Journal Ben's Plant Pharm 2.0

[MrJG]

Tank is looking great! Condolences on the Erio. ;(
If you need a home for some of that rotala ‘kochi’ after trimming hit me up! I’m about 30 miles south of Charlotte so shipping shouldn’t be bad.

What I’ve done for pond snail outbreaks is just be relentless about manual removal and lessen the feeding a bit assuming you have other fish.
When I do maintenance I have 2 cups or Tupperware bins. One is for snails/trimmed leaves to discard, other is for any trimmings that I plan to replant. I’d leave the discard cup out for days and just pluck out any snails on the glass, eventually you can beat them back a bit.

 

[BenB]

Tank is looking great! Condolences on the Erio. ;(
If you need a home for some of that rotala ‘kochi’ after trimming hit me up! I’m about 30 miles south of Charlotte so shipping shouldn’t be bad.

Ugh... I had so many I could have sent you. I trimmed yesterday
I have someone else to send them too also, but yeah, it's so hot they would show up as mush. Might have made it to you this week. Not supposed to be as crazy hot here.

What I’ve done for pond snail outbreaks is just be relentless about manual removal and lessen the feeding a bit assuming you have other fish.
When I do maintenance I have 2 cups or Tupperware bins. One is for snails/trimmed leaves to discard, other is for any trimmings that I plan to replant. I’d leave the discard cup out for days and just pluck out any snails on the glass, eventually you can beat them back a bit.

Usually the low pH dissolves the shells and they disappear. Not this time. So many are 1mm or less. Can't really pick them, but as I think about it, it seems as I get rid of the larger ones, the small ones aren't getting bigger. Maybe I am having some luck, I just need to be more patient.

 

[MrJG]

No worries! Maybe we can work it out in the fall. Happy to pay the going rate.

 

[BenB]

Been going great for a few weeks. It makes me nervous.
Snail hell though.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

A few pea puffers would have a field day in your tank...

 

[BenB]

A few pea puffers would have a field day in your tank...

I've always thought they were cool. They have little fins. I have a lot of flow. Do they do well in flow?

 

[gnatster]

Assassin Snail, Crab, or various Loaches would be happy.

 

[BenB]

Assassin Snail, Crab, or various Loaches would be happy.

I had clown loaches, I think, years ago for them. I liked them.
Historically snails have not done well in this tank due to the acidity, but for some reason these are taking their time dying. I don't seem to be getting any adults. So something is going on.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

Bladder snails are able to withstand low pH, high CO2 tanks for whatever reason. Might be certain species of snails, but in my zero KH tanks at 5.2pH during injection they bred like rabbits:



There will be a million "information-regurgitating" websites and youtube videos on how puffers need low flow species-only tanks, yet the rivers they come from move very quickly...

I kept them in my 140Gal "Many Lessons" tank in seriously high flow, with fast Danios, and they weren't just happy, they established cool territories, did mating dances, and bred repeatedly.

They're tough little buggers once you de-worm them, which is essentially a full on requirement for their care. You'd also need a plan for when you run out of snails, which would be in less than 5-7 days guaranteed.

Amazing species, nothing like them, but their live food requirements is what should really keep most hobbyists at bay. Probably better to look into Loaches. If you're injecting a lot of CO2, assassin snails don't do well, as they suffer the same low-pH issues that many larger snails do (but not bladder/ramshorns).

 

[BenB]

but their live food requirements is what should really keep most hobbyists at bay.

Yeah, that sounds like me.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

My peacock gudgeons and possibly rainbows kept any baby snail population in my tanks at bay. I’d only find living bladder or ramshorn babies in my sump. Gudgeons are not particularly quick, but they will actively hunt live food that isn’t quicker than they are.

 

[BenB]

I did a thing. I have a 2 week trip coming up in September. The last time I had a long trip the tank didn't do so great. So this is my new plan. I have a friend who will come by every 3-4 days to top off the water.

I had originally intended this to be a temporary solution while on vacation. I don't mind my usual daily dosing, but I've been busy lately, and it will be nice to not have to worry about the tank.

Since it is a small tank, there isn't a lot of spare room in the cabinet. If I decide to get a canister filter, there definitely won't be room. This isn't visually so attractive, but its around the side and in a spare room.

Thanks to my coworker who 3D printed me the tube holder.

 

[BenB]

PS I want to thank people in THIS thread (sorry I know I'll leave off someone) @gnatster @Naturescapes_Rocco @Kwyet @CincyScaper @TRyan for the discussion. I used it to pic up parts and to know where the file was for my coworker, etc. My solutions are fairly thin, so I don't know if I would have had trouble with the Chihiros tubing thing, but it was easy enough not to find out the hard way.

The best way to learn is not from your mistakes, but from someone else's.