Oi...snails...Help?

[Vizja13]

So I have a lovely 5.5 gallon tank. Heated, filtered, planted (lots of java fern and an Amazon Sword that is having issues growing back to size after a bad water change. Suggestions there would awesome as well :) ). Fertilized substrate. I use this stuff.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...AvailInUS%2FNo

It has a veiltail betta male and (somewhere, he's hiding again) an Otocinclus.

Also, somehow there's gotten to be a bunch of baby snails in there. They're eating at my Java fern and making lots of holes in the leaves. And I want them gone.

SO. My question is, how do I get rid of them without damaging the "ecosystem" in the tank? The tank is cycled (I tested my tap water once. The ammonia levels from the conditioned water was higher than the tanks levels. Oi.). It would be hard to uproot and replant the ferns, and i don't want to harm them they are doing so well. I've heard aquarium salt will get rid of them...should I add that? Thanks!!

[Syriiven]

I think you need to groom your plants by hand...lol.As far as I know, anyways. But mainly if you see one, pull it out sort of deal. I had to rinse my hornwart thoroughly and pick out a few baby snails before adding them to my tanks.

[PandaBetta]

Originally Posted by Vizja13

So I have a lovely 5.5 gallon tank. Heated, filtered, planted (lots of java fern and an Amazon Sword that is having issues growing back to size after a bad water change. Suggestions there would awesome as well :) ). Fertilized substrate. I use this stuff.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...AvailInUS%2FNo

It has a veiltail betta male and (somewhere, he's hiding again) an Otocinclus.

Also, somehow there's gotten to be a bunch of baby snails in there. They're eating at my Java fern and making lots of holes in the leaves. And I want them gone.

SO. My question is, how do I get rid of them without damaging the "ecosystem" in the tank? The tank is cycled (I tested my tap water once. The ammonia levels from the conditioned water was higher than the tanks levels. Oi.). It would be hard to uproot and replant the ferns, and i don't want to harm them they are doing so well. I've heard aquarium salt will get rid of them...should I add that? Thanks!!

Use aquarium salt with every water change and they will start dying off... But don't use to much so you don't mess your cycle...

[Myates]

No.... no aquarium salt, she doesn't want to kill her plants too! (AQ salt is bad for plants..)

Best bet is to place some lettuce leafs in there, you will start seeing a bunch of snails happily munching away on it after a day or so.. then just grab and toss the leaf away and add another and keep doing it until you get them under control/gone.

Another way is to buy an assassin snail.. those love to munch on other snails and will take care of your problem in no time.

[Vizja13]

Assassin snail? I don't think my petsmart sells those. Lettuce, I can do :) I'll do a water change after lunch, pick out whoever I find snail-wise, then add the lettuce. Thanks guys!!

On another note, what about non-iodized salt? I keep it around for when I had a tail biter, still have it in my cabinet...it's no better for plants than the AQ salt I would guess though.