Controlling Malaysian Trumpet Snails

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

I introduced some baby MTS into my 25 litre nano tank about six months ago, and they've done very well. I like them - they're attractive and do no harm.

But their numbers are getting a bit silly, and judging by the number of babies the situation is only going to get worse. I'd like to put the brakes on the population without eliminating them.

One option I will try is to bait them with blanched vegetables, remove and discard, then repeat. I imagine this will be an ongoing job.

Another option is assassin snails. They are also very attractive, and I understand that they breed slowly and rarely become a problem themselves, but will they completely eliminate the MTS? I wouldn't really want that to happen. Could I establish an equilibrium between the assassins and the MTS, or is that unrealistic?

A supplementary question: what is the minimum temperature for MTS? If I bait them onto a piece of vegetable, could I lob them into my pond? I successfully introduced red ramshorn snails and occasionally see one or two in the pond; would MTS be able to descend to deeper, warmer water during the winter and survive? The deepest part of the pond is about 30".

 

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Interestingly, I used to have a problem with bladder snails before I introduced the MTS, but the MTS seem to have squeezed the bladder snails out of existence - I think there are none left at all, which is extraordinary.

 

[mort]

Their population explodes due to available food, so limiting it is the easiest way to control populations. It's simple in a normal tank where we would just syphon the detritus out of the substrate but not normally possible in a planted tank with a dense root system.
I'd advise exactly what you are planning and bait them with some vegatables. I used to good effect lettuce leaves. Assassins also work well and will help but as the mts live under the substrate you would never eliminate them.

I have also put them in the pond but no idea whether they over winter or not as mine is 6 ft deep and I don't plan on diving for them.

 

[Daneland]

I think your problem is excess food, they become overpopulated when there is excess fish food.
You can use vegetables to catch them.They love courgette

 

[sciencefiction]

Interestingly, I used to have a problem with bladder snails before I introduced the MTS, but the MTS seem to have squeezed the bladder snails out of existence - I think there are none left at all, which is extraordinary.

Yes, the bladder snails are the easiest to outcompete. Mine almost disappeared when I started keeping shrimp.

As for the MTS, they breed very fast but as suggested, its food availability that's the problem. Perhaps there's lots for them to eat in the substrate.

Manually catching and removing them would work if you are persistent. It will slow down the multiplication as they give birth to live ones. But I like them too. They never bothered me and I find them beautiful.