# Snail control



## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

A small loach will gladly annihilate your snails. I'm not sure what's considered too big for you, but keep in mind that loaches tend to be rambunctious and can wreak havoc on a planted tank. I would recommend consulting someone at your lfs for recommendations. My first yo-yo loach must have eaten 200 snails the first week he was in the tank, but yo-yos can be a real pain in the arse to deal with.

Another option is the bumblebee goby, although I've never owned one.


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## kirk (Apr 4, 2011)

ooh! Bumblebee goby's are cool!

I'd like to hear any more info on those for a planted tank

kirk


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## kirk (Apr 4, 2011)

here is the profile on the BB goby:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myfish/108-Bumblee_Bee_Goby_Brachygobius_xanthozona_.html

kirk


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## kirk (Apr 4, 2011)

a quick google search revealed these fish will eat snails though not all would be recommended in a planted aquarium. 

_Lepomis macrochirus_ (sunfish)


_Botia sp._ (clown loaches)
_Tetraodon sp. _(puffers)
_Bunocephalus sp. _and _Leiocassis sp._ (catfish)
various cichlids (_Pseudotropheus sp., Melanochromis sp., Cichlasoma sp., Aequidens sp_. and others)
various Gourami's (_Osphronemus sp., Trichogaster sp._ and others)
some _Betta splendens_ (Betta Fish)
_Mylopharyngodon piceus_ (Chinese carp)
Maybe a dwarf puffer would work for you, however i am not familar w/ them.

kirk


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## zachary908 (Feb 12, 2011)

Most Loaches will eat snails like crazy, just make sure you do not directly feed the Loaches regular foods, otherwise they will get lazy. 

I personally prefer Golden Burmese Botias for snail control, plus they look nice!

Depending on your current tank inhabitants puffers work quite well too. Just watch out for particularly aggressive puffers such as Fugus, Red bellies, and Neon puffers. These guys can wreck havoc on not only snails but your fish as well....


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## Golightly (Jan 14, 2011)

Thanks, that's great. Will have to ask about those. I would like a small puffer but they all seem to have a bad temperament and like brakish water. I wouldn't mind a loach either but they all seem to get quite big.

Would have been nice to get something that doesn't grow any bigger than 10cm and won't cause a problem with my other fish (cory's, oto's and rainbow fish).


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## Golightly (Jan 14, 2011)

What about reusing substrate from a infested tank, anything I can do to avoid getting too many snails from old to new setup?


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## Loachutus (Aug 27, 2010)

Golightly said:


> Would have been nice to get something that doesn't grow any bigger than 10cm and won't cause a problem with my other fish (cory's, oto's and rainbow fish).


These guys seem to fit your requirements, http://www.loaches.com/species-index/botia-striata . If you decide on the Striata, PLEASE get at least 2, 4-5 would be better though. 



> What about reusing substrate from a infested tank, anything I can do to avoid getting too many snails from old to new setup?


Pick them out 1 by 1? Free food if you get the loaches.

Good luck with whatever you chose.


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## JakeJekel37 (Mar 27, 2011)

Since you've got a 50gallon, dwarf puffer would probably fit pretty well so long as you have a decently planted tank.

The Dwarf Puffer (a.k.a. Indian Dwarf Puffer, Pygmy Puffer, BB Puffer, Pea Puffer. All the same thing) are purely freshwater, no need to adjust to brackish conditions. They only get to be 1". They _*can*_ be aggressive toward other puffers and other fish, but if their is enough plant growth to break up line of site, and the tank mates are quick (dwarf puffers, while active, aren't overly fast), then there shouldn't be too many issues. They can vary based on personality though, some will go after anything that moves, others are extremely docile, so be sure to watch closely just in case. 

They will handle the bladder snails and leave the assassin snails alone. The shells of the assassin snails are too much of a headache for the dwarf puffer to want to deal with.

YMMV though, of course. So just in case you get one or a few, make sure you have something else to move them too if they terrorize your other fish. Stocking DPs works at 1 fish per 4 or 5 gallons heavily planted. 

You could get 2 or 3, they've very curious and will hunt down the snails, but if you have to move them, make sure you have at least a 5 gallon for 1 DP, a 10 gallon for 2 or 3 DPs, and so on.


And of course, loaches are also a good way to do.


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## larams67 (Jan 24, 2006)

I have a dwarf puffer in my 20g and he is awesome. If you ever consider one prepare yourself for one thing. They will melt your heart in seconds they are so darn cute.

All he does is eat snails. Never bother my shrimps or other fish. He does eye the shrimp sometimes like he's thinking about it though. The other fish are guppies twice his size and they actually chase him.

I hear all the time how aggressive these guys can be but I guess I'm a rarity having never had that experience with them.


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## Golightly (Jan 14, 2011)

Thanks guys! 

Looks like I have to good alternatives to try. I know my local shop has Dwarf Puffers, so it's either them or a few Botia Striata.

Does the loaches compete for the same food that the Cory's or Oto's eat?


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

Golightly said:


> Thanks guys!
> 
> 
> 
> Does the loaches compete for the same food that the Cory's or Oto's eat?


Oh yeah! They're all eating machines.


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## salmon (Apr 14, 2011)

clown loach ftw. got some in my nano off plants...any time one or two pop up, i toss them in my 55g, might be on bottom for 10sec max before clown loach sniffs it out and downs it.


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## requiem (Oct 25, 2008)

interesting read! Any suggestions for a 20g tank with small residents only and TONS of pond snails? I've been fighting these for a year with no luck. Since I have shrimp in there, and various small fish (boraras brigittae, tiny little things) I'm worried a loach would get too big and become agressive. I've had no luck finding assassin snails either. :frown:


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## trixella (Jan 24, 2011)

Any tank I've had my Bettas in have not had a snail problem. I've witnessed the female eating the snail eggs.


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## BradH (May 15, 2008)

The easiest, cheapest and best way is to crush the snails with you fingers. Eventually, you want have anymore.


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## Jericho199 (Mar 18, 2011)

Assassin snails are great!


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## astrosag (Sep 3, 2010)

Even though people have mentioned dwarf puffers (I had two), I don't think they'll be your best option. More likely than not, the DPs will nip at the fins of their cohabitants. 

Surprised no one has mentioned it but I did see other threads where people recommended leaving some lettuce over night. It'll attract most of the snails. People simply take it out (with snails attached) the next day. It may not take your snail population down to zero (I'm not sure if anything will) but it'll keep them in check from what I understand. 

Investing in fish is fine but they often bring with them larger problems. Clown loaches get BIG. DPs are usually only recommended for species only tank (although I have one that does extremely well in my community tank - the other one didn't and he was promptly returned).

I'd try out the lettuce method before going for fish to solve your snail problem. Good luck!


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

I would love to get some loaches, but those zebra loaches get up to 4 inches! Wouldn't they burrow and otherwise be PITA in a planted tank?

I have been considering getting some loaches cause I really like them, and also I can't get my snail population under control! Assassins aint cuttig it!


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## trixella (Jan 24, 2011)

astrosag said:


> Even though people have mentioned dwarf puffers (I had two), I don't think they'll be your best option. More likely than not, the DPs will nip at the fins of their cohabitants.
> 
> Surprised no one has mentioned it but I did see other threads where people recommended leaving some lettuce over night. It'll attract most of the snails. People simply take it out (with snails attached) the next day. It may not take your snail population down to zero (I'm not sure if anything will) but it'll keep them in check from what I understand.
> 
> ...


That would be a good way to keep the population in control. Anytime I put blanched cabbage and broccoli leaves in for my otos the leaves get covered with snails... and when I say covered... I mean covered.


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