Removing MTS shells

[chris_todd]

Anyone have any suggestions for how to remove Malaysian Trumpet Snail shells from substrate (flourite capping mineralized soil, in my case)?

For various reasons, last weekend I completely broke down my 90g - ripped out all the plants, moved all the fish. It's basically down to just the substrate, water, and a couple hundred (!) malaysian trumpet snails.

I'm going to use Viktor's "handful of potash" method to exterminate them, but then how do I get rid of all the shells? (I think they're ugly, and I don't want then hardening up the water with all their calcium).

I could use a collander to separate them from the mineralized soil, but I'd still have to separate the shells from the flourite. Or maybe I'll just ditch the flourite, I don't like it much, and I don't think the cories do either.

Any and all thoughts, tips, and suggestions would be welcome...

[jcali10]

How'd you get them trumpet snails. Did they hitchhike their way into your tank? I've only had pond snails so far. But I saw one snail in my 29G that was different looking yesterday, about a half inch long, with a spirally, conical shell. I think it was dead. Sounds like you have quite a mess on your hands. It seems like it may be difficult to extract all their little carcasses. I guess you could use a strainer too, maybe sift through about a cup or two of your capping substrate at a time. I guess you have to be careful to not uncap your mineralized soil.

[Ltrepeter2000]

Get a kitty litter scoop from the pet store and strain them that way.

[DonkeyFish]

Or put algae wafers in at night and just scoop them out as they come up to eat... for a couple days maybe should thin down the herd a bit first. Then you can kill off the more stubborn and try an option above?

[DelawareJim]

Chris;

I'll take a handful of the little buggers. I found they do a decent job eating the algae between the front glass and the gravel in my 110.

As far as getting rid of the shells, I use a gravel vac/siphon. Since they're lighter than the flourite, if you don't plunge the tube into the substrate they get sucked right up.

Cheers.
Jim

[chris_todd]

Joe, I'm pretty sure they came over from my 75g (I was actually crazy enough to willingly *add* some a year or two ago).

Jim, OK, I'll try to catch a handful or two for you and keep them alive until the meeting at Judi's house.

Rob and Jen, good suggestions, thanks!

I think I'm going to go ahead and sift out all the flourite, leaving just the mineralized soil, which I'm going to segregate to the back corners, and then have pool filter sand sweeping across the center of the tank.

Do you think I can just use PFS as a cap for the mineralized soil?

[jcali10]

Good one Jim, always look on the bright side of life.

[FrannyB]

What's the 'handful of potash' trick? 'Splain'

[chris_todd]

What's the 'handful of potash' trick? 'Splain'

As Viktor explains in this thread (http://www.gwapa.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3587), he inadvertently discovered that potash (which can be used to boost potassium levels in planted tanks) is fatal to invertebrates in high concentrations. For that matter, it is probably toxic to most anything if the concentration is high enough, LOL. Viktor just seemed to have hit on a concentration that killed his shrimp and snails without killing his plants or fish.

As it turns out, since my 90g tank is completely empty of plants and fish, a simpler solution is to simply drain the tank... (credit to my wife Amy for pointing out this painfully obvious solution)

[FrannyB]

Good to know. When the 120 gets redone I'll finally have a way to get rid of those @$&#^% MTS!