I have a problem with fresh water snails.

We disinfect our ponds every 3 months with HTH and Virkon, the filters get cleaned on a weekly basis and yet they return in numbers. The problem we have is that they clog up the pump baskets and even the impellers of the pumps.

So maybe some of the experts can help with the following Q

How do we get rid of them so that we will not harm the koi?

How do we keep them away?

Hi Collin,

Copper sulphate will take out the snails. But then it can be dangerous to the koi if you treat when fish are in the pond.

Not sure why you want to get rid of the snails. I believe they eat algae and other organic matter.

Regards,
Chris

Hi Chris

I don't mind the snails but my budged does not like them. The pumps only last 3 to 6 months from brand new, due to the snails.

What will the dosage be for Copper sulphate?

Where can I get it from?

What about a natural predator that eats snails? put it in the same pond as the koi...not sure if it would work but you can try some green spotted puffers. They annihiliate snails. I had some of these puffers in a aquarium...never had any snail problems plus it eat about 5 a day.

Once you have them, they are so difficult to get rid of and it is damn frustrating. They clog up the pump baskets in no time.

At one stage I threw salad leaves in my filter. They climb onto it and I would then throw the leaves with the snails out on a daily basis, but it purely controled it to a certain extent.

Hi Paul

Quote :

Once you have them, they are so difficult to get rid of and it is damn frustrating. They clog up the pump baskets in no time.

I agree with you.

Hi Wayne

Quote :

What about a natural predator that eats snails? put it in the same pond as the koi...not sure if it would work but you can try some green spotted puffers.

The snails are mostly in the filter chambers and not in the pond it self.

Collin wrote:

Where can I get it from?

You can order it online at Vet Products Online.

R 255.79 for 5kg

Thank you Paul

Wat van Dimilin?

I see Dimilin is being marketed as non-toxic to aquatic plants and snails.
http://www.pondsuppliesonline.com/home/pso/page_3335_267/pondcare__dimilin.html

The suggestion made me think of Trichlorfon (Dipterex)? I am using it for the garden snails and other garden bugs very effectively and koi can handle 10g/10 000 liters. It does not affect the good bacteria, and maybe you can bypass your filter while treating the filter only with an increased dosage and flush the filter thereafter?

Maybe Seponver Plus? I see that people in Britain are using Supaverm which is for all practical purposes Seponver Plus that we get here.

It would be interesting to see if it works.

Hi Collin,
I would definetly go with Pauls suggestions and not Copper Sulphate. Copper Sulphate is really nasty on the fish.
Regards
Chris

Thanks for all the ifo Paul, I know Seponver Plus does not work as we use it in our ponds.

But I will try the rest and let you know what the results was.

wayneb wrote:

What about a natural predator that eats snails? put it in the same pond as the koi...not sure if it would work but you can try some green spotted puffers. They annihiliate snails. I had some of these puffers in a aquarium...never had any snail problems plus it eat about 5 a day.

I like this ... where can I get them and how big do they grow.

Do they breed easily ?

They are small 2-3cm, i have never tried to breed with them. You can keep them in fresh water - i did.

They are predators so make sure you have some snails....when i ran out of snails i fed mine mussles....if you do run out of snails they might go after smaller fish. I lost 3 red-fin sharks and 2 bala sharks of 12cm - 14cm to this little thing.

So cute but yet so deadly. They leave the other fish alone aslong they get something else to eat....they are also extremely territorial...so they fight between themselfs and will eat each other. I have kept some larger gold fish with them and they happily co-existed.

They have a beak for a mouth so you must give it something with a shell to eat or else the beak grows and later on it cant open its mouth.

Paul, Dimilin does not contain Formalin as stated in you link.

Two products that you can use to kill the snails will also be beneficial to your fish at the same time. Both products are designed to kill fish anchor worms. One rather convenient side effect to both is that they just happen to kill snails. YES! One is from Jungle Labs and is called Anchors Away and is a powder. The other product is from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals and is called Dimilin, which is a liquid. You can treat the pond to kill the snails and your fish will benefit in case they have any anchor worms that you have not yet seen. Heck of a deal!

Guys

Puffers are tropical fish and needs heating to keep the water 24 to 28 deg. I dont know about the temp in your ponds but mine dropped to 12deg in winter.....

Hi henk, jy is reg. Ek het wel 'n plocustomus in my koi dam gegroei tot 40cm deur die winter...maar die 2de winter het hy dit nie gemaak nie.

Hier is 'n koi keeper in die kaap wat honderde swords tussen sy kois het sy koi dam, dit lik nogal mooi. Hulle swem in skole tussen die koi. Ek weet nie of die nog so is nie maar dit was so 4 jaar gelede.

Hi Collin

Collin I suggest you use a bit of aluminium Sulfate, snails dont like it and will go elseware and your water will be clear

Read this Link and especially the paragraph about aluminium Sulfate.
It is the same stuff used in our drinking water. Available from the chemical guys.

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:p3pguo7dzXAJ:www.floridakoi.org/perfectwater.pdf+pH+pill,+doc+johnson&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=za

Hi Neville

Thank you for the link I will try it soon. Some good ideas in the article.