Julie Monday Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 I have a very healthy bladder snail population in a 20L, and, as much as I hate to do it, I have to cull. The best two things that attract them in a group so far is blanched zucchini and dried mulberry leaves. This aquarium was established in March with live plants (thus snails) and with fish in late April. I bought the mulberry leaves in a collection of dried botanicals. Just added one yesterday. The snails have annihilated it already. I know it was them because I saw them. I could have taken it out this morning, but I didn't. I'll do it sometime, probably tomorrow after I add another one. The first is totally gone already. I add a blanched slice of fresh zucchini on a fork for my otocinclus (obtained in mid May) every other day and leave it overnight (who fortunately have finally found it) and in the morning it is rife with little snails. I've culled via zucchini once. I honestly hate doing it, but my aquarium is so nutritious that my initial population has exceeded my wants. I definitely don't want *no* snails! But I provide such good food for the shrimp, otos, and fish that I have to cull now. I feel so bad about it. I know many of you know what I mean. Someone will say "give the to a store or other hobbyist" but I am in a small town in the middle of an aquarium store desert with little interest as far as I know. I'd consider getting an assassin snail, but then what? I can't have botias because it's just a 20 gallon. Such is the life and angst of an aquarium keeper :/ On the plus side - I have a thriving otocinclus group of 6 - and I want more now - when I was SO worried about having them since my past experience with them made me wary, thinking they were delicate. They may be, but mine love all the stuff on the glass, and the wood, and the plants (all live) and again, the zucchini!! Their bellies are so round lol My best successes so far are the otos and the plants. I can't take credit for the snails - they are invincible. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clownbaby Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 Yes, I feel the same way about my trumpet snails and bladder snails. But literally they are everywhere. Another thing you can do is find the eggs and remove them, let them dry out or crush them if you can handle the sensory junk... still makes me feel so bad though... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyxxl Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 Tiger barbs apparently hunt them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Guys Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 I have the same with Ramshorn snails. Someone suggested crush the little ones and it is free food. Hmmmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Monday Posted June 7 Author Share Posted June 7 On 6/6/2024 at 10:43 PM, Little Guys said: I have the same with Ramshorn snails. Someone suggested crush the little ones and it is free food. Hmmmmm. I remember my mom doing that! She kept a 29 gallon with several species and crushed the teeny snails. My fish are just the little rasbora types so have little mouths, and don't graze at all so I can't trust them to take part in free food! That is to say, they are a little dumb about feeding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 I have a 5 gallon pail I keep for infusoria... snail overpopulation goes in there, along with all plant trimmings. As I don't actually feed that pail, the snail population only increases when their numbers are 'culled' from other tanks and deposited in the pail. The lid sits on top loosely, if that makes a difference. Occasionally, dirty filters are shaken in it at cleaning time (as I have huge amounts of biofiltration, this happens maybe every 3 months per tank) which seems to be enough of a food source. That pail has fed hundreds of nano fish fry for a couple years and the snails do not breed beyond their available food source (there's an inch of empty shells on the bottom) and the water is clear... except under my hobby microscope, it's teeming with paramecium, rotifers and the like. I keep the snail population in check, they feed the microscopic food for my nano babies... win-win. Just my long-winded 2 cents 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumplkrum Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 I made a few snail traps with empty root tab containers. Drilled some holes in the side, leave the top open, and a small rock to sink it. Add an algae waffer or two for bait and they be clumped all inside it within an hour. Corys love crushed ramshorn snails. I'm assuming they also make fertilizer for the plants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kunersbettas Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 Maybe you could get a dwarf chain loach? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOtrees Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 Assassin snail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyxxl Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 My Tiger Barbs seem to like snails Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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