From: johnh@tigger.rl.af.mil (John Hawthorne)
Subject: Re: [F] How to get rid of snails?
Keywords: snails fresh help
Organization: Rome Laboratory, Network Design Facility
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 19:42:53 GMT

In article <1992Dec15.195151.12991@cbfsb.cb.att.com> jjd1@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (james.j.dutton) writes:
>In article <1992Dec15.154659.15964@cbnewsh.cb.att.com> shine@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (stephen.c.shine) writes:
>>>>>2) Boil your gravel. Be aware you will also kill your good bacteria therfore
>>>>>you will need to reintroduce fish slowly. This method does not
>>>>>always get rid of the snails. But it may be worth a try.
>>>>
>>>>Never tried boiling, but I've washed the gravel with diluted chlorox and
>>>>it sure killed everything.  Duh.  Be sure to rinse very thoroughly and use 
>>>>sodium thiosulfate afterwards.  You can also try alum.
>>> 
>>>If your suggesting he use chlorox in his tank may I suggest you pay for
>>
>>I was following-up to your valid recommendation #2 (boiling).  I would no
>>more put chlorox or alum in an "active" tank than you would boil the
>>same active tank.  Chlorox will kill everything, but it is easily
>>neutralized.  Why would I want to pay for anybody's new fish?
> 
>Because if you put diluted chlorox in a tank I proport that tank will
>be nothing but trouble as far as keeping fish alive. In twenty five
>years of keeping fish. Working at wholesalers and retail, breeding just
>about any fish thats breedable in a tank I have to say this sounds
>ludicrous. I don't claim to know it all but has anybody else ever treated
>their tanks with diluted chlorox???????????

Hard to believe you've been in the fish business 25 years and never
heard of using chlorine bleach.  I've been using it to sterilize
tanks and equipment for about that length of time, and thought the
practice was common.  Kills almost anything, is easily neutralized,
and can be used safely on some plastic items that your boiling method
might destroy.  The secret is to remove the fish before treating the
tank (note that we are discussing treating tanks and not how to kill
snails without harming fish/plants in the same tank)

>>Absolutely.  That's why this forum exists.  I personally don't see how
>>they could eat ALL of the offending snails, but I can see how they'd reduce
>>the population to an "acceptable" level.  As you noted, YMMV.  What works
>>for me and thee may not fly for others.
>>
> 
>Is there an exceptable level of pond snails in a tank? Not in one of my tanks.
>One pond snail will get you a thousand.

I happen to like snails, but have never had much luck with them because the
fish eat them.  Get the right kind of fish and why would it eat some but not
all the snails?  The only kind of snails you might have a problem with is
those cone shaped ones that burrow in the gravel where the fish might not
find them.  Those are the ones you need loaches for.


>>>Maybe you'd like to mention one constructive one then.

One method for getting rid of snails if your fish can't get through the shell
is to smash them flat. (not kidding!)

> ...
>If somebody else can give a second opinion on this chlorox thing I'll
>apologize for inferring its ludicrous. Not that I'll ever use the method.

Here is a second opinion, and I'll bet there are more!