Re: Snail egg help... en media res...  – 06/29/07
 how about getting rid of the ones there
< When did people stop saying "please" and "thank you"? Anyway, read here for more about snails: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm . Cheers, Neale>

Problem with Snails Taking Over  1/6/07
Hello.....help!  
<Hi Ginger, Pufferpunk here to try!>
I am exhausted from hours of seemingly endless research and am now turning to you.
Here's the deal:   20g. tank, 7 ADF's
<African Dwarf Frogs... RMF>
, 1 male Betta and a golden mystery snail.  I had a live plant in with them and apparently there were snail eggs.  Now, my tank is becoming infested with baby snails.  
<No surprise there.  Always inspect live plants for snails & rinse well, to remove any eggs.>
I've talked to all the pet and aquarium stores and no one has any solid suggestions or even entertainable ideas.  I can't use chemicals such as "Had-A-Snail", etc. because these cannot be used with the frogs.  Can't get a loach because of the Betta.  There has to be a way to be free of these snails once and for all!
In the meantime....I continue netting and picking them out.  Thank you in advance for any assistance you can offer.
<You've got it--this is pretty much all you can do.  Inspect the glass/decor/filter daily, for eggs & remove promptly, along with the adults. Otherwise, take everything out, replace filter material, clean with hot water & OxyClean & recycle with Bio-Spira. ~PP>
Sincerely, with Wrinkled and Cramped Fingers, Ginger <<RMF would remove the Betta and Frogs... use copper or a Loach or two for a while...>>

Oranda Goldfish and Mystery Snails   8/24/06
Hello WetWebMedia Crew!
<Me Bob, you Jane>
First of all, I am very impressed by your website. I am new to the aqua world, and I found so much useful information here.
<Ah, good>
Here is my story. Four months ago, I got a ten gallon tank, cycled it for about a week with filter, water conditioner and then got a small Oranda.
<Mmmm, likely needed to cycle longer...>
Everything was going well, he was eating well and growing fast. I was feeding him flakes, sinking pellets and peas or spinach. I was also fascinated with mystery snails, so I got five
of them from my LFS.
<Yikes...>
For a while, everybody looked good and healthy. Then, one of the snails stopped moving around. I separated him from the rest but he died few days later.
<Stinky!>
One by one, three more snails died. I think that one of them was in the tank for a while before I noticed that it has died. I should mention that I was changing water more or less every day, about 2 gallons each time. But when the snails got sick, the water turned smelly and greenish and I had to do water changes twice a day.
<Oh, yes>
Ammonia levels were good according to the color chart. Then one morning I found my Oranda on the bottom of the tank, not moving much and not interested in food which was
unusual for him. I continued to do water changes, then went to my LFS and they suggested Maracyn 2 medication.
<... for?>
Got that, took the filter out and started medicating. By then, Oranda was gulping for air all the time, and the water was slimy. Yesterday I found my Oranda dead. He was beautiful. Do you think he got sick because of the snails?
<To a large extent, yes... their deaths likely poisoned the water, increased stress levels too high, too fast>
Is it a bad idea to have mystery snails with goldfish?
<Mmmm, no... "like" about the same water quality, not predaceous with each other... But both need to be healthy, fed...>
Is it possible to have both and keep them healthy? I appreciate your advice. Thank you!
Jane
<Yep... please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm
and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: Oranda Goldfish and Mystery Snails  8/25/06
Thank you, Bob.
<Welcome Jane>
LPS
<LFS... the other applies to stony corals...>
guy recommended Maracyn 2 for dropsy after I described my situation to him just as I did it to you.
<... okay>
I have to confess, I got four more snails right before my Oranda died (again from the LPS). Now I am somewhat afraid to get another goldfish. At least for a month or so, until the water is clean again and assuming the snails are alive and well.
<A good idea to wait at this time... Cheers, BobF>

FW Snails ... why?   8/6/06
Hello!  I'm back with yet another question.  My son (almost 8) has  a 10 gallon community tank.  He wanted a plant for his tank, so we  purchased one about 3 weeks ago.  This week, we started spotting tiny  snails.  The most we've seen is three at a time, but they are close to the  color of our gravel, so who knows how many he has.  What do we do?   Will they harm the tank?  He works so hard to keep his tank balanced!  Thank you-Lou
< Little snails are common hitchhikers on aquatic plants. They usually eat leftover food and act as scavengers. Sometimes they can eat some soft plants. They can be easily removed by using Fluke-Tabs.-Chuck>

Plant sticks / golden apple snails / feeding... Synodontis comp., fdg.  7/5/06
Hallo.
I think before I purchased three golden apple snails my plants were looking a little eaten / worn -  some more than others. All I currently have is two
Synodontis nigriventris which I feed every other day with one to two pinches of flakes (morning and evening for example).
<This small African Catfish species can make plants ragged... chew small holes. Generally at night>
To add variety I include frozen bloodworm / peas and greens. I think that I am feeding them enough, better to give too little than too much?
<Hard to so... Mochokid catfishes are so active that they seem to "swim off" any excess food>
I have three plant sticks embedded in the sand - should I stick one underneath each plant, if that's the case then I had better use the others as I have around eleven plants in my 18.6 gallon.
<Mmm, worth trying... though it may be that you have "too many foxes, too few hens"... that the catfish will still be too much for the volume of plant material present>
I expect the snails will accelerate the plant munching though one of the reasons I chose them was because I was informed that they weren't a major problem in this respect.
<Mmm, generally not... though Pomacea/Ampullaria species are individualistic...>
Please advise me.
Many thanks team.
Steve.
<Best to keep your eyes on all, consider moving the Synodontis. Bob Fenner>

Discarding Snail Eggs    6/26/06
Could you tell me the most humane way to destroy Ramshorn snail eggs?  
<Yes... place in a plastic bag and place this your freezer. Put in trash later...>
Should I just throw them in the garbage where they'll dry up before hatching or flush them down the toilet?
<Mmm, no... some potential to "get loose" here>
I don't want them to hatch in the sewer system which would be a nasty fate but assume the temperature and toxicity of the water would kill the eggs before they hatch?
Thanks very much.
Mitchell Bogard
<Bob Fenner>

