Re: Getting rid of MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails)

[Dennis Heltzel <dennis at fishroom_net>]

I can just throw it out. It's not the issue of costs or that I'm 
especially fond of the gravel, I was just thinking about what they could 
withstand. Cold kills a lot of things, but not all. Al's observation 
that they withstand -10 and live in the Mississippi makes me think they 
won't die from freezing. Heat might be more sure. I suppose a stint in 
the microwave would be even more lethal. A low cost option might be to 
seal the moist gravel in a clear bag and leave it in the summer sun for 
a few weeks. This is done to sterilize soil by organic gardeners and 
they claim it gets enough heat to roast all the nasty critters and roots.

Having removed all the gravel from the tank, controlling the remainder 
is pretty easy. As the stragglers move around they are easily spotted 
and removed, and the little ones cleaned up via water changes. They 
really only get a good hold in tanks with gravel in them. In bare tanks, 
all the youngsters can be removed before they get large enough to reproduce.

Dennis

LeeH920226 at aol_com wrote:
> In a message dated 1/6/03 4:34:31 PM, bjc3 at cornell_edu writes:
> 
> <<  I would try boiling the gravel. >>
> 
> Unless it is a very rare, expensive gravel, why not just replace it with new, 
> sterile gravel? I have a bucket of MTS laden gravel and I will throw it away. 
> It is not worth my time, effort, bleach, etc., costs to try to use it again.
> 
> Lee Harper
> Media, PA 
> USA


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