Snail Control????

[adamsite]

I am starting to have a snail explosion in my planted 46g. I've heard the Yoyo loaches are good for snail control. Anyone else heard the same?? Are they cool with discus? Thanks...
-Adam

[lodan]

have 4 in my 150 gallon, they have done great job on my snails, hardly see any now. They never have bothered my discus

[bs6749]

Yo-yo's aren't just good for getting rid of snails, they are EXCELLENT. I had a problem with snails in my 29g tank years ago and I bought two yo-yos and the snails were gone within 5 days and I was throwing away 75-100 snails per day or more! This is the single best thing you can do to get rid of snails IME. Copper would work too but it would make the tank uninhabitable for any invertebrates since the copper can be absorbed by the silicone and leaked back into the tank with time. I think some scaleless fish are also harmed by copper if I remember correctly. Anyway, go with the yo-yos and you won't be disappointed.

[Scribbles]

Massive snail deaths from the copper can really destroy your water quality too. Yo Yos are the way to go.

Chris

[KDodds]

I just rely on nutrient limitation to control Physa spp. Like other inverts in marine and fresh aquaria that will reproduce in tank, their numbers will only be supported by the amount of nutrients available to them.

[Autumn Wind]

Yoyo's will do the job for sure. Even better than clowns.
My Yoyo's even ate my MTS snails, wasn't too happy about that cause I wanted those snails. They are surely snail eating machines.

[Harriett]

If you are having a snail explosion, you are overfeeding and there is leftover food which the snails are scarfing and then being so well fed, breeding like...snails. Cut your food down to what the fish eat in 5 minutes for future control; you still need to get rid of the current overpopulation, of course. I like yoyos and clown loaches--they do a fine job. Everyone is saying the same thing here: nutrient control.
Harriett

[Surferdave]

I have to agree, YoYo's do an amazing job at getting rid of snails. Still, they are not the perfect fish. I found that YoYo's are pigs, they were taking a lot of food away from my more peaceful Cory Cats, and as they grew larger, they began to start digging and burrowing under my foreground plants. I have marselia quadrofolia in my tank and they basically killed all of it by uprooting it from the substrate. Most frustrating I had to tear down my entire tank to get them OUT, as they began growing too large and destructive to my liking. They are also notorious for eating fresh shoots off plants. Softer plants like my red lotus were getting munched on. Since then I've replaced them with these guys.

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/yasuhikotakia-sidthimunki

I'm not sure if they are keeping the snail population down, but they are absolutely rad. I was only able to get 2 before they sold out, some lady bought 24 at $15.00 a piece, but they stay small, and school with my rummy nose. If I have a snail explosion again, I'll just throw some zuchini in the tank and figure it out.

D.

[calihawker]

I love my sidthimunki's!

Someone said once they wern't big enough to be good at snail control and then I saw one my guys carrying around a snail that was as big as the sids body width:D I have no snail problem.


Steve

[cyberhog05]

I used clown loaches. I had a serious problem in my 180,They did a great job! but on the down side I got to watch the clowns eat my discus eggs. It isnt a big deal because when I am ready I will set up a breeder tank but in the mean time the clowns get to enjoy a little Discus caviar!

[jessbullock]

I prefer to increase water changes/gravel cleaning over adding fish to the tank. More tankmates = less room for discus :p
You'll only have as many snails as your tank can support via excess food and detritus.

Jess

[Yassmeena]

I had a recent problem with snails, and I added table salt to the tank recently to control it.

To me, snails seem very similar to slugs. I remember salting them as a kid.

So far, after 2 days the snails have all crawled up and hang out just above the water line. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but for now it's better than having them in the water.

Yasmin

[jesstray]

I used clown loaches. I had a serious problem in my 180,They did a great job! but on the down side I got to watch the clowns eat my discus eggs. It isnt a big deal because when I am ready I will set up a breeder tank but in the mean time the clowns get to enjoy a little Discus caviar!

Wow I did not know that the clowns would eat the discus eggs. I have five in my tank, now I may have to get rid of them.

[Apistomaster]

Wow I did not know that the clowns would eat the discus eggs. I have five in my tank, now I may have to get rid of them.

Discus have little chance of raising any broods in a group or community set up so why worry?