what is the best way to get get rid of snails in my aquarium?

Question

They have just multiplied !

Answer 1

There are several treatments available on the market, but I wouldn't suggest you use any of them. Most are rather tough on your fish and especially tough on your plants.

I would suggest you use a more natural approach. Use a small plastic container with a snap top lid. Poke several holes all around the container that are big enough for the snails but too small for the fish in your tank. Add a piece of lettuce and a handful of gravel from your tank. Place this in the tank over night. In the morning you can remove the container and you will be amazed how many snails you will remove. Do this several times in a row and you will really cut down the numbers in the tank. Then just do it once a week or so to keep them under control.

There are fish that eat them well such as the yoyo loach mentioned above or a clown loach. Both are well known for eating snails.

MM

Answer 2

I had the same problem they literally multiplied overnight!

These little cone snails come to the surface when the light is off, it is best then to turn the light on and pick them out before they dig themselves backdown. It will take a few goes but you will get rid of them. They have probably been transported on plant as eggs.

I would not advise getting Clown Loach to eat them, it does not work. I did this, within a week the Loach infected my tank with Whitespot (the Loach are highly susceptible to Whitespot especially when moved to a new tank), and they didn't even eat the snails, they promptly died. It was a tough strain and it took approx 2 months to cure the other fish. I have lost 5 fish because of those loach.

The snails were not really a problem they just looked unsightly. Just pick them out, and flush them down the loo!

Answer 3

You know what Amanda a few months back i had the same problem as you have with snails multiplying! they are so annoying, i started getting them out one by one with a small cup and as you can imagine it took me hours. And then someone suggested buying a clown loach as they eat them, so i did buy one and yes he started to eat them, and now I'm very fond of my clown loach he keeps himself to himself, he don't bother anyone in my tank and i have a few different variety fish like - mollies, guppies, red tail black shark, sword-tails, Siamese fighter 2 plecs and one catfish .so I'm pretty sure clown loaches are ok to go in any community fish tank set up. If you were thinking of buying one, just ask at your fish shop that the fish you already have will be ok with a clown loach. I still see the odd one or two snails but compared to a whole tank full it's so much more better. good luck with what ever you decide to do to get rid of those pests. hope this helped. =) x

Answer 4

I am having the same problem and have tried a snail clear product which hasn't worked .I have been picking out snails everyday and am now going to give magicmans remedy a try it sounds good.Mine came into the tank with live plants which I won't be having again.

Answer 5

Try getting a "yo-yo loach" or 2. They love eating snails. Had the same problem in a small 29 gallon tank. I got a couple yo yo loaches and they took care of the problem. It's also a non-chemical solution.

Your aquarium store may call them a Botia lohachata. It's called a yo yo loach becuase of its markings. You can see the word yo yo on its side. Check out photos from the link below.

Answer 6

Many kinds of loach will enjoy your snails. Also the dwarf puffer will eat them right up.

While loaches are peaceful fish, dwarf puffers can be highly aggressive to other fish.

Answer 7

Is it a fresh water tank? We've put a dwarf puffer fish in our tank, and the snails don't last five minutes with him in there!

Answer 8

use a snail killer formula or get a snail eating fish

Answer 9

take some green leaf vegetation [when its wrinkled] put it in a gar that when the snails are in it take it out. you my need to do this a few times

Answer 10

use algae killers. Any type of algae killer will also kill crustaceans. I would not get a pleco because they can grow to be two feet long then you will have another problem.