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HELP! Stupid snails.

iamzrad

Members
Well, it's gone beyond frustration with me and my fish are starting to react a bit to mass quantity of snails. I don't even want to take a photo of it because I'm embarrassed... >_<

This weekend, I'm nuking the **** tank. Enough is enough!
 

Avatar

Plenipotentiary-at-large
Snails Anonymous

I think you owe it to science and the general erudition of other CCA members to post pictures. Come on - share with us thy glorious infestations (this is a support group after all) and we promise to not think less of you in the morning. Much. Mostly anyway. Somewhat?

Can't accept that one of CCA's proud, the few, the sub-marine would be cowed/humbled by mere "stupid" invertebrates - after all it's not like you have them on your person. Oops - now you have to show us a photo or we're going to think you're contagious. :D

Really would like to see what this looks like - no idea why it's never happened to me as all my tanks have snails it seems, but only a few.
 

iamzrad

Members
I think you owe it to science and the general erudition of other CCA members to post pictures. Come on - share with us thy glorious infestations (this is a support group after all) and we promise to not think less of you in the morning. Much. Mostly anyway. Somewhat?

Can't accept that one of CCA's proud, the few, the sub-marine would be cowed/humbled by mere "stupid" invertebrates - after all it's not like you have them on your person. Oops - now you have to show us a photo or we're going to think you're contagious. :D

Really would like to see what this looks like - no idea why it's never happened to me as all my tanks have snails it seems, but only a few.

Nice try, Sam. :rolleyes:
 

iamzrad

Members
Finally had time of the weekend and spent all day Sunday taking down the tank and re-establishing it. What a workout.
A happy tank is a happy Phil :)

281bl35.jpg

*I swear if I see one effing MTS, I'm gonna put a sledgehammer through it!


Ohhh, and while cleaning and tearing it the tank down, I found this little bugger in between rocks. I guess my Petros breed... :confused::confused::confused: And I assume my syndontis' ate the others :(
vjgcg.jpg
 

YSS

Members
Never saw this thread, but rhodesei's do good job of eating the snails. I had a huge snail issue in my african tank and now I don't anymore. I am assuming the one rhodesei I put in the tank did the job, but that's not a fact. Tank looks nice and clean, Phil. :)
 
T

tug

Guest
Alum, usually used to "sterilize" equipment and especially plants by killing snails and other invertebrates.

The most common form, potassium aluminum sulfate, or potash alum, is used in food processing.

A solution strong enough to do any good will be dangerous to the fish and more importantly to the "good" bacteria that break down the waste products from the fish that you want living in your filter. It is more often used as a dip, (one tablespoon or two per gallon, soak, 2-5 days) but I used it when I moved my tank - first remove the filter and critters.

Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) is harder to find but would be a better option added to an already established tank. If you have snails, especially blooms of them, something is feeding them, snails generally to not like high quality, dare I say high ORP value water. At therapeutic levels (under 4ppm) there is negligible affect on established bio-filters, mulm or bio-films.

As the Earth cooled, before the knowledge of water changes Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) was used to remove organics from the water. Many pond keepers even use this process since major water changes may be prohibitive or even impossible.

While there is no great advantage to PP over water changes and a clean filter, it is marvelous for spotting dissolved organics and other possible problems, including circulation; treatment sanitizing and so forth. Dissolve 2mg/l (water column) of PP into a liter of aquarium water, and then pour the solution along the length into the aquarium. Note the time or set an alarm for four hours. The aquarium water should turn a pleasant pink or even light purple.

Light purple means your water quality is excellent and you can even use a little less PP the next time. Pink is also an indicator of good water quality and that the dosing is correct. Yellowish tint through mud brown indicates poor water quality and the quicker and darker it got the worse the water quality.

If your aquarium got into the yellow to dark browns in less than four hours,
add another 2mg/l dose of PP. Continue the process until you make it four hours in the pink.

I recommend that you experiment first with a couple of your critters prior to treatment in the main tank. If you have never done this before be extra vigilant, err on the low side in concentrations. Should you notice any adverse reaction or just find yourself pooping uncontrollably, add whatever de-chlorinator you use at the proscribed rate.

Potassium Permanganate (pp) Calculator
http://www.cnykoi.com/calculators/calcpp.asp
 
T

tug

Guest
Potassium Permanganate, KMnO4 is the best general method for sanitizing plants and for that matter, most aquarium equipment such as nets, forceps, scissors gravel vacuums, tubing, glassware and so forth. If covered Potassium permanganate is reusable for quite a while.

The idea is to respect the stuff, take the precautions as with any strong cleaning product. 2 lbs of Potassium permanganate should last you a life time.

http://shop.chemicalstore.com/
 
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