Question about planted aquarium and fishless cycling

(05-10-2016, 03:45 AM)remnant Wrote: Congrats for being on top of the problem. There is a product from Acquatic Pharmaceuticals called Dimilin and another from Jungle Labs called Anchor Aways which are used to kill pond snails without affecting the fish. However, you should follow the instructions to the letter especially when the second application is due to avoid adverse and unintended effects.

I would not recommend to use any chemical to kill pond snails. When it is a chemical compound, there are always side effects. It is like saying mosquito spray will not affect humans, but it is still harmful to us.

Fish might not drop dead because of some snail killing stuff, but they are certainly affected.

The best way to deal with pond snails is to make sure there is no leftover fish food after every feeding. They feed on the leftovers. Cut off their food supply will limit their reproduction capability.

Physically remove them will work only if they do not get unlimited food source.

Then there is biological solution. I use Assassin Snails to kill them. It might take a long time for it to have an effect on their population, but it will eventually work (as in my case). Assassin Snails are also pretty good looking, and they can make a good addition to your aquarium. They also do not reproduce quickly at all, since they have separated male and female snails, and only lay a few eggs at a time.