Undesired FW snails with amphibians    4/10/06
I have some firebelly frogs and have noticed that's some really small snails just appeared. this is the second time this has happened to me with different aquariums. I find this extremely odd any info you can give me about these snails and how they manage to appear from thin air would be greatly appreciated
<Likely "came in" with some live plant, food material... Can be removed... killed in a few ways, but I want to emphasize the need to remove the frogs if using toxins. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Snails as Fish Killers   2/24/06
Dear Crew. I have a question for you, have you ever known Apple Snails to kill fish??  I had an Apple Snail kill a Black Molly tonight and I think they killed 7 of my Ghost Shrimp and several Neon Tetras.  I fed them Algae Wafers to make sure they were fed and still they killed my fish and shrimp.
I suspected the Snails when I saw one of them on top of a dead shrimp.  I just thought the shrimp died and the snail was eating it.  I know for a fact a snail killed the Black Molly tonight after the lights were out on the aquarium.  I went back in a couple of hours later to see if a shrimp had gone back to a broken pottery home I put in the tank for them, and when I turned on the aquarium lights there was that darn snail on top of the Molly and it was partially eaten.  The Molly was just fine before lights out.   I just can't believe a snail killed my fish but I saw it with my own eyes.
Just a warning to all out there who are missing fish with Apple Snails in their tanks.  Needless to say my Snails are in a bag in the freezer and I will NEVER put another Snail in my tank.  They are dangerous!!!!!  Oh I am missing two frogs too.  I tore down my whole tank looking for them and they are no where to be found.  I only have Mollies, Glowlight Tetras, Platies and Redtail Sharks in my tank and I am sure the fish did not kill the shrimp or the frogs or the Black Molly.  I am just sick about this whole incident. Thank You, Pam
< Never heard of snails killing fish. If you think this is really happening then treat the tank with Fluke-Tabs and the snails /worms/ shrimps will be dead.-Chuck>

Killer Apple Snails II  - 02/25/06
Do you think flukes or other parasites caused this behavior in the snails??
<I think your fish died and snails ate the bodies. Their is no way the snails could catch and eat a healthy fish. They could eat a fish that was dying and unable to move.>
Is that the reason you suggest fluke tabs??
< Fluke-Tabs will kill the very small baby snails that you cannot see.>
I removed the snails from the tank last night and froze them.  I really don't want to get rid of the shrimp and I have 2 frogs in the tank.  Do you think my fish need to be treated with fluke tabs??  What was the reason behind your advice??  I truly don't know what to do here.
< If you truly believe that the snails killed your fish , then I suggested a treatment that will get rid of all the snails once and for all. There are baby snails in the gravel and on the plants that you cannot see right now but you will in a week or so. You can continue to remove them by hand if you do not want top treat but you will be busy.-Chuck>
Thank you for your email and your time on this matter and for your help.  I am grateful for your help.
Pam

FW Snails, fish eggs, food   2/13/06
Good evening... I've looked carefully around your FAQs-- great site!-- but haven't seen this question addressed directly. Maybe everyone but me knows
the answer! Here goes: Is there such a thing as a freshwater aquarium snail that won't eat fish eggs? I'd love to have non-plant-eating detritus-loving
snails in my planted Corydoras species tank, but if the cats spawn, I want the eggs to have a chance at hatching without my setting up a separate
hatching tank. But everything I've read says that all snails love fish eggs.
True?
<Yes... there are no snails that will "leave these alone" as far as I'm aware. Bob Fenner>

Persistent High Nitrite Level FW  1/31/06
I have read other messages on your site and other articles on other sites about high nitrite levels, but I still don't quite get it.
I have a 10 gallon tank with 10 fish:
2 balloon belly mollies
2 ghost catfish
5 orange von Rio tetras
1 algae eater
There are many, many small snails that were acquired accidentally with an aquatic plant that died some time ago. . . The snails, however, live on
and reproduce at a staggering rate.
<Mmm, you might want to collect and remove a bunch of these periodically... easy to draw to a small glass tray with a sinking bit of algae based food or blanched vegetable... as bait>
Until today, I had a philodendron sticking out the top of the tank with its roots submerged. I took it out thinking that this was perhaps contributing to the problem.
<Oh! Yes>
About a week ago one of my mollies (there were three) started to act strangely as if she couldn't submerge. She would still eat when given
food, but couldn't swim down to eat off the bottom like she always had. She had also lost a lot of weight. Eventually, she became very lethargic
and got to the point where she was upside down and couldn't turn over. I took her and another sample of tank water to the local pet store. They
said it didn't look like she had any disease and offered no explanation as to her condition. I assumed it was just old age and I only include
this description in case it is symptomatic of some other problem. Anyway, when the girl at the store tested the water (something I had
never done--shame on me), she said that the pH level was low and that I should increase it with a pH increaser.
I bought the pH increaser and a test kit that tests for NO3, NO2, GH, KH, and pH. When I got home, I did a 30% water change and added 1 tsp of
salt, which is my normal routine. (I keep around 3 tsp of salt in the water at all times.) I did not add any pH increaser.
I tested the water immediately afterward and it looked OK except the water was hard, so I added a teaspoon of salt. The next day, however,
the levels were as follows:
NO3 = 40
<I'd keep this under 20 ppm>
NO2 = 1.0
<Dangerous... should be zip, nada, zilch>
GH = 300
KH = 0
pH = 6.8
I added another teaspoon of salt and changed the filter which was very dirty (because I had made the water very silty the last time I changed it--explanation below).
The next day, the nitrite level was at 3.0.
<Yeeikes!>
I did another 30% change and waited an hour before testing. The nitrite had gone down to 1.0. One day later, it was back up to 3.0. The next day, 3.0 again. The following day, 5.0. Today, it was still 5.0 so I did another 30% water change.
One hour later, the levels are as follows:
NO3 = 40
NO2 = 3.0
GH = 150
KH = 40
pH = 7.2
There is currently about 8 teaspoons of salt in the water.
<Mmm, you might want to mix some of this salt up in tapwater and test it for nitrite...>
The strange thing (to me) is that the fish seem to be happy and healthy. From everything I have read in the past few days, a 5.0 nitrite level should have them dropping like flies!
<Let's see... luckily your pH is low... if it were a little higher, the nitrite would be MUCH more toxic>
I have checked for brown coloring of the gills and see none. They are not gasping for air at the top of
the tank either. I can only surmise from what I have read that the salt is keeping the nitrite from being as toxic as it otherwise could be.
<Oh, yes... this also>
I have noticed the mollies scraping themselves occasionally on a structure in the tank. I read today that this was one sign of nitrite poisoning. I have had this tank for 8 months now and only three fish have died in that time (except for the batch I introduced right at the beginning before the tank had cycled!). About a month ago, I did a very thorough cleaning of the tank. I really stirred up the waste on the bottom, trying to get as much out as possible. I took out all the structures and washed them with hot (not soapy) water. I changed the filter as well. I also started feeding them much more around that time. Basically, I unwittingly did everything I could to raise the nitrite level!
My questions are this:
1. Why isn't the level decreasing?
<I suspect the houseplant>
2. Why are the fish still alive and acting normal?
<They're tough, adapted to it, and the salt>
3. I have read on some sites of a biological filter or a biofilter: Is this (a) just another name for the normal filter,
<Mmm, of a sort... all filters are ultimately biological to degrees>
(b) a different kind of filter that I should have, or (c) just a term that refers to the
nitrogen cycle that occurs within the tank?
<Mostly the latter>
4. Could the snails be causing problems?
<Yes... carry disease... and can influence water quality in high numbers>
5. I have read that most of the bacteria live on the filter. Wouldn't changing the filter then lead to these levels getting all out of whack every time?
<Yes... a common problem/occurrence. In established systems not such an issue>
Thank you for any help you can provide.
- Bryan
<I would read over WWM re FW filtration, add more filtration, remove the houseplant, reduce the number of snails, test the salt... Bob Fenner>

