I Need A Collonista Snail Trap. Ideas?

joeychitwood · 09/03/2006, 07:28 AM

My 54 corner tank is over-run with Collonista snails. I'd estimate that I have several hundred of these tiny grazers crawling all over the tank walls, live rock and even on the Turbo snails. My sand bed is filled with the shells of past generations of snails.

I've been scraping and netting them off the glass at night when the lights go out, and I probably remove a hundred or more snails at a time, but I'm not making much impact on the hoards.

Do you have any ideas for making a Collonista trap which I can place in the tank? I realize that they are probably harmless and are good grazers, but I don't like the appearance of the tank with hundreds of snails clinging to the corners, glass, LR, etc.

Kabong · 09/03/2006, 12:01 PM

You may end up throwing off your tank's balance by removing them.
Their population wouldn't be so high if there wasn't an adequate algae food supply for them.
Removing them may result in a algae bloom.

joeychitwood · 09/03/2006, 12:28 PM

I have a large amount of current in the tank and very little algae. I used to have a nice thriving population of pods before the Collonistas arrived, and the pods have been decimated and completely replaced by snails. I don't know exactly what the snails are eating, as even examination of the glass with magnification shows no algae or "snail tracks."

Kabong · 09/03/2006, 01:45 PM

As far as i know they do feed of algae.
So in theory if you get enough of them out and replace them with some normal snails.
It will keep there numbers in check.
I doubt you could ever get rid of them all, but if you can get something that can out compete them for there food source they should die out on there own.
Or at least go down to a reasonable level.

DaveBrader · 09/03/2006, 03:11 PM

The Colonista snails will congregate on the glass whereever there is algae. If you take a scraper, and scrape the glass completely clean, you will see the Colonista snails all around the clean part but not on the clean part. They are wonderful to have in your tank. They only come out at night anyway, and as soon as the lights come on they disappear.

You will be making a big mistake to get rid of them, they are a self replacing snail that does an excellant job of keeping algae under control. If you killed them all, your tank would be green in no time. The only reason you have so many is because there is food for them to eat.

Dave

dvmsn · 09/03/2006, 03:25 PM

I agree. Count your blessings and leave them alone.

Agu · 09/03/2006, 03:32 PM

Start selling them on EBAY and the population will crash

.

Have to agree that if the food weren't there the population wouldn't be there either. Usually in this kind of situation the population exceeds the food supply and they crash on their own.

You could try shoving some sushi wrap in a narrow mouth container and leaving it in the tank overnight.

HBtank · 09/04/2006, 01:35 PM

Any attempts would only be temporary anyways. Without something else to fill the void, they will just come back in the same numbers.

I would try and put in more snails that could out-compete the collinista and use up the algae that is obviously available and are more to your liking, and more importantly do not reproduce well..

you keep saying you have no algae, well they are the reason.

09/03/2006, 07:28 AM	#1
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	I Need A Collonista Snail Trap. Ideas? My 54 corner tank is over-run with Collonista snails. I'd estimate that I have several hundred of these tiny grazers crawling all over the tank walls, live rock and even on the Turbo snails. My sand bed is filled with the shells of past generations of snails. I've been scraping and netting them off the glass at night when the lights go out, and I probably remove a hundred or more snails at a time, but I'm not making much impact on the hoards. Do you have any ideas for making a Collonista trap which I can place in the tank? I realize that they are probably harmless and are good grazers, but I don't like the appearance of the tank with hundreds of snails clinging to the corners, glass, LR, etc.

09/03/2006, 03:32 PM	#7
Agu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 30,279	Start selling them on EBAY and the population will crash . Have to agree that if the food weren't there the population wouldn't be there either. Usually in this kind of situation the population exceeds the food supply and they crash on their own. You could try shoving some sushi wrap in a narrow mouth container and leaving it in the tank overnight. __________________ Less technology , more biology . Current Tank Info: 30 gallon half cube and 5.5, both reef tanks

09/04/2006, 01:35 PM	#8
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Any attempts would only be temporary anyways. Without something else to fill the void, they will just come back in the same numbers. I would try and put in more snails that could out-compete the collinista and use up the algae that is obviously available and are more to your liking, and more importantly do not reproduce well.. you keep saying you have no algae, well they are the reason. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

09/03/2006, 12:01 PM	#2
Kabong Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Brentwood Bay B.C. Posts: 454	You may end up throwing off your tank's balance by removing them. Their population wouldn't be so high if there wasn't an adequate algae food supply for them. Removing them may result in a algae bloom.

09/03/2006, 12:28 PM	#3
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	I have a large amount of current in the tank and very little algae. I used to have a nice thriving population of pods before the Collonistas arrived, and the pods have been decimated and completely replaced by snails. I don't know exactly what the snails are eating, as even examination of the glass with magnification shows no algae or "snail tracks."

09/03/2006, 01:45 PM	#4
Kabong Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Brentwood Bay B.C. Posts: 454	As far as i know they do feed of algae. So in theory if you get enough of them out and replace them with some normal snails. It will keep there numbers in check. I doubt you could ever get rid of them all, but if you can get something that can out compete them for there food source they should die out on there own. Or at least go down to a reasonable level.

09/03/2006, 03:11 PM	#5
DaveBrader Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: St. George Utah Posts: 268	The Colonista snails will congregate on the glass whereever there is algae. If you take a scraper, and scrape the glass completely clean, you will see the Colonista snails all around the clean part but not on the clean part. They are wonderful to have in your tank. They only come out at night anyway, and as soon as the lights come on they disappear. You will be making a big mistake to get rid of them, they are a self replacing snail that does an excellant job of keeping algae under control. If you killed them all, your tank would be green in no time. The only reason you have so many is because there is food for them to eat. Dave

09/03/2006, 03:25 PM	#6
dvmsn Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Surfside Beach, SC Posts: 3,008	I agree. Count your blessings and leave them alone.