Question: How can I safely rid my axolotls tank of snails?

Mandy6

Mandy6

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Ok, so I guess this isn't directly related to axolotls, but I was hoping someone here could help me anway, as most suggestions I've been given will not be good for my Alex.

I bought an axolotl about a month ago. I got a surprise with him when a few weeks later I noticed snails all over the tank. I now know they are Physa/Pond snails and there are hundreds of them! I'm afraid there are even more I can't see!

Someone suggested getting an assassin snail, so I went to the most advanced aquarium shop I know, who told me they are illegal to import into Australia! (rawr)

I was also suggested to strip down the tank and start over, but I don't want to put Alex through the cyclng process and I don't have another empty, suitable tank to keep him in in the meantime.
If I do end up having to redo the tank, would he be ok in a small 20 litre tank with the water from the tank he is in while his current tank he cycling again? (I don't currently have one but I can afford one and should be able to buy one if needed)

These snails are disturbing me, I can't watch Alex without snails everywhere! I want to get rid of them but I of course want to do it without harming Alex.

Other things that have been suggested but from my own research I don't see as suitable are loaches, catfish and crabs. Also a snail posion but that will also kill Alex.

At the moment Alex is in a 2 foot long, 80 litre tank.

Sorry for all the questions! I wanted an axolotl for so long and was so happy when I finally got him, didn't expect this 'bonus'

So any ideas on what I can do with Alex if I have to strip down the tank? Or anything that he can live with that will eat the snails?

Sorry for such a long post. I just can't work out what to do :( I don't want to harm Alex.
 
I know that salt gets ride of snails very fast but you can't leave your axolotl in there with the salt. It could damage him. I would ust do what you already suggested and just drain the tank entirely and clean it. That's is once you find something big enough to keep your axolotl in.
 
So stripping the tank down is the best option?

Will he be ok in a small 20 litre/5 gallon tank for the time it takes to cycle or will I need something bigger? What is the minimum I should keep him in during this time?
 
Maybe you could give Alex a vacation in the fridge for awhile to lessen the stress but just remember to do daily water changes!! The 5 gallon tank would be okay as long as there is enough space for them to turn around as this would be a temporary housing. How long are you planning to leave Alex out of the tank for? :frog:

Hmm do you have any live plants? It usually brings the extra snail eggs with them :( and when you finally realize ... the snails are laying eggs everywhere!! :angry:
 
Only planning to leave him out for the time it takes for the tank to cycle again once I empty it out. He is still quite small so it would be big enough for him to turn around. Would that be ok or would it be better to fridge him? I must say the idea of fridging is quite daunting to me:errr:

Oh and I do have a live plant :( I'm guessing that's where they came from
 
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I would just pick out or squish the snails as you see them. Also, scrap off any egg sacs with a razor blade as you find them. A few snails aren't that big of an issue. Your axolotl will also enjoy a few as a snack.
 
How do you feel about getting another tank set up with Goldfish? or you could donate it back to the petshop once it's done the deed, you can pick up 3-4 for $6-7. They will eat everything (including snails I wanted to keep within days). I had snails that eloped in some plants I brought, they'd been breeding for a couple of weeks while the tank cycled, stuck 3 baby goldfish in and bam all gone in about 3-4 days... I was quite annoyed lol.

You could keep your axie in the fridge whilst they eat the snails, then stick him back in once they are done. You can keep the goldfish afterward, give to friends or give them back to where you got them from.
 
I actually have a goldfish tank already, I was wondering if they would eat the snails

I've been removing the snails as I can, but some are so tiny and hide in the gravel. I can't keep up! I've removed all the eggs I can find but they were everywhere @_@ I can't remove them and he can't eat them as fast as they are appearing! lol I wouldn't mind if it was just a couple but not hundreds!
 
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If it was me? I'd just stick a couple of the Goldfish in there. They will eat the snails/eggs/everything. The tank I had with the snails had a least a couple of hundred of the little buggers, but if your goldfish are anything like mine they will make quick work of them once they learn what they are. (which you can easily teach them by picking up the snail squashing it and dropping it back in at dinner time.) They will hunt them out in the gravel. Also I don't know if you have realised yet but gravel is really awful for axies. They will swallow it when eating. I'd get rid of the gravel anyway which will also help you get rid of snails :D

The best part about goldfish is you dont have to worry about cycling :D
 
The first time I had to put my axie in the fridge I was nervous too!! I know it sounds strange but it really does help with stress and boosting of the immune system. As long as you follow all the steps on how to properly fridge your axie, Alex should be fine in there for a week or two. :) You COULD also just keep Alex in the 5 gallon tank and also do daily water changes at room temp though I heard ammonia levels rises quickly and becomes deadly in 'warmer' temperatures. :confused:

Yea, I was going to get live plants for my tank too! But I remembered how bad it was in my 30 gallon fish tank!!! Even if you get ONE snail in the tank you'll have hundreds in a few months. I think they're asexual, so they could reproduce on their own!!:eek:
 
Cas said:
You could keep your axie in the fridge whilst they eat the snails, then stick him back in once they are done. You can keep the goldfish afterward, give to friends or give them back to where you got them from.
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There is one big problem I see with this...........disease transmission. Goldfish are notorious carries of various pathogens and parasites and by adding the goldfish to the axolotl tank you run the risk of infecting the axolotl when you re-introduce it into the tank.
 