Re: Persistent High Nitrite Level... Betta systems and snail removal technique  2/3/06
Thank you.
After removing the philodendron, the nitrite levels immediately dropped and are now < 0.5 ppm. Other levels are beginning to even out as well.
<Ah, good>
I thought you also might like to know that I have rigged up a plastic fork on some fishing line as a snail remover. I stick a piece of
vegetable on the tines of the fork, and when a few snails crawl on, I hoist it up and scrape them off. It's not pretty, but it's been fairly effective!
<Neat! Bob Fenner>

Betta, snail, together - 1/30/2006
Hi Crew,
<Mario>
I was thinking of introducing a snail in my 2.5g with heater/filter/java fern and a male Betta.
<Okay>
Is this a good idea, what are the pros and cons?
<I think it's a good idea... is posted... on WWM>
Will they eat the java ferns? the waste on the glass/bottom?
<Some will some...>
Do they require a separate food that you buy at the LFS?
<Nope>
I do not have a cover will they crawl outside the tank.
<Unlikely>
Which ones do you recommend that are compatible with a Betta?
<An Ampullaria sp.>
Thanks,
Mario D.
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

New tank for goldfish, but a snail?  12/21/05
Hi,
<Hello>
I have recently set up a 50 gallon home for goldfish.  No goldfish yet but the tank is up and running, with live plants.
<Good order>
The plants are anchored in driftwood and come from the fish tank in the LFS.  I thought this would help with the cycle for when I do buy the goldfish,
but this morning I noticed a snail,  I guess from your website this is one of many,  and now I think I did more harm than good buying the plants
<Mmm, not necessarily>
Considering there is no fish in the equation yet, do I empty the tank, throw out the plants, wash everything and start from scratch?  Find
some chemical means of killing off the snail(s)?
<Possibilities, but there are other means...>
I don't really want a tank full of snails,  but I could put up with a couple,  any chance the goldfish would like them for lunch?
<Not much>
Thank you for your advice.
<I would try "baiting" the snails first... in an attempt at their physical removal. A bit of sinking food in a glass or plastic container on the bottom will attract, aggregate them. Using a plant soaking solution (most are alum-based), in advance of their introduction to the tank will likely eliminate new snail (eggs). Bob Fenner>
SLH

Bettas, Snails, and Glass Cats - 08/04/2005
Hello, WWM Crew!! :)
<Hello, Stella and Jared!>
First off, thanks so much for all the work you put into getting this info. out there! I spend *way* too much time reading things on this webpage.
<And thank you very much for your kind words; this is much appreciated.>
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find answers to everything I was wondering-- maybe I just didn't look hard enough.
<No worries.>
Currently, my husband and I have two tanks set up.  One is the Eclipse 3-gallon and it houses a happy, fat Betta fish, 3 Ghost Shrimp and various live plants.  
<Sounds perfect.>
I was thinking about adding some Java Fern and getting a Golden or Black Mystery Snail for this tank. The shrimp do a fine job cleaning up, but I think I'd like a snail, too. Would that overload this tank? And how can I make sure that the snail won't come with a bunch of baby snails? (I suppose I could get a male...?)
<Mm, honestly, I would not add a mystery snail to this small system.  Too much potential for pushing out more biological waste than the tank can easily support.  Do-able, though, if you are very meticulous about testing and changing water.  Do please take a look at http://www.applesnail.net , though, for lots of snaily information.>
The other is an Eclipse Hex 7, which has... one Glass Catfish and various live plants. (The other Glass Cat we bought died the morning after it was brought home.)  Normally, there is a Betta in this tank too; unfortunately, he seems to be sick.  I pulled him out, placed him in a vase (I don't have an "official" QT tank yet), tried to get the water temperature a bit warmer than his water (82F) and a little extra salt. I also added a half dose of CopperSafe. The sick Betta has feathery stuff flaking off of him, almost from beneath his scales.  He seems to be doing much better, blowing bubbles and swimming around happily. Maybe he prefers having no tankmates... He's been quarantined for 2 days now-- how much longer should I keep him out of the 7 gallon? 3 weeks?
<A week or two after he has regained health completely is probably sufficient.  A side note - DO NOT add CopperSafe (or ANY other copper-based medication) to aquaria with invertebrates, as it is highly toxic to them.>
As for our lonely Glass Cat (who still won't eat much!!),
<Try offering frozen meaty foods, such as frozen bloodworms, or live foods like mosquito larvae, just after lights-out on the tank.>
how many more Glass Cats can we put in the 7 gallon tank without overloading it? I know they do much better in a shoal/school, but I'd really rather not make them all miserable in a small space.
<This animal is easily capable of reaching six inches in length....  In all honesty, I would plan on a larger tank (20 gallons or more) and aim for at *least* three of these fish; shy schoolers like this really seem to be more "at ease" in numbers.  Please consider the 7g tank a very temporary home.>
By the by, I was also considering getting a Black or Golden Mystery Snail for this particular tank. Would having snails mean less gravel-vaccing?
<No.  Snails, like other animals, produce waste; you'll still need to do the same regular maintenance.  I see no problem adding a snail or two to this tank.>
We're still set on having 10-15% water changes/testings once a week, but we're afraid too much gravel vacuuming is bad for the plants...
<Well, yes, there *is* a happy medium.  Try not to vacuum too much at the plants' roots, but in areas absent of plants, vacuum all the more.>
Lastly (I'm sorry! So many questions...!!),
<Really, no worries!  I'm glad you're asking, rather than not!>
since we have smaller fish, what size tank would be adequate for a QT?
<As above, I would like to encourage you to think about a much larger tank for the glass cat(s)....  They might be "smaller fish" right now, but they won't stay so.  Ahh, in fact, here's the fishbase entry on 'em:  http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=10920&genusname=Kryptopterus&speciesname=bicirrhis .  If you do a much larger system, the 7 would make a fine QT, or a cheap 10g setup would serve just as well.>
It's been difficult finding a heater that works well for such small size tanks.
<A small, 25w heater would be fine for the 7.  I even use a 25w in my own 3g eclipse; works great.>
Thankfully, we live in San Diego, so the temperature of the tank water rarely drops below 77.
<Ahh, very good indeed.>
Thank you so so much in advance! Look eagerly forward to a reply :)
--Stella&Jared
<Thank you again for your kind words!  Wishing you and your fishes (and future snails?) well,  -Sabrina>

