Turbo snail size

[saltwaterwannabe]

So a few weeks ago, one of my 1.5 inch lines from one of my basement tanks to the sump became blocked with 2 turbo snails, about 10 feet away from the tank. I assumed the snails somehow climbed over the 2 inch high wier wall of the overflow and later grew large enough to cause the blockage.

Fast forward a few weeks and I find a similar sized turbo snail on the INSIDE one of my Shadow overflows, apparently eating algae off of the backside of the weir. There are no emergency overflow areas into a Shadow overflow, so this left me quite perplexed.

There is no place for any debris or snail larger than 3/16" to pass into my shaddow overflow on my 1st floor DT.

For the snail to reach this area from the downstream system, it would have to enter one of two nozzles, travel through 1 inch SCWD flow director, a 240 watt UV, and then a total of around 50 feet of 2 inch pipe. The other option is to fit through 3/16" slots. I cannot see eitber of these happening but somehow it did.

I am extremely lucky I saw the snail tonight before it ended up downstream attached in a bend and growing to full maturity. I have 6 seperate 1.5 inch pipes leaving my 2 shadow overflows that join into 3 x 2 inch pipes to my basement system, so I have plenty of capacity for any one 2 inch pipe or two 1.5 inch pipes to be fully blocked, but this scared me a bit as I do not want to flood my hardwoods on the main floor.

Does anyone have any suggestions to ensure there are no more snails in the system piping, to remove any that may remain? And to ensure no more gain access?

 

[bhodges82]

I had this happen once, at 2am my downstairs neighbor almost beat my door down because it was raining 25 Hal of saltwater in his living room, using drain screens or strainers is a must. I get mine from bulkreefsupply.com.

I also don’t allow snails anywhere except the display and frag tank.


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[Adam]

How small of turbos did you start with? Sounds odd.

 

[saltwaterwannabe]

They ranged in size from start, but generally started at about 3/4 ". I have strainers on everything except my nozzles and the outlets from a basement tank to my basement sump that has a overflow weir. The snails from a few weeks ago were between the basement tank and the basement sump.

The small flow and emergency flow pipes from my dt dump out above my sump, but there is a few inches of air space so the water falls freely. (I have never heard of a jumping snail) I did add snails to my sump, but there is no path they could take to the dt without jumping or going through a strainer.

The only thing I cna think of is that I left the grille off my shadow pverflow for a couple days a few months ago when I was figuring out how the flow worked in my drain system. Maybe they got in that way.

I am thinking about temporarily modifying my piping to make an isolated loop then add a ton of vinegar or something that would kill anything in my pipes so they flush out followed by a lot of rinsing. This sounds a bit risky, but I am thinking this could remove any others before they fully mature. Has anyone ever done this?

 

[Adam]

The only thing I can think of is that I left the grille off my shadow overflow for a couple days a few months ago when I was figuring out how the flow worked in my drain system. Maybe they got in that way.

I'm betting that's what happened. I've never seen a turbo in stores small enough to get through any grills.

I am thinking about temporarily modifying my piping to make an isolated loop then add a ton of vinegar or something that would kill anything in my pipes so they flush out followed by a lot of rinsing. This sounds a bit risky, but I am thinking this could remove any others before they fully mature. Has anyone ever done this?

This just sounds like o horrible idea. When you installed the plumbing did you put in unions to be able to get into those areas? If not, now sounds like a good time to do that. Cut sections of pipe out and inspect them for wandering snails and put them back with unions. That would be much safer than filling the piping with anything.

 

[bhodges82]

Or create your closed loop and over heat the water for the same effect and no vinegar. Definitely keep snails out of the sump though, and put a screen on the weir drains. My snails climb over my weirs.


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[enderg60]

They make pipe strainers for this exact reason. Also a basic pipe snake for clearing out your toilet will work to clear out any other snails.

 

[Adam]

My Jebao pumps in the sump have baskets over them. I let the snails go where ever they want to in the whole system. But the large turbos can't get into anywhere where they can cause a blockage. Sure occasionally a snail gets caught in the gate valve of the return but I know the 1st time I go in the fish room because the water level in higher in the overflow and more water is running down the 2nd drain which makes noise. A quick open of the gate clears the snail. Mine is a bean setup so this doesn't bother me and I've got nothing else in the sump where they can cause a problem.

 

[saltwaterwannabe]

Thanks all for the help.

There are only a few points of entry and none are between the dt and sump, so it must have been those few days I left the grille off my overflow. I will certainly pickup a couple of grilles for nmy basement tank return since I have seen them cross the weir.

I also picked up a powered snake a few weeks ago and ended up not needing it. It should work well and I will pickup some more unions.

How about the 2 discharges from my basement 240 into my sump that are at water level, is it ok to put strainers on the bulkheads dumping into my sump?

 

[bhodges82]

Strainers don’t restrict flow, I’d say if you don’t want things entering those drain lines then strainers are perfectly ok for that application.


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