I suck the snails & eggs out as i see them.

When i do the tank clean up, i use a length of air tube hose and start siphoning. Because of the small diameter of the airline tube, it doesnt suck up heaps of water, but has heaps of suction power - it'll suck the snails right off the glass and plants etc easy.

A few snails wont do any harm - the snails eat waste, dead plant material, eat algae off the glass, eat algae off your plants, eat broken old and dead bits of the plants (they dont eat live plant material.) so they are useful.

I agree that too many of them is ugly though.

I'd suggest you simply use the air line siphon method for now - suck up as many of the little buggers as you can everyday for a week or two - dont strip your tank, waste of time and you'll have to cycle again - i bet if you do you'll still end up with more snails again!

After a couple of weeks, you might not get rid of them, but they will be at a managable level

Bren
 
I have had the odd snail invasion in the past, but not recently...my axolotl like snails:D
I was advised to float some lettuce leaves in the tank, the snails congregate on this and also like to lay eggs on it. You just then chuck it .
 
Greatwtehunter said:
There is one big problem I see with this...........disease transmission. Goldfish are notorious carries of various pathogens and parasites and by adding the goldfish to the axolotl tank you run the risk of infecting the axolotl when you re-introduce it into the tank.
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She has her own goldfish, which presumably have been around longer than 30 days, I don't see how this would be any different than when adding goldfish as feeder fish. If buying goldfish, then you could always treat the tank with something like Melafix for 3 days (7 if you wish to be really cautious) perform a 25% water change and re-introduce your axie. As far as I know Melafix is not toxic to axies and is commonly used when added new fish to a community tank (I'm in the process of doing it now for a community tank).

Personally I have never had a problem when added my own goldfish between tanks, and I imagine others have not either when using goldfish as feeder fish.
 
I agree with julia, and I have had success with that method.

remove your plant, perhaps keep it in a bucket for the time being, and treat it with a weak bleach solution, 10 parts water to 1 part bleach, should kill any snails and eggs on the plant, leave it to soak in the solution for 10 minutes or so, remove the plant and rinse it in several changes of fresh water.

blanch a lettuce leaf and float it in the tank overnight, the snails should come to it to lay eggs or feed on it, depending on what type of snails they are. the next morning, simply dispose of the leaf, and repeat for a few nights, this method works, but is not %100 effective.

also check your filter, I bet there will be a population of them in there especially if it is a canister filter.
 
try putting zuchini or something snails eat in the tank,and removing it when all the snails are on it.
 
He is, it's quite large gravel which from my original research I thought was going to be ok but I see now that it is too small and I'm going to be buying some aquarium sand instead today hopefully.

I wouldn't mind these snails if they weren't everywhere! I actually really like mystery snails, and if they lay eggs they are easy to get rid of lol. It started with one snail I noticed now there is over a hundred, in only about a week or two .-.

They are all over the everything. The aquarium place told me to wash everything with boiling water .-.

Alex doesn't seem to even notice the snails. They were all over his log that he hides in lol.

I'll try using the air siphon for now. I think it's going to be hard to get them all though haha.
 
There is no real reason to get rid of the snails. They are not a threat to your aquarium, quite the opposite! Snail populations always explode inicially, you get LOADS of them, but then they crash. If the tank is stablished, when they crash they will stay at a very reasonable number, or might even die out eventually.
It would be a pitty to tear the tank apart and start all over again for something as inocuous as snails.
I would really recommend to just let them be, they have their benefits to an stablished tank, no reason to hate the poor guys.
I, in fact, am on the process of restocking my aquariums with snails since it seems some of my newts got quite good at eating them. I like to have snails :)
 
Cas said:
She has her own goldfish, which presumably have been around longer than 30 days, I don't see how this would be any different than when adding goldfish as feeder fish. If buying goldfish, then you could always treat the tank with something like Melafix for 3 days (7 if you wish to be really cautious) perform a 25% water change and re-introduce your axie. As far as I know Melafix is not toxic to axies and is commonly used when added new fish to a community tank (I'm in the process of doing it now for a community tank).

Personally I have never had a problem when added my own goldfish between tanks, and I imagine others have not either when using goldfish as feeder fish.
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When is the last time on here you've seen goldfish recommended as a feeder item.............they're is a reason for that.
 
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