What eats snails?

[Anonymous]

I would use a single skunk loach, best snail control I've ever used.

+1

 

[Anonymous]

Hey! Someone noticed.. 8)

 

[nicolassoleil]

If you need something that will work with smaller fish and is ok in a planted tank, I'd go with a yoyo botia. I added a trio to one of my tanks for that reason. They're also playful and have interesting habits. Garoumis and bettas will also snail hunt, but not as quickly. I'd also agree with whoever said to just let them stay. I've had something that looks like ramshorn snails populate my planted tetra tank. I may be crazy, but I think my plants look better. They seem to be cleaning off the algae that grows on the leaves of my swords and anubias. The only problem is that I have to clean them off of the filter intake pretty regularly.

 

[brandon4291]

picture this: I have a 75 gallon planted tank for 5 years with zero snail control, Id estimate we're dealing with at least 1000 individual all pea sized or better. I go to the store and buy a juvenile map turtle for ten bucks to add some diversity cheaply, and in the first night alone he ate Id say 100 snails, shell and all. I had kept clowns and they didn't touch them but I know they have for some others. Nothing compares to the m and m mowing of snails that a 3 inch turtle can take out, in a week my tank was so sterile of snails I never saw anymore. I don't know if there were eggs, I never got anymore.

Too bad the rascal didn't eat sporulated wolffia, the bane of all planted tanks, if you can believe it the only thing I found to eat that was a blue gourami, but only in the spore stage, not the fruiting body stage
B

 

[brandon4291]

also regarding collateral plant damage, I didnt get any. The only times were when his bites on a snail took out the leaf hole too, but he didnt eat plants because i gave him snails and shrimp pellets fyi

Ihaven't tried common painted turtles but I bet they are equal. I also owned a stinkpot turtle which is in my opinion the best aquatic turtle you can put in a planted tank. doesn't attach anything, stays submerged 98% stays the size of a golf ball for years and then a tennis ball maximum after mine was about 5 years