Found baby Malaysian trumpet snail in my newly cycled tank

[locodiscus]

After two long months, my tank completed its cycle a few days ago. I was so excited to finally be able to purchase my first ever discus until I made the unpleasant discovery last night of a baby Malaysian trumpet snail crawling up the glass. I'm sure this is a result of seeding the tank with gravel from one of the LFS in my area. I've been reading that these snails are the cockroaches of aquariums because of their resiliency and ability to rapidly reproduce. As far as solutions to this problem, I'm finding a lot of different suggestions like loaches, assassin snails, and manual removal. Of course, there's also the option of completely starting over which would be heartbreaking after waiting so long already.

Not really sure what to do now. Should I hold off on purchasing the discus until I fix this problem? Or is there a sure-fire way of at least managing the number of these snails and preventing an infestation while the discus are in the tank. I have sand in my tank so it's hard to know how many of them I have.

Thanks for any help.

[Madaboutdiscus]

If you hirry and remove this one and havent seen anymore it may be just a single one. But if you wait itll reproduce quickly.

-Victoria

[roclement]

Snail will be the least of your problems if you cycled using gravel from your LFS. Start over, empty the tank, clean it properly (plenty of threads on the subject on Simply), I prefer using a starter like Dr. Tim's but do your research on fish less cycles (also lot's of threads here on Simply), and give it a go.

Rodrigo

[Gorf]

Rodriguez has a point. Personally, I'd treat an LFS as a bio hazard & never let a thing from them touch my tank without sterilisation.

It's your call. You could attempt to take out the snails manually or use snail traps. You could remove all the gravel & decor - remember that it's the filter which is cycled. If it was me, I'd throw everything away & start again properly.

[locodiscus]

I have an appointment with Hans tomorrow to purchase the discus. He suggested maybe I could add salt to the tank if I think there's only a few. That would kill the snails by tomorrow and then I would do a water change. If there are 1000s, the dead snails could contaminate water. Of course, there's no way for me to know because I have sand so not sure if I'd be comfortable with this approach.

I'm kicking myself now because this could have been avoided if I was more patient with my fishless cycle. I just added the gravel two weeks ago because I couldn't wait anymore. Now I'm paying for it. Sucks being a noob.

[Gorf]

You'll never have this chance again to start again & do it right. I'd cancel the appointment.

[strawberryblonde]

I have an appointment with Hans tomorrow to purchase the discus. He suggested maybe I could add salt to the tank if I think there's only a few. That would kill the snails by tomorrow and then I would do a water change. If there are 1000s, the dead snails could contaminate water. Of course, there's no way for me to know because I have sand so not sure if I'd be comfortable with this approach.

I'm kicking myself now because this could have been avoided if I was more patient with my fishless cycle. I just added the gravel two weeks ago because I couldn't wait anymore. Now I'm paying for it. Sucks being a noob.

Ask Hans if he has a seeded sponge filter he can sell you for tomorrow. If he says yes (call him TODAY!), dump the water, remove the sand, sterilize the filter media and then sterilize the entire tank and all equipment. Rinse well after you're done, then refill the tank with fresh water, turn on the heater and age the water right in the tank overnight.

Then tomorrow just pick out your discus, buy the sponge filter and put both into the tank. Your own filter will slowly seed while the filter from Hans will keep your fish safe from ammonia and nitrite spikes.

[Nu2Discus]

Oh man, this is one of those times when you know in your head what's right, and what you should do. But then, emotionally you want to do the exact opposite. Here you've waited for 2 months for the cycle to finally finish, and now your ready to get fish. So close, but yet so far away. Lol.

Seriously, I say start over again as well. It'll never be easier than right now to start over. It'll never be cheaper to start over either. It'll never be easier on you emotionally than to start over now too. Just picture it. You get your discus, and two weeks from now, you slowly start to notice they are a little off. Then one by one they start to get sick. Who knows what they end up getting. Now you don't know if it's because it's just from stress. Or was it some disease from that LFS. Now you have to deal with the fact that maybe you contaminated the tank, and eventually the fish as well. You then have to treat the tank and fish. They may get better, or they may just die after being sick for a few months. At which time, you'll have to do what? Start over again.

