# How to get rid of snails



## dom418 (Nov 27, 2002)

It seems like overnight my tank has been infested with hundreds of tiny snails. Is there any way to trap these guys and are they harmful to my tank's inhabitants? thanks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

To get rid of the ones you have: Clean them out of your filters. In the tank, bait them with lettuce every night and remove lettuce and snails every morning. It will take about a month with daily baiting.

To prevent new batches: Keep nitrates under 20ppm. Underfeed your fish. Vacuum the substrate very very well multiple times. Snails reproduce when there is excess food and they consider substrate detrius food. Eliminate it. Clean snails out of the filters often. Scrape glass and surfaces thoroughly during water changes, including above the waterline and under the lip of the tank to remove egg masses. Soak any removable decor (no shortcuts, everything removable including all rocks) in a bucket containing hydrogen peroxide solution to kill eggs during water changes.

This may not eliminate them 100% but you will be down to a few individuals. Don't let them grow large enough to reproduce and you may eliminate them 100% eventually.

They won't hurt your fish. My infestation did damage and kill some of my plants however.


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## Addesyn (Jul 1, 2009)

There are also fish that eat snails. Certain types of loaches... but if you get some research whatever kind you want first as some types (such a the clown loach) can get to be a massive size.


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## bigcatsrus (Apr 15, 2009)

I have this problem and certainly cleaning the gravel is a must and any removeable items in the tank. I have 3 clown loaches who I must say are excellent snail eaters. In the tank for a day and I can't see any snails on my glass. This won't entirely sort the problem out. HTH


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

My yellow labs eat snails. I'd still do the removal tasks and let the fish clean up any survivors. And the fish can't get the ones in the filters and under the rocks, LOL.


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## BlueMermaid (Jul 26, 2009)

How big do clown loaches get? Would they get along with Buffalo Head Cichlids? I'm haveing this problem in my 10 gal and hoping it won't transfer to me 35.. :\


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

From www.loaches.com: Maximum size: 16 inches

They like to be in groups of 6 or more.


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## BlueMermaid (Jul 26, 2009)

Thanks! AH THAT'S HUGE! I'll have to try something else!


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## fishman13 (Jul 27, 2009)

I would get some clown loaches or if there is a stream near by go ahead and put them in their.javascript:emoticon(':fish:')


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)




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## ladybugzcrunch (Jul 26, 2009)

fishman13 said:


> I would get some clown loaches or if there is a stream near by go ahead and put them in their.javascript:emoticon(':fish:')


Are you freaking kidding!!!!!!!! Never ever release aquarium fish into the wild!!!!! This can cause an environmental disaster (e.g. burmese pythons in the everglades, malaleuca trees all up and down the east coast, zebra muscles in the great lakes). Sheesh fishman13, think before you post and for god sakes act!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Or snails!


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## fishman13 (Jul 27, 2009)

No ladybugzcrunch I'm saying put the snails in the stream.


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## Lancerlot (Feb 22, 2006)

Buy 3 assasin snails. They will kill off all the other snails. And once they are gone. the assasin snails will eventually die.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Same thing fishman13. Never release any plant or animal into the wild. Have you every heard of HR 669? They recently tried to ban import of any living thing not native to US to prevent people doing just what you are suggesting.

However, in the process, no more cichlids for fishkeepers...or any other kind of fish or pet for that matter.


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## rwolff (Mar 13, 2007)

what kind of snail is this?
i have a 'infestation' of some small snail-like creature, its shell looks kind of a hat...??makes sense? pointy and round and pyramid..ish. they r so small i dont even bother.

and i used to have a real snail infestation, i would just everyday look around the tank and whatever i see i squash. it helps. within a month..no traces left.


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## leopartner123 (Jun 29, 2009)

I heard a little bit of salt in your water change


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## Cento (Mar 30, 2005)

what about ninja snails? just as effective as assassin snails? ha! Yeah, I've heard a lot of bad stuff about snails.. I once thought about snails for my aquarium, but after hearing stories of infestations like these, I decided to stick with good ol' cats....

I read somewhere though that snail eggs weren't able to hatch unless in brackish or salt water? Maybe that was a marine book I was reading..


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

That's only nerites that need brackish water to reproduce. The "infesting" ones are often ramshorns, pond snails or malaysian trumpet snails.


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