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Killer snail scavenging?

1K views 13 replies 9 participants last post by  Mac 
#1 ·
It was time to sprinkle some more Sluggo into this tank, and I noticed this live snail with his foot-body completely inside an almost empty shell. I presume he was forced to such extreme measures of eating his buddy, alive or dead, because I don't have any Macodes petola jewel orchids or precious blossoms currently happening in there.
(Compare size to Sluggo pellets bottom right.)
Is this common or aberrant snail behavior?
I was also surprised that close up these little black snails weren't really all black after all.

 
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#4 ·
Lil 2 liter bottle caps or similarly small items filled with beer and changed out every few days will drastically reduce the snail population....and allow your frogs eggs much better chance of surviving. Did this for over a year with darklands pumilo, never a problem.
 
#8 ·
I have had a couple types of snails in my tanks, mostly common slugs and they never really bothered frogs or eggs but this type pictured I have seen eat eggs out of their jelly mass and I am also conviced they have eaten tads out of brom axils.
I had a pair of Colons that had these snails in heir tank and literally saw a couple of them eating eggs out of a deposited clutch and then have tads disappear that i had seen in a couple of axils but did not witness the tads disappearence. I broke down that tank and after cleaning thoroughly baked the cork bark @300 for about 40 minutes. I reused he cork bark and after 60+ days have not seen a reappearence of the snails. Whether these snails are carnivorous or omnivorous I do not know but you should definately rid your tank of them if you intend to breed the frogs.
 
#11 ·
Re Sluggo effectiveness and safety:

There have been several discussions about Sluggo, its effectiveness and safety. Searching 'sluggo' brings up several, including http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/general-discussion/22575-de-slugging-my-terrarium-sluggo.html Unfortunately some links are inaccessible now.

Google 'Sluggo', and find the EPA description of the product:
Iron (Ferric) Phosphate (034903) Fact Sheet | Pesticides | US EPA
It is iron phosphate, a naturally occurring chemical, mixed with an attractant.

Do not use any product containing Metaldehyde. That is nasty stuff.

I have found Sluggo effective on slugs and snails. I expect if I used it on a regular basis, like every couple of weeks, I could break the breeding cycle and eliminate the snails from this tank completely. Unfortunately, I'm more apt to wait until I notice a problem.

Several people have used it and posted that there was no apparent effect on their animals.

If you don't feel comfortable about it, try some other methods suggested in a search of 'snails slugs', like CO2, picking, lettuce, beer, etc.
LittleFrog's post in http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/general-discussion/33615-another-post-snails.html
is a good summary.
 
#12 ·
After searching the forum for articles, I have found a thread that says that the Sluggo could have possibly decreased the spring pop.
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/general-discussion/30123-sluggo-collateral-damage.html

So IF this is infact true, as this is just a speculation on Marks part( it could have been a number of things) why not just put the sluggo in small bottle caps around the tank.

That way the sluggs still can get to them, but since they are not directly touching the ground the springs will have a harder time getting to them.

I will give the sluggo a try putting it in little bottle caps and see what happens.
 
#14 ·
True but, I think it will help to deter them from getting at it. Since they are not directly touching the ground, and therefore not QUITE as easy to get to.

Especially since they cannot sense it as well, they would have to come out of cover to get at it, up the rim of the cap..... i think it will help.
 
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