endgin33

I have been working on my my 29 planted tank for a while and currently the inhabitants include 5 oto's, 5 amano shrimp, and a ridiculous amount of small snails. I have not decided on a "showpiece" fish selection for the tank, and while the snails are probably not a terrible issue, they are driving me nuts. The question I have is what I going coexist with the amanos, but bash the snails? I have read the amano book and his recommendation was the dwarf frog, but I want to make sure that it won't wail on the shrimp. Loaches are another option, but I think the shrimp issue is still going to be there. Any thoughts?

greenfish

I have zebra loaches and amano's in one tank. Mine leave the shrimp alone. I know this may or may not last but it has been months and so far so good. My snail population was out of control before I got the loaches. It has been on a decline ever since.

rich_one

if you do not mind having SOME snails, and just do not want to be overrun, you can try the assassin snail. it is a snail with a cone shaped shell, that is much more attractive then the typical MTS snail, imo. there is a guy who sells them on aquabid. usually his auction has the word "killersnails" or such in it. they do reproduce, but supposedly, nowhere near as much as pond or MTS snails.

just one option for you to consider.

oregon aqua

for absolute snail destruction clown loaches! i purchased three 1.5" size ones let them go to town for a couple of months then sold them back to the fish store for a little more then i paid because they where almost 3" when i was done with them. clown loaches grow faster if they are in tanks that have water changed often and places that make them feel safe like a planted tank

armyoffoo

The clowns will kill the shrimp as well though.

oregon aqua

woops forgot about the shrimp...... hmmmmm dwarf freshwater puffers like snails not sure if shrimp safe. amano shrimp are much easier to replace then 500 snails are to get rid of.

Brendan Redler

After I added my Dario Dario (two of them to a ten gal) my snail population dropped crazily. There's still a few of them, but I used to see 10 or more on different parts of the glass...now I have to look hard for five.

JERP

My kuhli loaches eat snails. The eat the babies and the big snails die of old age.

Ebichua

Dario Darios don't really eat snails unless they're starving. I have seen my Dario Darios attack my spixi snail egg sacks before. They'd grab an egg, eat it, then realize it wasn't worth the effort trying to rip the egg out of the gel sac. I have never seen them attack and eat snails though.

You can get loaches, as the posters above suggested. Although another good way is to just manual remove them through a bait and remove tactic. throw in a piece of lettuce leaf or something, leave it overnight and take it out in the morning when a TON of snails are on it.

GIfishguy

You say clown loaches eat shrimp. Well I guess thats were they went. They even ate my bigger snails. They are fun fish to have.