[Alekinha]

Hey Guys!

I have a slight issue with my tank atm, i cant seem to get rid of the crazy amount of snails i have. I was told getting a few assasin snails would do the trick but it hasnt made any difference. I have tried leaving a leaf of lettuce in the tank that was a fail. I was told easiest way / safest was to physically remove them with a net... not as easy as it sounds, its like... they know.
I'm so sick of the damn things i'm thinking of removing the water, gravel, plants and rocks and cleaning it.
I'd like to point out that i will be re-using the same water that is curerntly in the tank, i just need to remove all the snail eggs and snails so i can actually appreciate the beautiful baby guppies i now have swimming in my tank.

The question is, will this cause my tank to start cycling again? like i said i would still be using the original gravel, media and water that is currently in the tank to keep all the fish friendly bacteria.

I'm aiming to do this today when i get home after work.

(Sorry if this has been asked before, i tried searching but i couldnt find anything).

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jbrofish8]

Snails arent really a bad thing.

You can keep the population in check by not overfeeding..but they clean places in your tank that would probably not be cleaned otherwise. I love my snails.

To answer your question, it would probably AT LEAST cause a mini cycle.

 

[Alekinha]

True, they arent all that bad but im fed up with them. Also i think they tank needs to have a proper gravel clean. i have too many plants i cant get the gravel at the back of the tank clean.
Gives me an opportunity to get rid of any plants that are dying, and possibly some re-aquascaping (need more hiding spots, my male molly is becoming very agressive towards the smaller one).

 

[Calmwaters]

If you really want to do it since you have lots of plants you should be fine. I would however just keep the filter media wet with some tank water just to be on the safe side. How often and how much are you feeding?

 

[Alekinha]

We feed the main tank twice a daye and the fry (floating maternity) x3. Should we cut down? Is is A LOT of fish, we're thinking of buying a drawf gourami or a betta to eat the fry...
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Calmwaters]

You are feeding way to much thats why you have to many snails. If it were my tank I would do once every other day on the main tank and maybe twice a day on the fry depending on how big they are.

 

[redchigh]

I feed my fish 4 times a week, about one flake per fish. If the guppies are hungry enough, they'll eat the young for you.

 

[Byron]

Agree, don't feed more than once a day max, and sparsely then; and missing a day or two will do no harm. Fry are different, daily feeding and perhaps more than daily if you want them, but I would do this in a separate tank.

Cleaning the tank will not rid it of snails, believe me. They can manage to survive in the gravel if not elsewhere. Besides, they are your friend; they are breaking down some of that waste into smaller bits that the bacteria can more easily handle. And the multitude of snails indicates there is a lot of it. Also, vacuuming the substrate is not recommended in planted tanks. You can read more here:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/freshwater-articles/bacteria-freshwater-aquarium-74891/

Byron.

 

[enthusiast]

to solve your snail problem the best thing you could do is buy a fish of the BOTIA species. botias will eat the snails. I bought a pair of yo yo botias (very neat, zebra-patterned) fish & they cured my snail infestation within a week it seemed!

check into it and you'll be glad you did. Any other method wont handle the eggs sticking in places you wont see, but when those eggs hatch the botias will find it and its a great source of free food for them

 

[Byron]

No mention is made of how large this tank is. Botia need space. They also should be in a group of at least 5; all the species in Botia are highly social. Some Botia are good at eating snails, some less so. Except for one or two species, they need a 4-foot tank at minimum.

 

[krish]

try yoyo loaches

IT's true. yoyo loaches are some of the best snail eaters EVER. theyre a lot like clown loaches but can be kept in a group of liek 3 or 4 and only grow like an inch or two. They are the BEST snail eaters I know. You should look into them. They also look kinda cute

 

[Byron]

IT's true. yoyo loaches are some of the best snail eaters EVER. theyre a lot like clown loaches but can be kept in a group of liek 3 or 4 and only grow like an inch or two. They are the BEST snail eaters I know. You should look into them. They also look kinda cute

Botia almorhae (common name YoYo Loach) attain 6 inches and require a 4-foot tank at minimum. Just want to be certain on this. And they should have a group of 5, although 4 would suffice.

 

[Calmwaters]

Byron is right I had 5 of these in a 4ft tank and they were about 5 inches long.

 

[krish]

ohh...sorry! I might have to move mine...