Pond Snail Problem 7/30/05
Hi,
I was hoping someone could help me with my snail problem. I have a 20 gallon US aquarium with 2 Otos, 1 guppy, 4 neon tetras, and 2 Black Phantom Tetras. I had some small pond snails get into my tank from the plants I bought from the fish store, I tried to remove them manually, then tried Had-A-Snail, with no luck.
<Unusual>
I'm wondering with the size and population of my tank if there is a fish I could get that would eat the pond snails.
<There are a few... the best are loaches... oh, I see you know this from below>
I know one is a Skunk Loach, but I am having trouble finding one, do you have any other suggestions.
PS I have tried to get them with the food trick, but they keep coming back.
Thanks
Andrea
<Keep reading... on WWM re. Bob Fenner>

Snail Problem 8/3/05
Hi again, with my tank size and amount of fish do you think I would be able to get a YoYo Loach. If so, would I be able to get one or two? Thanks again.
< Try Fluke-Tabs to get rid of snails and any other invertebrates in the tank. Go to loaches.com and you can find info on any type of Botia. Two Yo-Yo loaches look like they would get crowded and fight. One small one at most.-Chuck>

Shocking, Vicious Snail 7/23/05
Ahoy, mateys...
<Aye be gar, actually, I be Bob, what's up?>
I have a tale of two snails to impart: I bought two large "Mystery Snails" from a pet store that shall remain Unnamed.
<Perhaps that's their mystery?>
They are chocolate-brown in color, and bigger than my thumb. Wait, I have very small hands (see?), so they are, if you are male, bigger than YOUR thumb. These snails have roundish shells. Please hold up your thumb: Yes, bigger than your thumb.
<Can't type while looking at me digits>
To continue: One snail is chasing down and nipping the other snail. I clearly see it nipping. I might have seen the glint of a fang, even (okay, exaggerating). The Victimized Snail jerks around, and pulls everything in, but the other snail is relentless. I keep moving him/her/it away with the handle of the net, but the chase begins anew the moment of re-emergence.
<Bizarre>
"Googling" about "snails aggression" and "aquarium snail aggressive" and so forth yield only advice about being aggressive in removing infestations of snails. Let's no go into what searching for the terms "aggressive snails sex?" turned up.
This has gone on two nights and I'm getting no sleep. Any help would be appreciated. Here is a lovely Virtual Box of Chocolates in appreciation:  
[__]
Thank ye,
Snowie
<Am looking out to see if there's a full-moon... don't know what this is... maybe a shortage of calcium? Reproductive behavior? Bob Fenner>

Snails & Bettas
Hi, highly informational site. I've learned a lot more than I originally intended to from sifting through the site.
<Ahh, our intention>
Though, I either missed or have a new question that I haven't really been able to find a specific answer to...
I have a healthy and very active Betta in a 10 gallon tank, he's been there for about 6 months and he loves it. He's always spicy. Anyways, I recently bought a gold mystery snail for the tank and the Betta has been nipping at the poor guy every time he comes out of his shell. My question is... Will Betta's normally get tired of the snail and leave it alone?
<Usually, yes... you may want to add another "dither" organism... something else it can chase about>
If not/so, will one of the larger baseball sized apple snails be less prone to being nipped at by the Betta?
<Perhaps>
My thinking was that the Betta is picking on the little snail because he (the Betta) is bigger and feels like something is invading his territory, but he'd leave a bigger snail alone.... So, those are the questions that have been plaguing me for days. Anyways, thanks again for the site.
<Thank you for being part of, adding to it. Bob Fenner>

Snail Problem "Had-A-Snail"?
Forgot to ask one more thing: how do you handle a bad snail problem in an 80 gallon. I've already tried "Had a Snail" (copper treatment or something like that), keeps em down but doesn't get rid of them. I also have a clown loach, but he doesn't seem to be able to keep up with them, although he's very fat because of them. Any ideas would be appreciated. I'd buy another clown loach, but I've got too many fish as it is.
< Fluke Tabs will take care of all you snail problems.-Chuck>

SNAILS!
Somehow, someway one of our tanks (the 30 gal. one) "developed" these very ugly brown snails...which seem to multiply daily...we have not a clue as to where they came from or how to rid our tank of them. What, short of breaking  down the tank, can we do, if anything?
Thanks for your anticipated response.
>>
Is this a freshwater set-up? My fave methods of snail eradication for tropical aquariums are the Loaches... one or two Clown Loaches (Botia macracantha) or if your tank's a little crowded, one of the smaller species, like the Skunk (B. sidthmunki)... a day or two later... nothing but snail shells!
Bob Fenner, who says, please write back if my guess is wrong about your tank... and it's marine...

