Yikes... Have Baby Snails

[Steve_Meyers]

Happy Holiday All !!!

Tonight I was shocked to find about 7 baby snails in my 75 gallon Discus Tank. It wouldn't be so bad, but they are in the corner of a corner flow tank. So they are behind the partition in the area where the intake and outflow pipes are ! I have no plants... A month or two ago I got some snails for my clown loaches to eat. Apparently they missed some !!! I really don't want them... I can I get them out ??? I can barely get my hand in that little corner !!! Thanks for your help !!!

[rdiscus]

clown loaches still in there?

[Steve_Meyers]

Yepper.... 6 of them

[Keith Perkins]

If you don't have plants a copper product will safely kill them right quick. i used Coppersafe eons ago with good results.

[DISCUS STU]

If you don't have plants a copper product will safely kill them right quick. i used Coppersafe eons ago with good results.

Lately I've been successful just plucking them out, but if this isn't possible, I agree, something like Coppersafe, If you can find it, as it may be out of production, will kill them. If this isn't available try some of the other chelated copper products which aren't especially toxic in any way. I recommend the chelated versions for this reason. You don't need very much and I believe that even a half to quarter dose over a few days should be sufficient.

It's been reported that copper can't be removed by using activated carbon so you may want to step up the water changes when you're done treating.

[Rick S]

Happy Holiday All !!!

Tonight I was shocked to find about 7 baby snails in my 75 gallon Discus Tank. It wouldn't be so bad, but they are in the corner of a corner flow tank. So they are behind the partition in the area where the intake and outflow pipes are ! I have no plants... A month or two ago I got some snails for my clown loaches to eat. Apparently they missed some !!! I really don't want them... I can I get them out ??? I can barely get my hand in that little corner !!! Thanks for your help !!!

If you can put a piece of lettuce in the over flow the snails will attach to it and then you can throw out. Continue this until you don't see any more. This has worked very well for me without the use of chemicals.

Good Luck, Rick

[Steve_Meyers]

Good Morning All...
Thanks for the suggestions....
I actually managed to syphon about 15 of those tiny snails with a 3/8 line... There are still a few left... plus I'm sure there are some I can't see.
Thanks, Rick, for the lettuce idea... I'll stop by the grocery store and get some tonight... and Thanks, Discus Stu, I will use your idea as a last resort as I hate putting chemicals into the tank... and to rdiscus.... Yes I still have the 6 clown loaches.

Thanks Again To All....
Best wishes For The New Year

[DISCUS STU]

Let us know how it worked out. I like the lettuce idea and would use it over copper if effective for you. The small amounts of copper I know to be 100% effective.

[Steve_Meyers]

Hi All... I'm Heartbroken... NOT !!!! LOL...
But the lettuce did not work !!! I left in all night... in the Am no Snails were near it.... Should I have waited longer ?? Oh well, no biggie... I syphoned the 2 that I saw... I haven't seen any of those rascals today. The LHS said to use an "Assassin" snail. I asked if they breed quickly and my tank would be over run by "Assassin" snails!!! He said he wasn't sure ????!!!! LOL...

[Rick S]

Yes, it takes awhile for them to find it but once the do they stay on it.

[gunnerschh2]

I use a small plastic soup container from chinese rest. cut a small hole in top weigh it down put in a small piece of alge wafer. once there in if there in your tank you got them.

[pancakeswim]

I have a proliferation of these small snails since the recent addition of multiple plants. Initially, I wasn't concerned, but they are proliferating at a rate that is startling. I was away all day today, and when I got home my pump that runs circulation, and a waterfall was nearly stopped. My fish were not happy. My water fall runs over a 3d background that extends above the water line about 16". The water runs through emersed riccia and then falls into the tank. If I stop this waterfall pump for an hour or two, it works fine. I suspect the snails are obstructing the flow from this pump, and they move when the pump is stopped temporarily. Very annoying.

[rickztahone]

I use a small plastic soup container from chinese rest. cut a small hole in top weigh it down put in a small piece of alge wafer. once there in if there in your tank you got them.

I always used the lettuce trick and worked for me. This idea with the small plastic soup container seems good though.

I would throw out a whole lot of snails on a daily basis with the lettuce trick, so I know it works. If I remember correctly, the problem with assassin snails is that they lay their own little white eggs that you take FOREVER to remove.

[pitdogg2]

Initially, I wasn't concerned, but they are proliferating at a rate that is startling.

I doubt they are proliferating that fast. What you had was hundreds-thousands of eggs on the plant leaves and in your hot 82* tank that hatch very quickly at that temp. When you get plants always look-feel the leaves you will be amazed at how many egg sack on on the leaves.

Snail b gone is still sold and is copper it works VERY quick. I have never had any problems removing copper with carbon not to mention many water conditioners also remove "heavy metals" ie Copper

[Fish_Fin-atic]

Just a warning....I am pretty sure that Loaches, especially Clown Loaches react very badly to any Copper treatment! Read the label carefully if that's the approach you are going to take!

The lettuce idea is great, but I find a one inch piece of cucumber works faster, and draws them in from everywhere - it will float on the top, take it out when there are enough snails on it, and don't leave it longer than an hour in warm temperatures as it will start to foul the water.