# snail eater



## mrsailboats (Dec 26, 2009)

Hey guys I've got a 50gal and in the early days got some unwanted snails from the lfs. I've currently got a strange mix of fish and I'm looking to add some sort of snail eater that will mix in. I did not want to go any chemical elimination route. I currently have a common pleco about 8 inches a red tail shark 1 glowlite tetra 4 bloodfin tetras I think they're called and 4 zebra danios. Any ideas would be great. Sorry for the poor writing this is coming from my phone.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

I do nothing.

And a year later only have a few snails left.


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## mrsailboats (Dec 26, 2009)

Well I guess its not like there are 1000's of them everywhere but they did seem to multiply to a certain number and its been about 10-11 months and they are still around. So I'm thinking I'm going to need something.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

mrsailboats said:


> Well I guess its not like there are 1000's of them everywhere but they did seem to multiply to a certain number and its been about 10-11 months and they are still around. So I'm thinking I'm going to need something.


Try feeding less. I do feed very lightly and only once per day.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

You can also get assassin snails.They are ninjas,lol.Also like mentioned above,feed less,and pick out everyone you see.


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## mrsailboats (Dec 26, 2009)

Really just pick them out? What do you pick them out with and then what just flush em?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

NO definately dont flush them.Some people will just throw them in a bucket to die,as cruel as it sounds,or some fish will eat on them if you crush them(ew,lol)Mine,i know someone who has a puffer and i sent them to them.I use my hands to pick them up.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

You could use a piece of skinned blanched zucchini as a snail attractor, then pull the zucchini with all the snails on it and chuck it. It won't eradicate the snails, but it'll remove a bunch of them, and give other critters in your tank some num nums in the meantime.


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## Jeffress77 (Mar 15, 2010)

If you can find a Leopard Ctenopoma, they will eat the little snails, almost guaranteed. They are an absolutely gorgeous fish too...The only problem is that they are in the perch family and like live food. Mine lives in my community tank just fine, but she will eat the little glow light or maybe the smaller zebra danios. If you are able to quarantine the small fish for a few weeks, the leopard ctenopoma will eat a bunch of those snails through the night.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I've heard some loaches will chow on snails too.

Be wary when getting a snail eater though - depending on how effective they are, they might exhaust their food source, in which case you will have to worry about feeding them. Might not be a worry for you (it isn't for me and my assassins), but others consider it a hassle.

Also, if I read correctly, it doesn't sound like you have any more invertebrates in the tank, in which case you could dose the tank with copper to remove the snails. Be VERY careful with that method though. It's just as bad as medicating a fish when there's no problems to be medicated.


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## bluenosebully (Jan 23, 2011)

Hi I've never tried this but I get told it works take a piece of cucumber (idk the spelling) but put in over night and take your next the next morning and scoop out. I've been told by a few people that this works. You can try clown loaches also but dnt think they can eat assassin or trumpet snails


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## ellyabillion (Feb 20, 2010)

I put my snails in the freezer to humanely kill them. I asked my aunt, who is a biologist and an expert on invertebrate neurology, and she said they basically feel like they are doing the snail equivalent of falling asleep, and is painless for them. :fish10:


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Use y0-yo loaches, they dont get bigger then 4" and will wipe out the snails in no time flat. To feed them just feed your fish as usual and pop in some wafers for them at the bottom.

They do not discriminate and will eat any snail in the tank. My 210g tank had pond snails like crazy, I tried to let them go and die off themselves but when it got to the point I couldnt see in the tank and changing feeding habits was not an option(got alot of fish in the tank) I grabbed ONE from a forum friend thats local and got 4 more after that, within 4 solid weeks I had NO pond snails left and about half my MTS colony left.


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## Jeweled (Jan 7, 2011)

I had the same problem with snales. After consulting with my LFS I brought home 3 YOYO Loaches for my 55 gal tank. They are VERY efficient at snale removeal. In addition to that they are fun to watch as they are very active and chase each other around the tank. They also like to nap on plant leaves. Yoyo's need the company of their own, so be sure to get several.


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## eaglesfan3711 (Nov 16, 2008)

Most loaches will do the trick. Clown and Yo-Yo loaches are a very common choice. Puffers have a primary diet of eating snails, however, they have trouble with cone snails which have hard shells and because of their aggressive temperament are not good choices.


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