# Snail assault



## veeneck (May 21, 2006)

Hi y'all,

I have an 80-gal tank with a mix of Africans, set up now for about 2 years. I don't have any problems with the fish, but the tank is full of these tiny little snails, light brown in color, covering every rock and some of the glass. There is also a strange brownish plant or algae that is covering the rocks and does not come off very easily. None of this stuff is bothering the fish, but it looks pretty ugly. A LFS guy suggested I use a snail killer, but it had no effect on the snails (there are no live plants in the tank).

Can anyone suggest a fish that could live in this environment and eat those snails and/or the brown stuff? The fish are all full-grown adult males, various species.

Any help will be appreciated.


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## Chris2500DK (Feb 15, 2006)

Maybe a Neolamprologus tretocephalus. It's from Lake Tanganyika and will eat snails. It's also gorgeous.


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## Dave (Feb 9, 2003)

Clown loaches are great at ridding a tank of snails. I would not use a snail killer.


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## veeneck (May 21, 2006)

I wonder if a neolamprologus tretochephalus would get confused living with Frontosas...
probably a good idea though.

I am reluctant to use clown loaches because I have very hard water, like liquid rock, really, PH approaching 9.


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## ksmith (Jun 9, 2007)

I have snails in my small 30gl. tank, LOTS of them, I use them to feed my African Cichlids, they just love them...


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## BenHugs (Jan 13, 2007)

Try a Chilotilapia rhoadesii snails are what they eat. I hear they are called the Malawi snail eater


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## veeneck (May 21, 2006)

Hi, I have room for a new fish or two. I have had some deaths lately, I think from old age. I had several mbuna that were about seven years old. Also lost a seven year old A. compressiceps and that really made me sad. 

I think I have a solution for my snail problem. I did a 50% water change, vacuumed the gravel more than usual, took out all the rocks and scrubbed them down, doubled the filtration, and started skipping feedings several times a week. I only see a few snails now, and they get eaten up as soon as I skip a feeding.


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