Member

Posts: 151
From:
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-26-2004 09:33 PM         

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Hey!! I posted a message on here about a month ago about how I have a problem with my snails. I have one adult and it keeps laying eggs. I had 30 then, and I think I have about 50-60 now. They range in size from the size of a ball point pen to about 1/4". I have been told that pet stores like Petsmart or Petco will take baby guppies if you have too many of them, has anyone else heard of this?? So I was wondering if anyone knew if they will take snails too?? Do you have any other ideas about what I can do?? Thank you so much for your help!!!!

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From:Marysville, CA
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 02-26-2004 09:56 PM         

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I've never heard of a pet store taking baby snails before, so you basically have 2 options: kill them or deal with them. I voted for the killing option in my tanks. I bought a couple of clown loaches and within 2 days there wasn't a live snail left, just hundreds of shells lying on the gravel. I think there is also a chemical method but I don't know much about it. You could pick the eggs out when you see them or take a PVC pipe and fill it with food at night and in the morning throw it away with all the snails still inside. Just some suggestions.

In another of my tanks I just scraped all the snails off the walls and decorations and replaced the rocks and that seemed to take care of the problem. Good luck.

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posted 02-26-2004 09:58 PM         

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Thanks for replying!! Every time I see eggs in the tank, I vacuum them out asap. I much miss some though... because there are a lot of them in there!!! Thank you for your help!!

[This message has been edited by ahoycatfish (edited 02-26-2004).]

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posted 02-26-2004 11:17 PM         

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You can keep the population in check with fish like the clown loach if you have the space for it. I have seen them do wonders with snails.

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From:Northern California
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-27-2004 12:28 AM         

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what kind of snails? if they are apple or mystery snails they will take them!!! you could prolly sell em

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posted 02-27-2004 07:57 AM         

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They are mystery snails

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From:Northern California
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-28-2004 12:30 AM         

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dont kill em sell em pplz cant keep up with the demand of mystery snails!!! shoot... pplz here might want them

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Posts: 501
From:Missouri
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-28-2004 08:43 AM         

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I've used a product called Had-A-Snail on my 10 gallon. It hasn't completely eliminated the snails, but it has gotten them down to a manageable level. It does contain copper though, so be careful if you have sensitive fish.

-Chelle

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posted 02-28-2004 12:02 PM         

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I am going to see if the pet store will take them. I really need to get rid of them, and I don't want to kill them. I just counted last night, and I have 155, and thats just the ones that I could find! Hopefully the petstore will take them!!

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From:Northern California
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-28-2004 01:13 PM         

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try a pond store or a local pond water gardener store i know pond stores around take EVERYthing(if the snails/fish/etc are raised right) may not be top dollar but they will go to a pond and live

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posted 02-28-2004 06:22 PM         

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I went to the pet store today, and they had some of the same snails in their aquariums, and they said that they came from live plants, not the mystery snails. I don't have any live plants though, so I have no idea how they got there. She told me that mystery snails lay eggs above the water line, and they eggs in my aquarium are on the bottom of the tank.

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From:Missouri
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-28-2004 09:12 PM         

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If you got anything (live plants, decorations, gravel, etc)from a tank that had snails in it, you're going to end up with snails. Most of the snails that managed to hitchhike into my tank are ramshorn snails.

-Chelle

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From:Austin, TX
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-28-2004 10:05 PM         

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I have two planted tanks that have small, brown snails about half the size of a pencil eraser when full grown. They were imported from the plant tank at the lfs. When they are big enough, I fish them out with a net and drop them in my cichlid tank. My Jack Dempseys love them so much that they rarely hit the bottom of the tank before being snorked up. You can actually hear the shell crunching as the fish chews with it's internal teeth. Depending on what's already in the tank, how large the tank is, filter water flow, etc., you might consider dropping a 2" JD in to help control the snail population. This fish can grow to 9" so the tank should be 40+ gal to accomodate. I also hear that clown loaches are good for keeping an aquarium snail-free.

good luck!

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posted 02-29-2004 10:17 AM         

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When I got my 2nd snail at the pet store, there were some of the other smaller snails in there too. The lady tried to get them all off, but maybe there were still some left. I think thats how they got in my tank because when I got my second snail, that's when they started showing up! When I got my first snail, I had no problem, and there were no little snails in that tank. Yesterday, when I went to the pet store, she showed me some of the snails in one tank, and I said that they looked just like mine do, and she said that they come from the live plants. She told me to try "had-a-snail", and it seems to be working.

[This message has been edited by ahoycatfish (edited 02-29-2004).]

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From:Northern California
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-29-2004 11:10 AM         

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wow some one at a pet store said to use had a snail OUCH... that stuff can mess up your fish high copper levels... i wouldnt use that stuff at all id stick to pulling them out

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From:Missouri
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-29-2004 02:11 PM         

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I've never had a problem with Had-A-Snail. Even with fry in the tank.

-Chelle

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posted 02-29-2004 02:54 PM         

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My fish seem to be fine, and it said that it's safe for freshwater fish and plants.

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From:Canada
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-01-2004 07:47 AM         

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After using it just be sure to do a water change and vacuum the gravel. The problem with copper based products is that they can react with ions in the tank (generally more so at higher PH) and precipitate and build up in the gravel. If the PH or temp. changes they can be re-released and ptotentially reach toxic levels. It shouldn't be a problem if you're careful about cleaning before using multiple treatments.

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