Re:Snail armageddon

[Paul Krombholz <krombhol at teclink_net>]

    * From: Jason <beatsfrombeyond at mac_com>

What started with 7 small ramshorn snails has now turned into about 70+
ramshorn snails.  And of course they are growing exponentially in numbers as
we speak... So...  What are my options?  I know a certain number of snails
are beneficial with eating debris/algae what not (@ 1st they really cleaned
up my tank!), but now they are eating all the pellet food my fish usually
eat, and my tank definitely has become over run with them.  So I'd like to
keep some (not sure how many - I have a 55 gal tall), but control the
babies.

If the snails are eating up all the pellet food your fish usually 
get, then the fish must not be trying very hard to get it because 
snails take a long time to find the food and eat it.   The food must 
be lying around for days.  I would recommend putting in less pellet 
food.  The fish should eat up all you put in so that there is none 
lying around for the snails to find.  If the snails are multiplying 
so rapidly, it is because they are finding a lot of left-over food to 
eat.  In doing so, they are performing a service.  If they don't eat 
it, then it will just lie there and rot.
--
Paul Krombholz in sunny central Mississippi, where a cold front 
sneaked through last evening without even a drop of rain.