Another snail problem

Ive got a problem w/ some trumpet snails. Ive got a planted aquarium, and
they really kind of help the aquarium.. There are a lot of them but the
population isn't out of control or anything. I usually dont see any durring
the day, but they come out at night. The problem is that one of my fish
loves to eat them, but he cant digest them. I had to have surgery on the
fish to get them out of his gut!
So, I want to get rid of a lot of the snails. I dont want to use chemicals
that could hurt my fish or my plants. Everyone talks about using loaches to
control the population. The only problem is that i think my fish would eat
the loaches. Ive got an oscar, jack dempsey, severum, and convict living in
this aquarium. All of the fish (other than convict) are over 7" long, and
the oscar and dempsey have big mouthes.
There is plenty of cover in the tank.. Most of the bottom is covered in a
maze of plants. Do you think the loaches would look like food to my big
fish? Do you think the plants would provide enough cover for the loaches to
safely hide in? Does anyone know if its possible to get large loaches?
(few inches at lest)(all the local pet stores say they can only get babies).
Or, is there anything else I can get that loves to eat snails?

Thanks

|| Ive got a problem w/ some trumpet snails. Ive got a planted
|| aquarium, and they really kind of help the aquarium.. There are a
|| lot of them but the population isn't out of control or anything. I
|| usually dont see any durring the day, but they come out at night.

That's the thing with MTS, they only come out at night*in numbers*

|| The problem is that one of my fish loves to eat them, but he cant
|| digest them. I had to have surgery on the fish to get them out of
|| his gut!

which fish is that? most of what you've named are strong enough to crush the
snails.. not sure why they couldn't...

|| So, I want to get rid of a lot of the snails. I dont want to use
|| chemicals that could hurt my fish or my plants. Everyone talks
|| about using loaches to control the population. The only problem is
|| that i think my fish would eat the loaches. Ive got an oscar, jack
|| dempsey, severum, and convict living in this aquarium. All of the
|| fish (other than convict) are over 7" long, and the oscar and
|| dempsey have big mouthes.

That tank surely couldn't support loaches, they don't have armor like
scales.... they are scaleless loaches...

|| There is plenty of cover in the tank.. Most of the bottom is covered
|| in a maze of plants. Do you think the loaches would look like food
|| to my big fish? Do you think the plants would provide enough cover
|| for the loaches to safely hide in? Does anyone know if its possible
|| to get large loaches? (few inches at lest)(all the local pet stores
|| say they can only get babies). Or, is there anything else I can get
|| that loves to eat snails?

My suggestion would be to manually remove the bigger snails as you find
them. I get mine during gravel vacuuming as the bigger ones always come to
the top, while the smaller ones even get sucked out... I never worry though,
they'll make more..

you could bait them, put a plate on the bottom, some algae wafers on it, and
when the lights go out, grab a flashlight and either net them or slowly
raise the plate(cup) out and they'll be in there.. not alot, but you can
repeat several days in a row..

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