# What can I add to my tank, preferably to eat snails



## saulat (Jun 19, 2009)

I am looking to add some fish to my tank which has 1 tiretrack eel, 1 twig catfish, and two rainbow sharks. It is a 48 gallon bowfront. I have a few live plants and have noticed some tiny snails the size of a pen tip. I would like to add some botia or yoyo loach or maybe a freshwater puffer to eat he snails. I have had kuhli loaches in the past with the tiretrack and they got along fine but I hear yoyos are a litle aggressive. What would people suggest I add for the snails? Any neat predators I could add that wouldn't bother the fish I currently have, snails aside? Thanks for any help.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Consider the snails a blessing; it is amazing how they can help you keep a healthy tank.

If you really do for some reason want to get rid of them, I am one who does not recommend fish for the task unless you _really_ want the fish in its own right and it suits your setup.

As noted in the profile of the Rainbow Shark, it should be kept singly in an aquarium to avoid problems. They may be "OK" now, but that may not last as they mature.


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## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

If you really want to add something, add Assassin snails. I agree with Byron, it's generally not a good idea to introduce one species to get rid of another.

Just my 2 cents, I love my snails. They are only there because there is excess food, and I would much rather have snails than an ammonia spike. They will NOT eat healthy plants.

Get rid of the Excess food, and the snail problem will diminish.


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## Russell (Jun 28, 2010)

I would absolutely not keep puffers in your tank. You have a lot of bottom area fish and unless you are very heavily planted most puffers will prefer the bottom. Puffers are sensitive and stress easily so if your fish harass it which they are likely to do it could get very stressed and if it "puffs" potentially die. If it is a puffer with a stronger temperament it may not take kindly to harassment and take a chunk out of one of your fish. Puffers are very unique and interesting fish that require either a species tank or a lot of planning to keep successfully. I speak from experience, my first puffer was bought to handle a mystery snail infestation and it did not get along with my bottom dwelling fish. Redchigh is correct about the food. Snails only reproduce when there is excess food reduce the food and if the current population is still too high. Pulling them out by hand or trapping them with vegetables in a container that you leave in the tank is the best course of action. Killing them with chemicals may harm fish and will definitely leave dead snail bodies to foul up your water. Also adult gouramis and cichlids will eat snails. I didn't believe it but I some snails hitch hiked on a rock into my convict cichlid tank and they are no more.


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## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

My green terrors eat snails as well, but cichlids aren't worth mentioning.

It would be someone entertaining, if a puffer attacked another fish in the tank 5-6 times it's size and won the fight.

Knowing puffers, it's possible.


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## saulat (Jun 19, 2009)

Had a lot of trouble logging back in. In regards to the rainbow sharks they did great in my 75 gallon before I downgraded to the 48 gallon. They have barely left the corner of this tank. I think this is because I agreed to take these small cichlids when I bought the tank, mainly because the guy had nowhere else to put them. I was hoping my eel would have eaten them by now. I fished them out today and donated them to the store. Already, my rainbow sharks are moving around the tank and I see one has a large piece of his dorsal fin missing. The cichlids also picked one of my corys to death as well. 

The snails I always thought would lead to a massive infestation, I guess there isn't too much for me to worry about. I noticed that at the store the only tanks without snails were the clown loaches and the angelicus botia which I considered getting however, my eel would probably eat them. I am thinking of getting him his own tank as he lunged at a rasbora het today and I would really like to avoid him eating any fish that I like lol.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

saulat said:


> Had a lot of trouble logging back in. In regards to the rainbow sharks they did great in my 75 gallon before I downgraded to the 48 gallon. They have barely left the corner of this tank. I think this is because I agreed to take these small cichlids when I bought the tank, mainly because the guy had nowhere else to put them. I was hoping my eel would have eaten them by now. I fished them out today and donated them to the store. Already, my rainbow sharks are moving around the tank and I see one has a large piece of his dorsal fin missing. The cichlids also picked one of my corys to death as well.
> 
> The snails I always thought would lead to a massive infestation, I guess there isn't too much for me to worry about. I noticed that at the store the only tanks without snails were the clown loaches and the angelicus botia which I considered getting however, my eel would probably eat them. I am thinking of getting him his own tank as he lunged at a rasbora het today and I would really like to avoid him eating any fish that I like lol.


You don't mention which cichlid(s), some will tear into other fish they don't particularly "like".

Two rainbows in less than a 4-foot tank is not advised; now that they are somewhat more relaxed (from what you've said), they may begin to act more naturally toward each other and that could be a problem. Have a look at the profile of the Rainbow Shark and you'll see what I'm getting at.

I would definitely recommend moving the tiretrack eel. Having a predatory fish in the tank is going to stress out the other fish, even if the eel does not physically "attack" them. He is sending out signals via behaviours, pheromones, etc., and other fish can pick up on these. In nature, the other fish would flee and avoid the predator if possible; in the aquarium they are confined and can't, so it is highly stressful. This weakens the immune system (just as in humans) and they become mores susceptible to health problems, parasites, etc. You really cannot have aggressive fish in with peaceful fish like rasbora, most characins, gourami, angels, and so forth.

I have once or twice acquired small fish that I thought would do fine in my 115g tank, only to have them settled down in a few days and become terrors to the other characins. Just bey being there, and "chasing". The other fish remained among the plants, hidden, and refused to come out even to feed. I got rid of the offenders, and everything settled down. Compatibility is not always easy to assess, but taking to heart the info in our profiles or similar sites about the expected behaviours of fish before deciding to get them is wise.

Byron.


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## saulat (Jun 19, 2009)

I found the cichlid on a site but I didn't remember their name. They are smaller, grayish body, and white fins that appear to have a blue line horizontal across the fins. They are gone now though. The tire track eel is also gone back to the shop. 

I suppose your right about the rainbows. I had them in a 75 heavily planted tank before with SAEs and Roselines amongst others and they all seemed to get along fine. I was sort of considering getting a 55 gallon tank however I am not sure I can run both the 55 and 46 bowfront at this time. Do I want to sacrifice the length for the width? It just seems that whatever this is 16 or 18 inches by 36 would be better than the standard 55 gallons dimensions.

Going to try and make my first greater cincinnati aquarium society meeting this month, maybe I will give one or both rainbows away.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

saulat said:


> I found the cichlid on a site but I didn't remember their name. They are smaller, grayish body, and white fins that appear to have a blue line horizontal across the fins. They are gone now though. The tire track eel is also gone back to the shop.
> 
> I suppose your right about the rainbows. I had them in a 75 heavily planted tank before with SAEs and Roselines amongst others and they all seemed to get along fine. I was sort of considering getting a 55 gallon tank however I am not sure I can run both the 55 and 46 bowfront at this time. Do I want to sacrifice the length for the width? It just seems that whatever this is 16 or 18 inches by 36 would be better than the standard 55 gallons dimensions.
> 
> Going to try and make my first greater cincinnati aquarium society meeting this month, maybe I will give one or both rainbows away.


Local clubs are good. Other members may have suggestons, fish trading, etc.


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