Controlling Snails
Dear Pet Store
Hi, my name is Brian Halstead and I was wondering if you had any suggestions for me. I have a bunch of fish and I went to a pet store and bought some live plants. The plants that I bought had snails on them and now I have snails in my aquarium. I cleaned it out but they kept coming back. Since they multiply by them selves I don't know what to do and it drives me crazy because they make the water dirty. It is like there is a million of them and if I try to take the net and get some out they just come back. If you have something that would kill them for ever and kill the eggs than that would be good.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I hope you have some suggestions. Thanks Again
Brian Halsted 
>>
There are a few approaches to freshwater snail control... and I'll briefly outline them for you here:
First off, in terms of long-term success, and least problems, are biological means... there are some animals that are tireless snail eaters. My favorite pick are the fishes called Loaches (family Cobitidae)... and you didn't say how big your tank is, but I'll assume it does have a thermostatically controlled heater... If the tank is small (less than twenty gallons) look into a couple of Skunk Loaches (usually Botia sidthmunki)... If it is bigger, maybe a couple of small (to start) Clown Loaches (Botia macracantha)... you will be amazed at the job these will do... and they're neat to have as wet pets as well.
There are other types of approaches, manual/mechanical and chemical... but let's not even consider them, as the loaches mentioned above will "do the job" much better and safer.
Bob Fenner

Snail infestation problem in my 75 gal freshwater tank.
Hi I have a problem with snails in my freshwater tank.
<Not uncommon...>
I purchased plants at a local pet store few months ago and it came with uninvited guests.
It started out with one cute snail and now there are whole colonies of them.
It's out of control!!!!
It is amazing how fast they multiply.
I try to pick them out as much as I can everyday but without any dent on the snail population. ARGGGGGH
I would like to get rid of them. What should I do?
<Take a look here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/snailsagb.htm and the associated FAQs... you will know, develop a control strategy. Bob Fenner>
thanks
-Thomas

Re: snails-Ramshorn
Thank you in regards to the question of sex of the single birthing mother snail.  Now another for  you please.  I have 3 large goldfish or carp now, and was wondering if I can put snails in the same tank without them getting eaten.
<This should work out fine. These minnow fishes don't generally eat snails>
  Also, I do not use a heater in my carp tank, just room temperature, and do have snails born in another tank I have that have a heater, will they survive the temperature of room and if yes or no, can you tell me some names of snails that can survive with my carp in room temperature.   tanks, Paul
<This also should be fine. Please see here re your last question:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/pdsnails.htm
Most all of the larger species of snails sold in our interest (particularly of the genus Pomacea (= Ampullaria) will do well. Bob Fenner>

Up late stressing about my four Corys
<Ananda here this late night/early morning, fielding the puffer questions...>
I just did what now seems to be a very stupid thing. I had an overflow of snails so I read all about loaches and went to the local aquarium store to buy myself a small pack of them, having read they where a schooling fish. I was a little nervous about this and was easily manipulated by the evil aquarium experts?  .  
<Always stick to your guns when you have researched something...keep in mind that the people at the store are trying to sell you something and that non-commercial web sites about fish generally have the fishes' best interests at heart.>
Anyways they told me I would be better off buying a single Puffer fish, and after asking what fish I already had in my aquarium told me to add a teaspoon of rock salt per gallon of water to my aquarium.
<Knowing you had Corydoras catfish? Shame on them!!>
It has been a little over a week now and my Cory Catfish are not eating, and I just read that Corys can not tolerate salt,
<Usually not well at all. I would do a 50% water change with no salt in the new water.>
but I now have a green spotted puffer fish as well.
<Cute and intelligent fish, requiring salt as they mature.>
Tell me how to safe my fishies without buying a second aquarium please.  :(   
<Oh my. That is difficult, because the puffer needs salt, and the Corys can't tolerate it. Very young green-spotted puffers (under 2" in length) can tolerate freshwater for short periods. But your long-term solution is another tank for the puffer.>
<Best wishes, Ananda>  

Clown loaches for snail control
<Ananda here tonight, answering the freshwater fish questions...>
hi guys need your help again if you do not mind .
<Not at all -- that's what we're here for.>
100,s of stinking snails. these are the cone shaped type not sure of scientific name.
<Probably the ones commonly called "Malaysian trumpet snails".>
guy at local fish store said clown loaches will not eat them shells too hard
<Baloney. My clown loaches eat these all the time. They don't need to crush the shells; loaches suck the snail out of the shell.>
want to refrain from chem.s-  he suggested a product called had-a-snail.
<I'm surprised he's trying to sell you chemicals rather than more fish.>
at my wits end  heeeeeeelp meeeee rocky
<Check out our loaches page and its associated FAQs: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/cobitids.htm ...also http://www.loaches.com has much info from loach fans. --Ananda>

Snails and starting over
I love your site and thought if anyone can help it will be you. I have a HUGE snail problem in my 30 gallon tank. It started with two snails and now is up to oh, 200 or so.
<LOL! I'm sorry for laughing but I've had this same problem myself.>
My tank contains a black angel, a balloon molly, a platy, a crab, a Plecostomus and now two clown loaches.  I tried aquarium salt (no effect)
<Salt won't have an effect on the snails unless it's in very large quantities, nearly brackish conditions and this can harm some of your fish.>
None of the fish or the crab wants to eat the snails except the tiny clown loach that is an inch long.  The large one 4 inches just hides!  I am moving march first and wonder if it would be easier to get new gravel and start over (my gravel is the same color as the snails) Do I have to do the gold fish thing again and of so what do I do with the fish and crab till that's done?  Or can I just set up the tank and put in the fish?
<To avoid having to go through the whole cycle process again you should set it back up with the same gravel and filter media and some dirty water from this tank. Unfortunately, this won't help the snail problem. I'm going to tell you how I would do this to avoid the cycle period again and still eradicate the snails. It's up to you if you want to try this though because it doesn't always work and sometimes your tank will still go through the cycle period again. So use this method at your own discretion. Get yourself several bottles of a product called Lime-It (if you can't find it at your LFS you can mail order it from several online stores). Follow the directions and use this to soak your gravel/plants/decorations/etc. The Lime-It will kill all of your snails. Rinse all of your stuff very well. Set your tank back up using all of the stuff you just rinsed. Have your LFS give you a large bag or two of *very* dirty water from one of their tanks or you can use dirty water that you saved from when you tore your tank down. Dump all of this water into the tank and fill it as normal. Your water will be very murky but will clear. The more dirty water you can add the better, for a 55g tank I used 4 gallons of dirty water so I'd recommend at least 2 gallons of it for your tank. This should provide enough of a bacteria start that you will be able to avoid at least the worst of the cycle. Still keep a very close eye on your ammonia and nitrite levels and do water changes as necessary.>
Thanks for your help.
<Good luck! Ronni>

