Snail issue

i have 55 gallon breeding tank with a bunch of green dragon B/N fry thats just over an inch but I also added a bunch of live plants and now I have snails . What can I do to get rid of the snails because I dont want them competing for algae with the fry. Can I put a clown loach in there? Will the loach harm or eat my fry?

depends on the size of the fry. if they are still really small i wouldn't throw a loach in. if they are getting over 2cms then go for it.

okay, thanks a bunch doug

One thing you can try are assassin snails (Anentome helena).
These snails are great, they eat other snails among others the Malaysian trumpet snail that gives so much trouble and breed like crazy.
Once the snails are under control they will also eat left over food in the tank.
Also they are not hermaphrodites and do not become a problem.
Most LFS sell them cheap, I put a few in all my tanks and snails are never a problem.
Unlike loaches they won't touch your fry at any age.
Worth a try.
Marty

cool,thanks marty i didn't know that. I'll try that

Chad.C wrote:

cool,thanks marty i didn't know that. I'll try that

Give them a try. As clown loaches do grow rather big and are refered to as "Tank Busters".
Marty

Assassin snails are very good at controlling snails but they never completely kill them off..They also are known egg eaters but most BN should keep them out of there caves. But I have had mine eat my L333 eggs before wich made me none to happy!!

mpfsr wrote:

Assassin snails are very good at controlling snails but they never completely kill them off..They also are known egg eaters but most BN should keep them out of there caves. But I have had mine eat my L333 eggs before wich made me none to happy!!

Hi think most snails will have a go at eggs. I have had malaysian trumpet snails eat my cory eggs.
Marty

I'm fighting snails as well. While I don't mind the common pond snail , the Malaysian Trumpets are breeding like crazy in my 55 gallon community tank. In spite of backing off a bit on feeding and having 2 adult Yo yo loaches and the addition of a red eye puffer. But I'm determined to find a way to somehow get rid of all of them without having to tear the whole tank down and start from scratch. Such annoying things.

Aleishoo wrote:

I'm fighting snails as well. While I don't mind the common pond snail , the Malaysian Trumpets are breeding like crazy in my 55 gallon community tank. In spite of backing off a bit on feeding and having 2 adult Yo yo loaches and the addition of a red eye puffer. But I'm determined to find a way to somehow get rid of all of them without having to tear the whole tank down and start from scratch. Such annoying things.

Hi;
Even tearing it down might not help. Their eggs are really stubborn and can survive being washed etc.
Try the assassin snails, just get enough of them and they will do the trick. But I think your puffer and and loach will have a go at them as well.
So if you can move them that might be necessary. Even if it is for a while.
I got rid of my trumpets that way. I just needed a few of them. Some people think you only need one or two assassin snails and get disappointed if they do not get rid of them. It all comes down to numbers.
Many of the trumpets that need to be eaten by the assassins so you need more assassins.
For your tank size I would start with about twenty and add more if required. You can always get rid of them by giving them away once you are done and only keep a few just in case. Your friends will be thankful.
Marty

While I've never noticed Assassin snails in any LFS before. (Probably never had a reason to look for them ) I'm going to see if we can order some at work as we do have pond snails in the greenhouse but we also have another variety that is especially annoying, it looks somewhat like a large hybrid between a Trumpet snail and a pond snail and they eats holes in the leaves of the water lillies and while I'm sure they will die off in the winter in most people's ponds I have concerns about them hitch hiking into their ponds with the plants that we sell. The Assassins would probably be a great investment for us and would winter over well in our greenhouse and thus we would have an endless supply of them to sell to our aquarium customers as well.
In one of my small tanks at home I allowed some apple snail eggs to hatch and have about 60 small ones. I've noticed there are hardly any pond snails and no Malaysians in this tank. It's possible that in large numbers they eat the other snails eggs off the glass and rocks or outcompete with them when it comes to food ? I'm going to stick with my natural methods for a while but, as a last resort I'm going to try washing everything down with potassium permanganate. Thanks for starting this thread. It's really given me some good ideas. Shiela

Aleishoo wrote:

While I've never noticed Assassin snails in any LFS before. (Probably never had a reason to look for them ) I'm going to see if we can order some at work as we do have pond snails in the greenhouse but we also have another variety that is especially annoying, it looks somewhat like a large hybrid between a Trumpet snail and a pond snail and they eats holes in the leaves of the water lillies and while I'm sure they will die off in the winter in most people's ponds I have concerns about them hitch hiking into their ponds with the plants that we sell. The Assassins would probably be a great investment for us and would winter over well in our greenhouse and thus we would have an endless supply of them to sell to our aquarium customers as well.
In one of my small tanks at home I allowed some apple snail eggs to hatch and have about 60 small ones. I've noticed there are hardly any pond snails and no Malaysians in this tank. It's possible that in large numbers they eat the other snails eggs off the glass and rocks or outcompete with them when it comes to food ? I'm going to stick with my natural methods for a while but, as a last resort I'm going to try washing everything down with potassium permanganate. Thanks for starting this thread. It's really given me some good ideas. Shiela

If you looking for the Assassin snail they sometimes go under their latin name Anentome helena.
Marty

you can check AquaBid also for assassins... I sell them there and if your in the USA shipping is included in my prices (shameless plug)... But always do research on the sellers before you buy. Cheapest not always the best

Mike

I've actually seen your listing on Aquabid. There is no shame in promoting your product when you have something available that someone needs. Funny that I've kept fish for over 40 years and still learn something new everyday depending on the species and of course care requirements. But, as luck would have it.. I popped into a Lfs where I used to work looking for a bloodworm feeder. Their fish selection was none too great but they had Assassin snails! I paid $2.55 a piece for them (bought 6 ) After they do their job in my tanks I'm hoping to integrate any babies into our aquatic greenhouse and get rid of all the " waterlilly munchers" thanks again for your input. Shiela

Aleishoo wrote:

I've actually seen your listing on Aquabid. There is no shame in promoting your product when you have something available that someone needs. Funny that I've kept fish for over 40 years and still learn something new everyday depending on the species and of course care requirements. But, as luck would have it.. I popped into a Lfs where I used to work looking for a bloodworm feeder. Their fish selection was none too great but they had Assassin snails! I paid $2.55 a piece for them (bought 6 ) After they do their job in my tanks I'm hoping to integrate any babies into our aquatic greenhouse and get rid of all the " waterlilly munchers" thanks again for your input. Shiela

Hi;
Let me know how they go. It will take a few weeks to get rid of the bad snails ( snail can only eat so much).
But they should do the trick.
Marty

Assassin snails will eat fish eggs at any chance they get so possibly not good for a breeding tank. They also swarm algae wafers and can have one completely covered before the plecs even realise its there.

Having said that they will eradicate your pest snails within months.