small snail invasion! where did they come from??

Question

I have hundreds of snails in my fish tank, its a tropical fish tank but i dont get plants for them... WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?!?!?!? i havent cleaned to tank in about a month and i dont know how they got there but i do know how to get rid of them. I would like to know how they got there so i can prevent them from inviding again
thank you

Answer 1

If you don't have plants in the tank, it most likely came in with your fish - but probably not attached to them.

I've worked in pet stores and know how difficult some fish are to catch in a net. Sometimes in trying to catch fish, the employee gets a little gravel in the net as well, and all of this gets put into your bag with the fish. The snail may have been an egg on the side of the tank or on the gravel if it's an apple or pond snail type (http://dataguru.org/misc/aquarium/SnailHitchin040401.jpg , http://www.drpez.org/albums/Physa-marmorata/Physa_marmorata.highlight.jpg , http://www.peatlandsni.gov.uk/images/wildlife/aquainverts/ramsnail.jpg ) , but if it looks like a long cone (http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Bug_S98.jpg ), it's a Malaysian trumpet snail - these only get about 3/4 inch long and stay in the gravel during the day and come out at night. Because they hide when you're awake and come out when you don't see them, it can take months before you notice they are even in the tank. And with these, all it takes is one snail, because they can self fertilize.

I actually like the trumpet snails and keep a few in my tanks to keep the gravel aerated and to help clean the gravel in planted tanks so I don't have to worry about damaging roots with my gravel vac.

Answer 2

They come in with the fish and plants and breed VERY quickly.

To get rid of them:
Get some Romaine lettuce. Weight down a leaf or 2 on the bottom of the tank. (the fish will nibble, it's no big deal)
Wait 30 minutes for the snails to climb on, and put the whole leaf (now covered in snails) into the garbage disposal. If you don't have a disposal, kill them with salt before putting them in the trash. You don't want to let them into your local eco-system.

Do this until you can't see any more snails. Then do it every day for a week, then treat once a week for a month, just to be sure you got all of them and any invisible babies they may have had.

There are chemicals you can buy, but I don't like them. All those snails dying in the tank let off toxins that aren't good for the aquarium. This way (with the lettuce) there is nothing toxic. And the fish like the "treat".

Answer 3

If you have live plants they probably came from them. Or they came from the pet store where you bought your fish.

One suggested romaine lettuce. That works. Be sure and do it at night as snails are nocturnal and are most active after the lights go out.
Another method you can try is putting a vacation feeder in a cup with a lid. Put a very small hole in the top of the lid. Same method as the lettuce. The snails will be attracted to it and you can remove them in the morning.
Wipe down the sides of your aquarium daily. You can get alot of the snail eggs out that way.
Another thing you can do if you are heavily infested is to get new gravel. It's probably the easiest, quickest way to get rid of them.
I don't recommend the snail killer chemicals as they can harm your other fish.

Answer 4

Usually the snails come from the plants but because you dont have any, the snail eggs could have been attached to the fish you bought. If you bought the fish at some type of pet store, that tank will have plants for sure and that is where they could have come from.

Answer 5

Since you say you have no live plants, then they most likely arrived via a newly acquired fish. The eggs may have been attached to some part of the new fish when it was introduced to your tank. Now if you have no new fish, then I am stumped! Good luck!

Answer 6

if you have live plants, chances are, if you did not wash them really well, they came with the plant. some leaves also have snail eggs on them. they have to be washed before putting them in the tank. i found 1 snail in my tank and almost had a fit, i better not see another one. yuk. they can cause problems. you can get something from petsmart to get rid of them. some people put copper pennies in the tank, but they would have to be extremely clean.

read this
http://www.firsttankguide.net/pestsnails.php

Answer 7

Yeah, my chum has experienced an identical element together with her stay plant life. it may desire to be that the snail grow to be 'pregnant' while it got here on your place. i'm not sure what number snails the tank can help (they devour algae), yet i will allow you to comprehend that they breed very immediately, so protecting a pair won't be the terrific theory. interior the interior sight puppy shop, they positioned a great goldfish in snail-infested tanks. as quickly as I asked, they defined that goldfish will devour something that suits of their mouths, and that they sparkling the tanks up incredibly right. So, you'll be able to desire to grant them to somebody with a great goldfish. of direction, i'm consistently searching for the suitable excuse to get a clean tank -- this may be it. in case you needed to do somewhat salty or brackish water, there are puffer fish who devour snails besides . . . stable success!

Answer 8

Mardel's coppersafe (used to treat ick) will kill them off. Be careful when using it, it can be harmful to live plants and scaleless fish.

Depending on the type of fish you have, you could also add aquarium salt to the tank.

Answer 9

LOL. since you already have them sell them. lots of people would love to have a snail or the slime that they produce to renew skin.lol. really im laughing becuse all the slime you must have in your acuarium. One suggestion clean you tank every 2 weeks!

Answer 10

I have trouble with them but I have live plants, I usually just crush them on the galss, my angles love them, after they are crushed. I know gross, but it keeps them under control and my fish are happy with this.