From: shine@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (stephen.c.shine)
Subject: Re: [F] How to get rid of snails?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 18:03:01 GMT
Keywords: snails fresh help

In article jjd1@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (james.j.dutton) writes:
>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 Moe's "Marine Aquarium Handbook: Beginner to Breeder", chlorox
is recommended for sterilizing collected seawater.  (I'm pretty sure
it's Moe, but it could be in Bowers' book; my Moe is on loan.)	As I
indicated, adding sodium thiosulfate is recommended to eliminate all
chlorine afterwards.

In "The Manual of Fish Health", page 184 states that "bleach is a useful
disinfectant" (noting its toxicity).  Directions for its use are on
page 198.

Based upon this information, I have used bleach to clean numerous
tanks, equipment, etc.	I suggest caution when using it, but it does
a damn good job of killing everything with which it comes in contact.
I have even used it to clean the shells in my marine tank, as have
numerous other people.	I have never had a fish loss that I could
attribute to my use of bleach.

>     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???????????

I would not "treat" a tank with chlorox, which implies you're going
to leave the fish et al resident; I would use it to destructively
eliminate the snails (and everything else) before starting the tank up
again.	 Some folks have sufficient snail-phobia to go to this extreme.
So why do you proclaim it "ludicrous" before investigating?  I'm amazed
that you've been doing fish for 25 years but have not heard of this
procedure before.  It's quite common among the fish keepers I know.

>Why, why its unnatural. I suggest if you don't want to stress the fish
>stay away from chlorox.

Some would argue that this entire hobby/art/science is unnatural.  Esp
after seeing a tank full of diving-dogs, bubbling treasure chests, and
pink gravel.  :-)  Seriously, I assume that you dechlorinate/dechloramine
your tap water, which is usually done with some form of chemical.  Do
you consider this "unnatural"?

>I believe you closed with the statement you were sure their were many other
>methods for ridding the tank of snails(but you edited it out this time). I

That was meant to be an open invitation for others to share their
snail-eradication techniques, as I'm sure there are ways I've never
imagined.  I did not see any added-value in repeating that invite.

>asked what those methods were? I don't see the need to get defensive.

Defensive?  I didn't have that in mind.	 I meant to be helpful and/or
informative.  This post in particular is to substantiate the use of
bleach as a disinfectant.

>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.
>Happy Holidays and all that rot.

Uh, right.
-- 
Steve Shine
AT&T Bell Labs    (908)949-8517
att!hoqub!shine   att!cbnewsh!shine
My opinions, not my employers, not my fault, blah, blah, blah.
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria