Tropical Fish Forums

[59FIFTY]

well about a month ago I got a baby albino bn pleco. it is only about 1 3/4 inches long. I was wondering if there is a way to sex them before they grow bristles or not because I would like to get one of the opposite sex before they sell out. so is there?

I bought plants from Caton and was warned that he had snails. I don't mind them too much but they make the tank look ugly. is there a super effective way of removingg them? I plan on putting them in my 75 gallon pond in my back yard. I have left a blanched cucumber for my pleco and woke up only to find that it was covered in snails and not pleco, so I put some cucumber in a tupper wear with melted holes for the same amount of time and no snails... are there anyother sure fire ways of removing them?
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In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. - Martin

[Marcos Avila]

I suppose that the trained eye of a regular BN breeder might be able to sex them a little earlier, but I can't and I don't think most regular hobbyists can either.

The most effective way of dealing with snail infestation is by having snail eaters in the fish population, but that has to be done responsibly, keeping the species's needs in mind and not just using it as a disposable tool.

What you saw as an annoyance with the snail-infested cucumber thing is exactly what many people do to make manual removal easier: cucumber goes in alone and comes out full of snails...repeat as many times as needed.
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Success with a fish/tank is measured in YEARS, not months or weeks...

[jsuereth]

I picked up a few assassin snails the other week and they have drastically helped my snail issues.

My snails mostly hide on my plants now, so I try to shake them off to give the assassins a better chance of finding them.

I doubt ill ever be snail free, but the tank is far more attractive now.

[59FIFTY]

Thanks. I will continue to do the cucumbers!
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In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. - Martin