Just start over now, you'll probably have to anyway. Save yourself the time, effort and emotional roller coaster. Not to mention the sick or dead fish.

[joanstone]

I know people have different feelings about snails, but I think this one did you a big favor. I actually have them in a few of my tanks (except my main display with many loaches, etc), they don't bother me one bit. I would start over as well, though.

[locodiscus]

Thanks everybody. Obviously not what I wanted to hear. I cancelled my appointment with Hans. :(


Ask Hans if he has a seeded sponge filter he can sell you for tomorrow. If he says yes (call him TODAY!), dump the water, remove the sand, sterilize the filter media and then sterilize the entire tank and all equipment. Rinse well after you're done, then refill the tank with fresh water, turn on the heater and age the water right in the tank overnight.

Then tomorrow just pick out your discus, buy the sponge filter and put both into the tank. Your own filter will slowly seed while the filter from Hans will keep your fish safe from ammonia and nitrite spikes.

You mean I could have avoided this whole 10-week ordeal of adding ammonia and testing water everyday and now this. Excuse me while I go jump off a cliff...

[strawberryblonde]

You mean I could have avoided this whole 10-week ordeal of adding ammonia and testing water everyday and now this. Excuse me while I go jump off a cliff...

LOL! Before you jump, at least tell me if Hans is able to sell you a seeded sponge!

[Keith Perkins]

Ask Hans if he has a seeded sponge filter he can sell you for tomorrow. If he says yes (call him TODAY!), dump the water, remove the sand, sterilize the filter media and then sterilize the entire tank and all equipment. Rinse well after you're done, then refill the tank with fresh water, turn on the heater and age the water right in the tank overnight.

Then tomorrow just pick out your discus, buy the sponge filter and put both into the tank. Your own filter will slowly seed while the filter from Hans will keep your fish safe from ammonia and nitrite spikes.

Definitely the way to go. This has got to be the simplest most over looked way to set up a tank ever.

[Jameshill247]

I know people have different feelings about snails, but I think this one did you a big favor. I actually have them in a few of my tanks (except my main display with many loaches, etc), they don't bother me one bit. I would start over as well, though.

Same, I keep them in my tank

You hardly see them during the day

If they a good food source then they will breed quickly not that this is a bad thing as they churn the substrate and avoid build up of gases

Live breeders so no eggs over the place and will eat uneaten food

A lot of people pay to have them in the tank

[Gorf]

A lot of people pay to have them in the tank

LoL! They do! But then they regret it later when they have 2 million of the little rascals! ;)

[Jameshill247]

LoL! They do! But then they regret it later when they have 2 million of the little rascals! ;)

They do tend to breed pretty quick lol

I did sell some on eBay a while back but it became a lot of hassle so stopped

[locodiscus]

LOL! Before you jump, at least tell me if Hans is able to sell you a seeded sponge!

Yes, Hans said he had some sponge filters he uses for fry that he could give me. Have appointment with him this weekend. Thanks for your guidance on this. I'm still having convulsions over the thought of having wasted the last ten weeks trying to do the fishless cycle. Well, live and learn. Tank and equipment are sterilizing in diluted bleach right now. Paranoid of snails now so not gonna replace sand and instead go with sand-colored bare bottom with no plants.

Btw, my experience with Hans so far has been exceptional. The guy is so responsive and helpful. Can't wait to meet him and see his fish house.

[STHH]

Malaysian trumpet snails in gravel are like earthworms to soil. They make your gravel healthier. I wouldn't remove them.

[BODYDUB]

Yes, Hans said he had some sponge filters he uses for fry that he could give me. Have appointment with him this weekend. Thanks for your guidance on this. I'm still having convulsions over the thought of having wasted the last ten weeks trying to do the fishless cycle. Well, live and learn. Tank and equipment are sterilizing in diluted bleach right now. Paranoid of snails now so not gonna replace sand and instead go with sand-colored bare bottom with no plants.

Btw, my experience with Hans so far has been exceptional. The guy is so responsive and helpful. Can't wait to meet him and see his fish house.

At least you potentially saved a couple of hundred bucks on fish which you could've bought and went south with your LFS gravel. I applaud you sir on not being hard headed and doing things right. You're on your way to becoming an excellent discus hobbyist.........