Snails and what to do?

Hi all. I have seen a few snails in my tank over the last few days. I remove as many as I can how ever snails multiply like crazy. So my question is what do you guys recommend as the best way to get rid of these guys.

I was thinking about some clown loaches but this is a planted tank.

Any ideas?

 

Cut down your feeding, clean your substrate and manually remove as you have been. They are probably multiplying because you have a waste/food build up in the tank.

I don't stress too much as they are doing a job and the only time I really see them is when the lights first switch on.

 

I have come to the conclusion that snails must be from the devil himself, and that fighting snails should be seen as routine maintenance, rather than a war.

In my main display tank I have 3 Zebra Loaches that keep the snails in check. However if these Loaches or well fed on other food, they seem to become lazy with snails. In my Study Nano Tank, I have very small fish, so a Loach is not an option. I have to resort to manual removal, which is literally a maintenance issue.

I have a 500ml coke bottle with a bit of tank water in it lying behind the tank, and whenever I have a spare moment whilst staring into the tank, I grab the long tweezers and remove as many snails as I can, simply popping them into the bottle, with the intention of throwing the bottle out later.

The idea that snails thrive under excess food is busted in my mind, as I have had the snails in this bottle for over a month now, (no food) and they are still alive and kicking. Even with the lid sealed closed, I was surprised to see these things still alive. I do admit to having had a bit of moss thrown into the bottle because it was attached to the snail, and the moss grew daily too... so perhaps the moss was feeding the snails.

My only suggestion... get Zebra Loaches is you can find any. (Many LPS deny their existance), or just accept that snail removal is part and parcel of the maintenance process.

 

I agree with Zoom here.

I HAD a problem with ramshorn snails - so I went on a mission to get a group of Zebra Loaches (Botia striata) - they weren't that easy to get, but I had a friend keep a watch on the wholesalers availability list, and they eventually cropped up. I have a group of 6 in my 3ft - it took them a while to deal with the nasty gastropods, but now, I only occasionally see one.

In my 2ft, I have a group of 3. In that tank, the snails somehow figured out that if they were ABOVE the waterline, then the pyjama boys couldn't get at them. But that made it really easy for me to crush them / remove them. :five: I haven't seen any sign of a sn@il in that tank for years.

Prior to acquiring my botias, I tried all the trapping tricks - they worked as a contol measure, but I never seemed to make a noticeable dent in the population. I do not know whether the zebra's eat other kinds of snails though, I have only had to deal with ramshorns to date.

 

+1 with what @Zoom said.

Another method will be getting a container punch some holes in it big enough for the snails to fit through on the sides. Add some algae waffers or other catfish food in the container. Add some rocks or sinkers in the tub/container to sink to the bottom. Before lights out place the container in the tank, in the morning before lights on remove container with snails inside.

I did this with great success, it doesn't elliminate all snails but it keeps the population to a minimum.

 

Hi, I don't mind the snails too much until they get out of hand. When I do a water change, I take out the ornaments and spray them down with a shower head. 10s of snails flush out. Also put a piece of cucumber in the bottom of the tank overnight under a saucer and throw out all the snails with it in the morning. But the most effective is to wipe away the eggs from above the waterline as often as you can. Then they stay in manageable numbers.
I like a few to keep the tank clean, so don't obsess about eradicating all of them. Just keep their numbers down.

 

Thank you all for your comments an oppinion

 

If you're running Co2, remove all your fish from the tank, when all the fish are out, increase the co2 in the tank and gas them.

Otherwise, leave them be. They make for good algae and waste eaters.

 

Sounds like a plan I will just gas them lol!!!

 

What about the aerobic bacteria in the filter, will they survive the CO2 overdose?

 

We were just joking around I am not going to really gas them.

 

Oops sorry, thought Sean J was serious.

 

I was being serious... LOL! I have done it once by accident. Unfortunately I killed all the fish in the tank as well. While it is a way to get rid of the snails in the tank, it may also kill the filter bacteria. But it is an option. If you use a good bacteria suppliment after doing this, you shouldn't have a problem.

But, in all honesty, snails used to bug me, but they don't anymore.

 

Also, the Co2 will not kill any of the snails eggs that are present in the tank. So they will just come back.

 

I also reckon if it is a heavy infestation, all those dead snails are gonna make a heavy ammonia spike (unless you remove all the dead ones by hand of course).

 

Get yourself a Puffer or 2. My community tank supplies more than enough snails for mine at the moment:eating:

 

i got a few yoyo loaches and they keep my tan k snail free. I also had an out break a few months back and havnt seen one since good luck!

 

I wish my yoyo loach wants to eat my snails, I take out around 50 snails every 2 weeks with a water change. I just remember when my father had a tank 25 years ago he used a piece of lettuce to get rid of them. Placed a new piece in every day for some reason they go for the lettuce. I will try it and let you guys know.