Message Forums

As some of you may know, i have experienced snail problems in the past. I thought i got rid of them, but they are back in their hundreds!

SO, instead of picking them out one by one (which really dosen't work) would the humane thing to do be to treat the tank with a snail killing pesticide? i am worried that this will harm the fish, but i am also a vegetarian, and for animal rights, but i know keeping them in a jamjar is not humane to the snails. So, do the killy treatment cemical things work, or can you suggest anything else. Unfortunatly, i can't add any more fish to the tank.

I know there are some ich meds in which you cant use it w/ inverts such as snails. I have one but cant remember its name. There is also a product called had a snail. I never heard anyone talk about it before.

How does someone develop a snail problem (just for future reference)?

Jodecii, usually, pest snails (ones you don't want) come in with live plants. That how I got all my unwanted snails.

Snails reproduce like crazy. They lay eggs everywhere. Some eat plants. So, they can be a problem.

I have pond snails and small ramshorn snails in all my tanks.

I have never used Had-a-Snail. I have heard of it though. I am not sure if it will work.
Some people use copper (like pennies) to get rid of snails, but I wouldn't do that. The copper will always be in your water. Some plants are sensitive to it and some fish may be also. You can't get the copper out.

If you don't have any other inverts then you could try the had-a-snail...if you can find it. It may work. But then you have to think about all the dead snails and shells laying around. If you have alot of snails then after using that stuff you will have alot of dead ones and you may see ammonia. Alot of dead snails can produce a good amount of ammonia.

If they are not eating your plants, I would just try to pick them out. I have given up on trying to get rid of all of them and just pick the big ones out and either flush them or throw them in the garbage. Not humane...but I don't like them.

*Kristin*

Ok. They are chewing on my plants a little, but i don't want excess ammonia, so i will probably carry on picking them out. The good news for me is that one of my friends loves the things, so at least she'll take them off my hands.

Maybe you can add a CL, just for a few days & be sure that he'll eat as much as he can.



http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/s8xi5heh/my_photos
http://www.geocities.com/s8xi5heh/classic_blue.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buzaqq/
http://www.deathbydyeing.org/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

You can't get the copper out.

Yes, you can. By regular water changes and the use of carbon will take it out of the water. The problem with copper that you probably got confused with is that if used for a period of time, the silicone in the seals will pick it up. After the use of copper, i've found that freshwater tanks housed inverts just fine after water changes and carbon, but wouldn't use it for saltwater.

We had a really nasty disease at the shop a while back and the only thing that would touch it was Cupramine, a copper treatment made by Seachem. Worked wonders I did some water changes and filtered with carbon, and all the clams, shrimp, snails etc lived just fine.

*edit* For the snails, you can lure more to one place by placing a blanched piece of cucumber or lettuce to a rock and chuck it in overnight. by the AM, the snails should be all around the veggies, and you can take out a larger swath at a time.