Capturing snails

[bravefish90]

( Sounds like Pokemon or something )
I was wondering how other people capture Baby/pond snails. I currently have two methods. 1 is reaching in and grabbing them ( very clumsy and most of them just end up floating away ). 2 I have an all-glass creamer(for coffee ) shaker that I open , put in some blanched lettuce ( while I am feeding the fish ), place this on the bottom of the tank and remove it in about an hour. This doesn't always work though, but it's the least work that I have to do. This is in my fishie tank not my snail pond.

 

[Panthera Onca]

I need to get some snails for my family of clown loaches, but here in Georgia going to a pond and sticking your hand in it is like taking your life into your own hands Hopefully I'm moving soon, but that's beside the point. I can't seem to get snails around here, they like refuse to give me any at the stores, it's rediculous.

 

[bravefish90]

The way I got mine Was by 1)Buying a plant from my shop. And 2) buying three apple snails that have since died, but offspring of said snails have been innumerable. They don't take long to grow and I sell them to a girl down the road for .50-1.00 each. She has dwarf puffers. I think you can go to a petsmart, buy a plant and when the guy says (slow voice) 'Hey man, you want me to take the snails offa this, or what?" Just say no.

 

[Lotus]

My favorite method is to take a shot glass, put an algae wafer in it, and put it in when lights go out at night on the tank. The next day I have a shot glass full of snails, and my loaches and puffers get a treat

Snails seem to really come out at night, so that's usually the best time to catch them.

If you're growing them for food, it's a really good idea to raise your own in a small tank (it doesn't even need a filter, just weekly water changes and feeding every few days). That way, you don't risk introducing diseases and you know that your snails were fed nutritious food and will be more nutritios for your snail-eaters.

 

[bravefish90]

Yeah, I am raising them for food. I have most of them in a ten gal. pond outside, but they are born sometimes in my fifty,and I have to get them into the pond.They first arrived on a banana plant that has been eaten. and they've been reproducing ever since ! Your probably right about the wafer though that is what I feed them in the pond, but the lettuce draws them in quicker ( at least in my experience ). And 'sides that my platies would try to get the wafers. Oh well.

 

[Panthera Onca]

Hey I got a question. Some of these "fancier" snails you see like rams horn and mystery snails and all that jazz, could I feed some of the really small (not full grown) to my clown loach?

 

[bravefish90]

I think it would be alright, because the apple snails I raise are for food and the mystery snails ARE apple snails, so it'd probably be okay. Then again I ne'er had loaches so no experience here.

 

[dss2004]

Lotus what are you doing with a shot glass!!!!LOL

 

[Panthera Onca]

Originally posted by dss2004
Lotus what are you doing with a shot glass!!!!LOL

Probably has a stock load of them

 

[Lotus]

LOL. Ecotank collects them The one I use most was a gift with the words "American by birth, southern by the grace of God" on it

My loaches go for ramshorn snails if they're fairly small. They occasionally eat the Malaysian trumpet snails, but prefer the ramshorns. From what I hear, MTS are hard to suck out of the shell (at least that's what my loaches told me). You shouldn't give MTS to puffers, as they are hard enough to break a puffer's teeth. Generally, my fish prefer eating regular pond snails.