Effin Snails

[Salty Cracker]

Anybody know an easy way to keep snails out of the intake on a skimmer? I find that almost anything I try gets sucked in there, and I don't REALLY feel like designing a custom 3d printed screen (and not super keen to put chinese filament into the tank, probably a lot of radioactive lead in it). I never had the problem before, but I sudden;y have an explosion of annoying (but cool looking) conical snails, that just fit perfectly into the pins on the pinwheel.... Weekly teardowns are getting tiring, thank goodness the pump isn't inside the skimmer body!

 

[TORX]

Of coarse my go to is 3D printing. Filament I use I know is reef safe and I also just bought myself a Christmas gift of a decent resin printer and cleaning station that I hope to set up Christmas week when I am off.

Use that plastic mesh that yarn people use to cross stitch. No idea what it is called but I have used it a few times to make things. Just make a small basket or something with some tiny zip ties.

 

[Cliff]

Salty if you find a fix lmk. I have the same problem

 

[Salty Cracker]

Of coarse my go to is 3D printing. Filament I use I know is reef safe and I also just bought myself a Christmas gift of a decent resin printer and cleaning station that I hope to set up Christmas week when I am off.

Use that plastic mesh that yarn people use to cross stitch. No idea what it is called but I have used it a few times to make things. Just make a small basket or something with some tiny zip ties.

My thoughts are about how water soluble the filaments are. I printed a jar at 100% infil .1mm and it still leaked water absiolutely everywhere, and if I don't keep the filament in a dessicant container, it can get really stringy when printing, so I just don't think they're good long term in the tank (I think they're made of corn, so as long as it's made in a reputable shop it should be fairly harmless). I think most of the PLA is biodegradeable, so it likely won't last with running water passing over it. ABS might work, but I have yet to get a successful ABS print, as I use those print mats and don't want to be spraying them with adhesive...

You think the resin prints would be reef safe? I was watching a print yesterday, and MAN those things put out some toxic fumes! Damn neat prints, but the mess and smell means I'd have to have a heated outside shed or a fume hood to use it.

I tried a mesh over the intake already, it filled with snails and whatnot and got blocked, and got sucked in as well, although I did have it loose and not tight, but I'm toying with gluing screen over the opening. These snails are insane. They seem harmless (they sure don't eat zoas), and they leave my clam alone, but man are they annoying

 

[TORX]

To clarify about the mesh, make a large cage or barrel to go over the input so that it doesn't clog. Much like the return pump snail intake covers/guards.

As for printing, have you looked at PETG filament? Similar characteristics to ABS and is Reef safe. It is the same plastic that is used in high end skimmers and equiptment. It is the only thing I print with. I use a PEI sheet on the heat bed to help with adhesion.

I haven't heard anything negative so far about resin provided you clean and cure it properly. My resin printer has a vent for fumes that I will be extending outside. I also have a cleaning and curing station to help with the mess.

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[Luke.]

On my 120 I’m going no cuc or snails (in my last tanks they just seemed useless and I had to do the work for them anyways , got kk sick of knocking corals over , there’s some sites of guys doing this and being successful so I’m going to try it out and you never know what hitchhikers come on/ in snail shells / you can’t dip them , just my option I’m crazy I know lol

 

[Salty Cracker]

On my 120 I’m going no cuc or snails (in my last tanks they just seemed useless and I had to do the work for them anyways , got kk sick of knocking corals over , there’s some sites of guys doing this and being successful so I’m going to try it out and you never know what hitchhikers come on/ in snail shells / you can’t dip them , just my option I’m crazy I know lol

Heh, I don't think it's possible to be 100% snail free. I went "turbo" free some time ago, as yeah the turbos just knock everything over, but I've gone from 1,000,000,000 of the round shell type snails to 1,000,000 of the conical shells. Weird how that changed, I wonder if one species eats the other. I can't see them starving each other out but who knows.

Personally I want to dump about 20 more hermits in the tank, but it's been tough finding small-med sized shells. I mean, I have a billion teeeeeeny empty shells in there I'm sure, but not enough for growing hermits.