Clown loaches and snails
Hi gang,
<Greetings!>
I have a planted tank with several medium (3") clown loaches...initially stocked to control snail stowaways on plants, which they do well.  In fact, not only have the loaches become one of my favorite fishes in all my tanks, I actually breed and raise Ramshorn snails just so I can give them a treat a few times a month!  =)
<I’m sure they love this, I do it myself with my clowns.>
My question:  I have a couple LARGE (2" or so) Gold Inca (not exactly sure of the species) snails in need of a home.  They've been housed in my quarantine tank for nearly a year, so I doubt introducing pathogens would pose a risk to the tank, however, would the clown loaches pose a risk to these big guys?
<Very possibly. I know I’ve seen clowns eat snails that were over an inch in size so I’d be afraid to try it even with snails as large as yours.>
Also... now that I have your attention, hehe.  What are some species of plants (if any) that would do OK in a moderately aerated tank?   I'm not looking to win any awards in these tanks, just to add some "live" decorations.
<A lot would depend on your lighting. Some of my favorites for moderately lit, moderately aerated tanks are Anacharis (this one is rumored to be touchy but I’ve always had good luck with it), Elodea, and Anubias.>
Thanks a bunch, and keep up the good work on WWM! Cheers, Michael
<Thank you and you’re welcome! Ronni>

Rams' Horn Snails - Good Guys or Bad?
I have been reading through a lot of the FAQ's and didn't find my question...so here goes.  I have a Ram Horn snail recently placed in my 55 gal. freshwater tank.  There is also an old large Pleco and an old large Tiger Oscar.  No one seems to bother the snail.  My question:  The Ram Horn snail has laid several clusters of eggs in the artificial plant.  Will these eggs hurt my Oscar and Pleco?  
<No, not at all.  The Plec may even eat some as he cleans.>
Should I remove the eggs?  
<Heh, that depends on whether or not you want lots of snails.  They can multiply tremendously.>
How do I handle this?
<You can either do nothing, or you can pull out the plant and scrape the eggs off - but I'm fairly positive there will be eggs elsewhere in the tank, as well.  Either way, it is nothing to be horribly concerned about, except that they can become an eyesore when there are too many of 'em.  More here:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm .>
Thank you for any help you can give.  Beverley
<Sure thing!  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Rams' Horn Snails - Good Guys or Bad? - II
Thanks so much for your quick reply.  
<You bet!  We do try to answer things quickly.... with the volume of questions we get, things sometimes slip through the cracks, but we certainly try to do our best!>
You have made an instant fan.  Beverley
<Ah, wonderful to hear!  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Cichlids, wanted plants, got snails, doesn't want snails... loach solution!
Greetings! 
<Greetings to you.> 
I am the sad owner of a 90g Mbuna cichlid tank, I tried having plants (they survived quite a while, but ended up looking pretty ragged) and all I got was a lousy snail infestation. 
<you are not the first person to have that happen to him.> 
I reluctantly introduced three clown loaches - I prefer to have a biotope aquarium (with the exception of the rubber Plecostomus that keeps algae that also came with the plants under control) of sorts. The small (1.5") loaches seem to have no idea what a snail is - there certainly are enough to keep them busy round the clock if they so desired. 
Here are my three questions: do the loaches have to get to a certain size before they'll start eating snails? 
<Not really, I have seen smaller loaches eat snails also. But, I have found that it happens more with the larger loaches. It might be that they don't like the Malaysian trumpet snails. I know many fish that don't like eating them. I have puffers, that normally eat snails like there is no tomorrow, have Malaysian trumpet snails living quite nicely in their tank. They do eat a few but not as much as one would expect. The Trumpet snails have a really hard shell that many animals can't get around. By either sucking them out or cracking threw the shell it's a hard job to eat those guys.> 
(There are some tiny snails in this aquarium.) Do some loaches just not eat snails, the way some cats are birders and others are mouse catchers? 
<I have known loach owners saying that one loach eats snails better than the others. But, it's only a casual observation. It could be possible, but I think that every loach has it in him to eat a snail if hungry.> 
At what point do I know all hope is lost and my tank is overrun (at which point I'll board my fish, get all new gravel, turn over the filters, cycle the tank and start over, I guess) 
<I think the loaches are simply getting enough food elsewhere (from the plant matter and extra fish food) that they aren't bother with the snails. I think you might want to cut back on the food you are feeding the other fish and see if it has an effect on the loaches. Without the food I think they will quickly switch to the snails.> 
Thank You, Daniel Heller 
<Good luck with the snails. Magnus>

Snailicidal Goldfish; Reader's Experience - 03/27/2004
Hi,
<Hello, Sabrina here, today!>
I'm writing to respond to a conversation between Candace and Sabrina on 2/22/04.  I think it was Sabrina that said she didn't think Goldfish would be ambitious enough to eat live snails.  
<I did, indeed.>
Just to set the record straight, we have large goldfish, and about a week or so after purchasing large snails, I witnessed one of the goldfish thrashing something that resembled white flesh.  Then I realized that it was a snail!  It still had the plate(?) attached to it.  The goldfish had ripped it right out of its' shell!  
<Holy goldfish!  Er, Mackeral, that is.  But WOW!>
A few days later, our entire family witnessed the same scene while eating dinner.  Absolutely amazing!  
<Agreed!>
We still have 2 large snails remaining, but it's probably just a matter of time.  :(  Margie
<I must honestly say, I've never, ever experienced this, nor expected it to be a likely scenario!  Thank you so much for writing in with your experience, Margie, and I will definitely keep an eye or two out for any signs of other snail-eatin' goldies!  Thanks again,  -Sabrina>

Yoyo Loach and other questions
Hi I emailed you a couple of weeks ago. I have the over-population of snails. I called about 11 different pet stores that sold fish. Finally I found a Aquarium store. Well no one has Skunk Botia's. The people at the fish store told me to get the Yoyo's because they are smaller and wont kill my baby fish. Yeah I'm experimenting with breeding fish. Well I have 5 guppies and I have no clue how many babies. I have 2 from almost a month ago but I saw some really small ones today. I have 3 yoyos and 2 shrimp. I can't remember what kind it is. It isn't a ghost shrimp. Also I have 2 big snails.. They sell them at pet smart. Will the Yoyo's do the job?  I read that they don't like Malaysian snail. Could that prove a problem. My fish tank is 15 gallons. Is it too over populated? If so what is a good way for catching baby fish? Or what would you recommend. I have a 2 gallon in my kitchen I can transfer them to. It is empty. thanks <Should work out. Bob Fenner>

