Snail question(s)

[pedzola]

So there seems to be a general agreement that both Clowns and YoYos will eat snails, right?

In my first foray into planted-tanks (no loaches involved) I ended up with some "passengers" on a plant.

This 20g tank (still no loaches) now contains a large population of snails.

So of course I felt the time was right to start picking out some of the reasonable sized ones (loachy snack size) and put them into the 75g tank w/the loaches.

To my surprise, there has been no interest. Today I added 3 more, thinking maybe the others got eaten at night while nobody was looking, and much to my surprise I found one of the originals crawlin along the side of the tank.

I dropped the new snacks right on a loach-cave. A yoyo even whiskered it w/his barbels but just sat there. Didn't attempt to nibble it or push it around or anything at all. He was just hangin out like the snail was another pebble on the gravel.

I've got 7 clowns and 3 yoyos. So far my tiger barbs have shown more interest in the snails than the loaches have.

Is this cause for concern? Will the loaches get it eventually that these are food?

Or is my tank going to become a snail-fest with loaches just watching them multiply?

[shari2]

What kind of snails are they?
Have you tried crushing one and dropping it by them? Sometimes that's all it takes.

[pedzola]

Crush it huh? hmmm shell and all? Wouldn't the little shell pieces hurt the loach if it tried to eat it?

I dunno what kind of snails they are. They are hte kind that come on aquarium plants and reproduce rapidly.

The shells are brown. The snail itself is sparkly lookin! Greyish and sparkly.

Are some snails not attractive to loaches? The ones I put in there are about pea-sized.

[shari2]

Sometimes, if they are unfamiliar with snails as food, crushing or cracking the shells to let them know there's food in there will get them the idea. After that, they'll go at them on their own to get at the inside goodies. They won't eat the shell. It shouldn't hurt them.

[brett_fishman]

yea, if you crush the shell, the 'juices' of the snail will make an 'aroma' in the tank, attracting the loaches..

-brett.

[Trapper_seven]

I had the same problem a few years back, which resulted in far too many expensive purchases (new tanks, fish, etc) as it introduced me to loaches.

Once, and if, you get the snails out you'll want to keep them out. Something I found on line, and discovered worked is the use of alum.
The full name is ammonium alum usp, and it can usually be found in pharmacies. What you do is add 1 tablespoon of alum to a gallon of water, and then soak your plants in the mixture for 48 hours (I have seen higher doses and different soaking lenghts, but have found this works well). After 48 hours dump out the mixture and rince the plants really well. I usually then let the plants sit another 24 hours in a bowl with clean water, or water I have removed from my tank.

Since I started doing the above I have not had a single "visitor" added to my tank when I have added plants.

Hope this helps in the future

Cheers

[YellowFinned]

So there seems to be a general agreement that both Clowns and YoYos will eat snails, right?

I don’t think clowns are good for snails. At least they might eat the soft shelled ones, but if you have got Malaysian Trumpets, they can’t be bothered. Yoyos are little better.

Modesta (orange or yellow), especially if you get some large ones, really clear out the snails.

[shari2]

Actually, mine decimated the mts population in my 55 in short order. I'd frequently transplant largish mts into the 40 bow with a sand substrate while they were in there, and all that's left now are empty shells...

[wasserscheu]

... my 4" clown just sucks in the whole thing, there are only a few small ones coming from the filter-tank. But I saw it - sip - swallowed (did not burp ).

Typically they´d pull them out of the shell though, if they are big enough. Some snails are not taken, I had once white snails, looking screw like- living in the ground...they were not taken. Some snails have a shield to close/seal their house, it sometimes can not be broken by loaches.

I bought some, about thumbnail size ones (zebra?) snails, all clowns poked around on them, the snail covered itself but survived - until it thought it actually were a "gardensnail" and left the tank (Had it in the filtertank, I guess it wanted to return to the main tank...or the garden?)

I have crushed snails before, SAE, Clowns, basically all fish and shrimps, considered it gread food. But I stopped that, as I am concerned of sharp edges, especially of the small snails with very thin shell... But by the time i did that, Colisa got sick, but I guess it was coincidental. SAE and Clowns were not effected. To be on the safe side, I stopped it...

[newshound]

man once a loach gets a taste for snails...watch out!
and even if they never did eat one snail (like that'll happen longterm ) the loaches will eat the eggs and you'll never have baby snails.

[The Kapenta Kid]

. I had once white snails, looking screw like- living in the ground...they were not taken...

These are MTS, color is usually darkish, but they vary. Very hard shells. but apparently some loaches will eat 'em.

[LoachOrgy]

my one tiger loach ate about 300 snails in less than two weeks. even the small babies buried in the gravel!

i even added a 2" diameter snail and the loach destroyed him. cut in the back of the shell and had snail steak!

[RiverStone]

Both my polka dot and golden zebra loaches love snails. So much so, I've had problems trying to get them to accept other foods.