I have millions of small snails in my tank and manual removal is not keeping up with their rate of multiplication! Are there any effective methods to remove or eradicate snails? Is copper sulfate an option, or will it damage the plants?
Put a lettuce leave in the tank after lights out. In the morning remove it (and all the snails on it). Repeat until population under control. I used this method and crushing them if and when I see then. Seems to work...
Ive tried this method over the years and it only seems to temporarily reduce the population. What has worked the best for me long term, is fish. Since I added 5 tiger loaches to my tank, the snails have disappeared. Even MTS. Clown loaches also very effective but get a bit boisterous as they get bigger. The tigers dont get that big and don't uproot my plants like the clowns used to. Sent from mTalk
Good to know! I read somewhere that Pakistani loaches are good for snails too? Will see if I can find some. In the meantime, will try the lettuce trick! Thanks!
Yeah the Pakistanis I believe are good to. Also smaller. You do find them around in CPT from time to time. More common than the tigers.
On the pest snail topic, I'm currently planning on re-scaping my tank from scratch and will be using existing plants. At the moment, my tank is infested with pest snails. How do I get rid of any hidden snails/eggs in the existing plants? Is there a solution that the plants can be dipped/submerged into to kill them?
I meant zebra loaches, not tiger. Typo. The zebra loaches don't get as big and I haven't had any issue with them uprooting plants. They are excellent bottom cleaners as well as when I vacuum I can see the difference in the absence of left over food. Whatever sinks to the bottom, they whey will eat. Spotted one or two ingenious MTS snails that have take to the "tree tops" and survived by not borrowing into the substrate, but that is fine with me.