Too much Escargot!
My fish tank is over ran with I think Malaysian Snails. I thought it was cool when they first popped up. but now that I don't have cichlids in the tank and guppies instead... I can't keep them under control. My tank walls are covered. I know they are the earth worms of the fish tank world but how can I bring them down in Numbers without killing all of them?
>>A fish known as a skunk loach or skunk Botia. I don't know how big your tank is, I'm hoping around 15-20 gallons at least for this animal. They stay relatively small and peaceful as far as Botia are concerned. Botia morleti Marina  

Possible Odd Question - Escargot coming out of our ears!
I have a simple 5-gallon tank, and have been lovingly maintaining it for almost 2 years with the same fish in it...We have 5 Rasboras (black and yellow stripe), 5 Day-Glow(?) Tetras (these are Orange and black striped), and three Neon Tetras (I know this one for sure), and a Pleco (standard semi-ugly, but very useful fish).  In addition, and here lies the problem, we have an overpopulation of snails.  We originally had a single large Mystery snail, but were given 4 small (and I do mean small, like pin-head size) snails on a whim by someone after only 6 months of having the tank. For a little while all was bliss in my tank, though after a water change, I lost the Original snail. No big loss, by then I had a dozen mini-snails to fill in....Heh, now I can conservatively say that I am the proud owner of nearly a hundred of these lovelies in my tank... did I mention it's only a 5-gallon?  So, my question is such; Is there a way to cut back on the snail explosion? Some small fauna that will trim the population without upsetting the rest of the fish, or maybe just a way to keep them from profligating so quickly next time I manually cull the ranks?  Any help would be appreciated... I like having the little guys, but enough is enough, you know?
Thanks,
Ben
<<Dear Ben; First, I must mention that your 5g tank is WAY overstocked. You should be keeping 5 small fish in this tank, total. Including the Pleco, which is probably a Hypostomus species and will grow to two feet in length. Yes, it will still try to grow in a such small tank, until it cannot any more, at which point it will become sick and die. Possible transmitting it's disease to all your other fish. Also, what are you feeding it? I'm surprised it hasn't died of sheer hunger yet. Anyways, I would seriously recommend that you buy some test kits to measure fish waste, e.g. for ammonia (which should test at zero), nitrite (also should be zero) and nitrates. Keep the nitrates at around 40ppm (or lower) with regular partial water changes. I can guarantee you that your nitrate level is off the chart right now...not healthy long-term AT all. How often are you doing your water changes? IF you have not been doing them twice a week, my advice to you is to start right away doing small partial water changes, DAILY, until you get your nitrates to 40ppm (or lower..) Pick 5 or 6 of your favorite fish, and give the rest away (including the Pleco), or return them to the LFS. Five or six fish will still require weekly water changes, but the nitrates should be easier to keep at a low level. Also, physically remove all the snails. Every single one. Replace these fast reproducers with one gold apple snail, hopefully it won't reproduce :P One snail, an inch in diameter, is plenty enough to keep a 5g clean. As the snail grows, it will need extra food, you can feed it algae wafers, sinking pellets, etc. They eat everything they can nab. Normally I would tell you to forget any snails, algae eating fish, etc, and just do the inside glass cleaning yourself, since 5g tanks are so small. But since you seem to like your snail pets, here is a website about apple snails for you to look at: http://www.applesnail.net/ and hopefully give you an understanding of their needs. Have fun :) -Gwen>> 

Possible Odd Question -II
Gwen, (or whosoever is manning the station this eve)
I must profusely apologize, as I have given misinformation, and it makes a hell of a change in the situation, though if the Pleco gets as big as you say, it might be a problem anyway. He's about 4 inches now, and has been about that for almost a year. The tank in question is a *10* Gallon.
I know, smack me with a stupid stick, but there ya go. Must of had an old brain injury come ba... um, what was I talking about? Anyway. I don't think I could have kept a 5 gallon alive and well for 2 years with this many fish in it, mine has been humming along nicely with no sick fish, and with the exception of the dead snail, and a jumper that was scared out of the tank entirely by our family cat, who didn't even have the decency to eat it, everyone seems to be happy and healthy.
I will go ahead and manually remove the snails, if that is the most probable way to rid the tank, though with snails being so prolific, I doubt I will be able to find all of the eggs hidden around, but it's worth a try. I suppose I could also remove most of the rocks and scrub em down, but I would hate to think of all the good stuff that I would be scrubbing away, too.... Sorry about the mix-up, and Thank you very much for the assistance. Ben
<<Dear Ben; LOL! That's much better. A ten gallon does make more sense, though I do hope you are doing the water changes weekly...Yes, manual removal of the snails is the best way to go. There are chemicals out there, e.g. Had-A-Snail, (which is copper) but I do not recommend these products. Basically, killing a bunch of snails in your tank all at once makes for an instant ammonia problem, and a fully stocked 10g will not be able to handle that, as you must already realize. There are also snail-eating fish you can add, but again, the tank is fully stocked so that idea is out. That leaves manual removal. You can place some food in the tank before bedtime, and remove what is left in the morning, hopefully full of snails :) You can use romaine lettuce held by a rubber band onto a rock. Search and crush all snails you see on the glass and decor, and eventually you should get it under control. Also, you can remove 50% of the water into a bucket, then net out the fish into the same bucket, and carry the tank to the sink and rinse the gravel with tepid water to flush out anything else. Scrub all the walls of the tank, then carry it back, re-add the fish and their water, and top off the last 50% of the water. Clean the filter and impeller chamber, but not the media. Just check the filter media for snails, and put it back into the cleaned filter. You don't want to destroy too many bacteria at once, and the gravel washing may remove a certain amount, so play it safe and keep the filter media intact for now. You can clean the media next water change. As you know, always rinse filter media in dechlorinated water. Remove all snails and any eggs you find. This should help immensely. Let me know how it goes :) -Gwen>>

