# Snail Attack in Planted Discus Tank



## pengtsin (Nov 25, 2009)

My plants are getting decimated by a snail attack in my Amazonian planted discus tank.

What's the best way to remove these invaders?

Thanks.


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## gnomemagi (Jun 13, 2009)

You're in a rough spot because of the tank being a discus tank. I would be worried about your stock if you had to take them out and quarantine them to break down your main tank. I'd also worry about your discus/plants if you dosed with copper treatment (chemical method of killing snails).

You'll probably have to break down the tank in all likelihood and give it a thorough cleaning. Just one surviving snail will quickly turn it back into a snail army.

Shame I can't mail order my Clown Loach to Singapore. It would be his dream to have a snail feast - he loves them.


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## illy-d (Nov 6, 2005)

I'd add a Loach or two...


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## pengtsin (Nov 25, 2009)

I was hoping to be able to preserve the "Amazonian" part of my tank ... but it seems that adding loaches is the most eco-friendly way to take out the snails. It is a 2.5m tank, so it'll be a multi-day project to do a tank break-down.

Thanks to all for ideas.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

I'd add a couple clown loaches, then get rid of em when there done lol


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## Dutch Dude (Sep 14, 2006)

Hi there,

No need to break down the tank. NEVER EVER use copper based meds in a discus tank becouse they don't handle that well. DONT add clown loaches to a Discus tank becouse they are far to boisterous!

I'll try to put things in a diferent perspective. Snails,.....they are perfect cleaners. They eat algea but also feed on decaying foods or dead creatures. Imo a good cleaning crew. A few snails is no problem at all. It can become an issue when their number rapidly increases. The problem is not in the snails it selves but in the reason why they gain in number. Snails thrive in a tank when there is plenty of food,....algea and spoiled foods for example. I would be woried abouth spilled foods the most. This indicates you are overfeeding or the tank is to dirty and holds a lot of decaying matter. This effect the water qualety that should be main focus on every discus owner! This is also the reason why most experienced discus owners keep their fish in bare bottom tanks,....so much easier to keep it clean.

My advice would be first to check out your feeding regime. Do you feed 2 or 3 times a day smaler quanteties the fish can eat within 5 to max 10 minutes. Does foods get stuck inbetween plants? If so you should clean it on daily base (quick daily vacume of the tankfloor and especialy grass like plants). Does your tank hold a lot of algea? If so you need to find the couse of that (light intensity, light spectrum and duration of lighting, level of nitrates and phosphates, plant ferts). If you all checked that you can make a plan to improve the situation.

For now I suggest to do a daily vacume of the substrate and clean the windows every day and vacume or hand pic as much snails as posible. I also suggest 2 times a week a 50% water change on top of that.

The approach I make to snails is the same as the approach that works well on planaria. If you follow my advice you will see the number of snails decrease in the next few months to an exeptable level. You can use the snails to monitor the waste levels in your tank. The extra cleanings will be very much appreciated if not nessesary for your discus. All of this without risks and without meds! It only need you to do some extra work and some time.

To give you an advice for your particular situation we might need some more info like your current water changing regimes, a pic of the tank, the foods you feed and how often, CO2, tanksize, plant ferts and filtration system.

Please stay away from meds! I know one save med that can kill snails but it should only be used when nessesary. Imo you have enough chances to solve this issue without meds and risks.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

Clown loaches to boisterous? I've seen clown loaches in discus tanks plenty of time, to each there own I suppose.

however I agree with the medication part, especially the heavy metal aspect of it, as discus do not handle it well.


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## klumsyninja (Aug 14, 2008)

Loaches.

Keep it simple.

Or Assasin snails


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## peterl (Nov 27, 2006)

Pick and Pull!

Every water change just siphon out as many snails as you can. You will still leave a lot to take care of leftover food and detritus.

Clown Loaches get very large and should be kept in a shoal. Assassin snails won't make a dent in a large snail population. I like the idea of assassin snails, but I think their ability at keeping a snail population in check is vastly oversold.


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## aspen (Jun 15, 2004)

the problem with using loaches is, that the shells are left in the substrate adding slowly to hardness. as said, meds are bad for the discus.

i cannot stand snails in a planted tank, and i gently bleach-treat all new plants before adding them.

what species of snail are we talking about here?

remember, anything that is going to kill that snail population is gonna leave a LOT of dead snails everywhere and it is going to be a big mess for a while. you wanna get as many out as you can first.

rick


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## Dutch Dude (Sep 14, 2006)

The method I mentioned is safe dough but people rather buy chemicals unfortunately.


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## flaxseedoil1000 (Dec 27, 2009)

I have trumpets but they leave the plants alone


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

Wouldn't Amazon puffers keep the snails in check and keep the tank Amazon pure? I guess I don't know how they would do with discus.


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## Dutch Dude (Sep 14, 2006)

Sorry I'll stick with the method I mentioned. It seems you only want to get ride of the snail it selves but they are only a small part of your problem. I would be much more woried abouth their food source,....most likely waste and spilled foods. If so it will effect the water qualety.


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## jamesman_1994 (Jun 23, 2009)

i have had snail problems b4 and it isn't fun........... if it is tiny snails that are wrecking your tank then go for some kewle loaches the stay small u won't see them because they are nocternal and i have seen them snatch up a few snails. clown loaches can get big but if u keep them on an diet of snails and the food that sinks to the bottom they shouldn't grow too fast, and i have never seen an agressive loach............


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## lethalcustoms00 (Dec 27, 2009)

i can say that clowns are too intense for a discus tank. i have a single skunk loach right now in my planted community tank that needs to find a new home cuz he is too agressive for the tank. i have snails in my angel/discus tank now also and frequent water changes of at least 35 percent is a very effective way of keeping them in control. even my favorite, the yo yo loach can be too pushy for discus. loaches are just too active and like to include everyone in their play time, even those who dont want to join.


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## jamesman_1994 (Jun 23, 2009)

i have never kept discus but i have had clown loaches and when samll considering the size of the discus i would have thought that the loaches would be no trouple


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## lethalcustoms00 (Dec 27, 2009)

its not so much the size since it takes years for clowns to get really big, its the attitude they have. discus prefer to take it easy and slow, and watch your clowns. they are up and down around in and out. all that movng around so fast stresses them too much


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## jamesman_1994 (Jun 23, 2009)

i haven't had clown loaches for a while because i got white spot and the clown loaches don't take well to the treatment 
but true that, they r very energetic


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## Dutch Dude (Sep 14, 2006)

OK,...just buy those loaches and don't complain if things go wrong!


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