 

[Salty Cracker]

To clarify about the mesh, make a large cage or barrel to go over the input so that it doesn't clog. Much like the return pump snail intake covers/guards.

As for printing, have you looked at PETG filament? Similar characteristics to ABS and is Reef safe. It is the same plastic that is used in high end skimmers and equiptment. It is the only thing I print with. I use a PEI sheet on the heat bed to help with adhesion.

I haven't heard anything negative so far about resin provided you clean and cure it properly. My resin printer has a vent for fumes that I will be extending outside. I also have a cleaning and curing station to help with the mess.

Sent from my SM-G988W using Tapatalk

I haven't tried the petg just because of my bad results with abs. I bought a bunch of the overture filament spools because they come with the print bed sheets (I find they are good for about 40 prints before they are completely wrecked). Maybe I'll grab a spool of petg and experiment. I DO know the ABS doesn't adhere any better to the sheets than to the bed glass. Frustrating as you just never know at what point in the print it's going to let go of the bed and cling to the print head.

I'm intrigued by the resin printers, but I figure at some point they will bring out one that doesn't stink. That said, I'm honestly surprised at how slowly the technology has advanced. I would have thought something like this would have been printing production perfect parts by now, but it's still sort of working on 10 year old tech, with not many advancements. I would be on my 3rd or 4th printer by now if it was worth the upgrade.

 

[TORX]

I use the Overture that comes with the free sheets as well, only PETG not ABS. PETG is much easier to print.

Apparently UV resin for 3d printers have been tested in saltwater but not recommended with livestock so off to read up. I had planned on painting and sealing but we will see

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[Salty Cracker]

I use the Overture that comes with the free sheets as well, only PETG not ABS. PETG is much easier to print.

Apparently UV resin for 3d printers have been tested in saltwater but not recommended with livestock so off to read up. I had planned on painting and sealing but we will see

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Well let me know, I like the prints from resin, but good god there has got to be a better way. I 'm practically a 3d print addict lately, finally a use for all that unused autocad knowledge lol.

 

[Seasquirt]

Just read this post and i gotta tell you I'm just not following it, must be me being new Lol
Tell me why have you put snails in your sump? That's if that's where your skimmer is?
No snails says Luke, not sure about that one and you are going to do what they do? Ok

 

[TORX]

Just read this post and i gotta tell you I'm just not following it, must be me being new Lol
Tell me why have you put snails in your sump? That's if that's where your skimmer is?
No snails says Luke, not sure about that one and you are going to do what they do? Ok

They make it down there, especially when they start spawning. Salty is a veteran

 

[Seasquirt]

Yes I knew that, Saltys done it all.


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[Salty Cracker]

Lol, yeah I don't 'put' snails anywhere, they're like sheep...one wanders into the neighbourhood, and suddenly everyone is wearing masks and talking as if cases=deaths. Sheep and snails...very annoying and mostly useless, always getting into your plumbing and messing things up that were working perfectly well beforehand.

 

[nanoreefwanabe]

Of coarse my go to is 3D printing. Filament I use I know is reef safe and I also just bought myself a Christmas gift of a decent resin printer and cleaning station that I hope to set up Christmas week when I am off.

Use that plastic mesh that yarn people use to cross stitch. No idea what it is called but I have used it a few times to make things. Just make a small basket or something with some tiny zip ties.

Sadly I know it is called plastic canvas...lol

 

[Luke.]

There’s stuff on the internet with no shrimp / no snails / crabs etc etc , all I can say for 6 years they didn’t do anything for me and caused more problems then they are worth .

A goodalgae scraper , gravel vac , and a turkey baster is the best cuc money can buy . And best part is 1 time buy AND pest free !

 

[Luke.]

Side note what @TORX said is very true , and once they start breeding look out ! I found over 50 baby’s moving around within a few months of seeing one , it’s neat and I’m not bashing cuc .. I’m just going a different direction !

 

[Salty Cracker]

I personally just really like hermits. I find a batch of little teeny hermits will live in a tank for ~2-5 years, then you need to top it up. In fact I'm down to just a few, probably have to hit up Aaron in the new year for some more stock