Snails, freshwater, unwanted
Hi Bob,
My first time here.....but I have a 10 gal starter aquarium and I had 2 platys (1 male & 1 female) . The male died today after about a week of some stress we just could not guess; he kept to the surface of the water & was very lethargic. About 8 weeks before, the female died of ich & we treated the water with "Rid Ich+"  so could the male have had the same?
< Unless you saw the white spots then it wasn't ich.>
Our tank seems infested with common water snails. could they be the cause for this?
< Snails are scavengers. They eat excess food and decaying matter. They are rarely cause for disease.> Would like  some advice on how to save 2 baby platys still alive?
< It sure sounds like you are overfeeding your tank or don't have enough filtration. I would recommend a 30% water change and service the filter. Next week vacuum the gravel to remove uneaten food lodged in the gravel. Feed only enough food so the platies eat it all in a couple of minutes each day. No more.-Chuck>
Thanx
Sad beginner

Snail Questions - 06/19/2004
Hi,
<Hello.  My apologies for any lateness in reply....>
I have a pretty large happy seeming apple snail, not P. bridgesii but one of the canaliculata group (plant eaters as opposed to decaying matter eaters.... she ate a little rotunda plant almost to death before I moved it to the other tank, and nearly killed my wisteria as well :/ but now she has plastic plants).   
<Heh, learnin' the hard way!  At least the snail enjoyed the snacks, I'm sure.  And after you replant, you can give the snail cuttings from the planted tank when you prune.  Yum!>
She's currently living in a 10 gallon tank with varying numbers of her offspring and 3 zebra Danios. (The Danios must eat the eggs & young snails as my tank has not been overrun, but I have seen eggs and baby snails at various times and even a few as big as peas)  
<Mmmm, peas....  Whups, wrong topic, sorry!  It would not surprise me that the Danios might dine on the eggs of these snails.>
This tank was originally home to a Betta,
<Ah, now *he* would dine on very small snails, too.  Another boon to your snails' population control.>
5 Danios, 3 scissortail rasboras, and a Cory.  (The Cory and the rasboras have been moved to the bigger tank that has also, 6 harlequins and an Oto).   
<Corys will eat smaller snails, as well.  Well, not in a separate tank, but if you get overrun, you could consider reintroducing the Cory.>
Two of the Danios and the Betta sadly succumbed to hex, which I treated for multiple times but could not seem to cure in such small fish :(  
<So sad to hear that.  My apologies for your loss.>
I have two questions about this snail (Jaws is her name... it seemed appropriate).  
<HAH!  Appropriate, indeed!  I love it.>
How do I know if she is eating enough?   I feed the Danios every day or two, sometimes three, and about every other time I feed the Danios I throw in an algae pellet or two.  (oh yea, the snail when we got her was about as big around as a quarter, and now is more like a golf ball - she's almost completely grown a new round on her shell since Jan/Feb when we got her!).  
<Sounds like she's eating plenty.  If you have any concerns, you might get her some elodea/anacharis/Egeria and let her munch at leisure, and just replace these inexpensive plants as they are devoured - many folks use this plant as an excellent food source for goldfish; it would taste quite good to Jaws, I'm sure.>
Her newest shell growth seems pretty thick and is a very nice rich golden color,
<A wonderful sign.>
although when my brother fed her an algae pellet every day for a couple weeks she grew a quarter of an inch of pretty thin looking shell :/ that was shortly after we got her though.  
<As you seem to be well aware, it might be best not to use that feeding scheme ;)  Sounds like she's doing great now, though, eh?>
My other question, which I didn't even think about until I was browsing your forums... Should I be concerned if she is getting some flaking on the middle few rounds of her shell?
<I would be concerned, yes.>
She was completely algae covered when we got her (the new shell has been growing in a beautiful gold color and the algae hasn't spread)
<Excellent.>
and now about a pea sized area of her center spirals on the outside is flaking to a creamy white.  
<Possibly a lack of calcium, perhaps even iodine....  the few large-ish snails in my shrimp tanks have very obviously benefited from adding Kent Tech Marine iodine, at a rate of one drop per ten gallons each week (*not* the normal marine dose).>
Also how do I test water hardness, and other nutrient levels necessary for the snail?
<You can test total hardness (GH) and carbonate hardness (KH) with test kits available from most fish stores, or can purchase the kits online from online e-fish stores, like some of our sponsors.  Be sure to get kits for freshwater aquaria.>
I don't really have any money to spend on them now sadly (and the next cash I get has to go toward plant food for the bigger tank as half the plants are falling apart and dying)
<Yikes!  You might benefit from reading through our plant sub-web:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PlantedTksSubWebIndex/AquariumGardenSubWebIndex.html >
but when I do have the cash I would like to be able to take care of all my animals properly.  
<A good plan, for sure.  Your snail can probably wait for you to get test kits, I imagine her problem is not imminently life-threatening.  I would, however, try the Kent iodine for sure.>
Our town water is usually pretty hard though (leaves hard water stains on all the faucets, etc). That's a good thing for snails right?
<You bet.  Hard water stains usually indicate high-ish levels of calcium and other minerals in the water - certainly good news for Jaws.>
Thanks for any help you guys can give. :)
<Any time, Anna.  Please feel free to let us know if we can help you further.  Wishing you and your inverts well,  -Sabrina>
Anna R. Dunster

Snail Missing Antennae 7/4/04
Hi,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I took a good look through your website (great) but didn't find my question answered. I just got a 'zebra snail' for my aquarium, and he's doing a great job in it so far, but when I got him he had lovely, long tentacles, and I'm afraid my Betta has bitten them to about 1/4 their proper size. My question is... do they grow back? I'm considering moving the Betta out for a couple reasons, and if I knew the tentacles would grow back that would encourage me to do so. (If they won't grow back then the damage is done).
<Yes, they will grow back.  I have never heard of a Betta doing this though.>
Thanks guys! Lynn
<Good luck with your snail friend.  I'm a snail-lover too!  I have an apple snail the size of my fist!  ~PP>

About kuhli loaches and snails
hi,
I have a bit of a snail problem in my 20-25gal tank. (size isn't 100% sure since it's not a standard tank) I pick out snails whenever I see them and I don't usually notice them much but sometimes it gets to be a problem. Also on my java fern which is in separate living quarters at the moment because of the education I am using) there are a ZILLION baby snails. (not surprising - I noticed several snail egg sacs on the fern when I moved it to its current quarters) I'm treating the separate bucket with Had-a-snail.
oh yes and I am currently treating the main tank with CopperSafe for ich, which is supposed to be 'dangerous' to invertebrates but it doesn't seem to bother the snails at all! <Figures! But it may be doing a number on your filter. Please check for ammonia and nitrite spikes. Much better to QT fish for treatment and