Best snail control

[Offwego]

Hi all
whats the best fish I can get for snail control in a 5 ft tank please
something that my large angels and parrot fish won’t bother

many thanks in advance

 

[Colin_T]

finger 🖐

go squishy squishy = no more snails

 

[Offwego]

Yes I do regularly but wanted an easier way

 

[WhistlingBadger]

My solution is to make peace with snails. They are actually good to have in your tanks. That said, depending on what kind of pest snails you have, assassin snails can be quite effective. The assassins and trumpet snails in my Sumatra tank seem to have reached some sort of balance, which is nice.

 

[sharkweek178]

My solution is to make peace with snails. They are actually good to have in your tanks. That said, depending on what kind of pest snails you have, assassin snails can be quite effective. The assassins and trumpet snails in my Sumatra tank seem to have reached some sort of balance, which is nice.

how big is your tank and how many assassin snails do you have?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

how big is your tank and how many assassin snails do you have?

It's a 12 gallon, about 36" long. I put in three assassins. Not sure how many there are now. More than three.

 

[Lynnzer]

If they are snails on rails, ie the common bladder snail that moves like it has been turbocharged, you have one hell of a job getting rid of them. Squashing and denial of food along with assassin snails was my way to control them.
I tried pea puffers but they also nipped the fish and took chunks out of them.

 

[sharkweek178]

It's a 12 gallon, about 36" long. I put in three assassins. Not sure how many there are now. More than three.

I'm thinking about adding MTS to my new tank. I was also thinking of adding a couple of assassin snails as population control for them (besides not overfeeding and controlling algae).

 

[Slaphppy7]

It's a 12 gallon, about 36" long. I put in three assassins. Not sure how many there are now. More than three.

Surely that tank volume is a typo, lol....

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Surely that tank volume is a typo, lol....

No, it's a custom tank, 36 x 10 x 10". Comes out right around 10-12 g.

 

[Slaphppy7]

No, it's a custom tank, 36 x 10 x 10". Comes out right around 10-12 g.

Oh, that's right, forgot you had that one made ..... don't remember if I've ever seen a pic of it (?)

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Oh, that's right, forgot you had that one made ..... don't remember if I've ever seen a pic of it (?)

I built it myself--had the glass cut at the local shop. Much easier than I expected. Here's a vid.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I built it myself--had the glass cut at the local shop. Much easier than I expected. Here's a vid.

Now I remember...thanks for the link

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Someone, somewhere, will recommend getting a botiid loach for snail control. I just want to get in there first and say please don't! It was often done for years, to add one or two clown or yoyo loaches as snail control. But they're a social fish that have a very firm hierarchy and need a group of five at a minimum. You could likely do a group of yoyos in a five foot (clowns would need an upgrade eventually, but please don't get them unless you really like and want them!
They also won't always bother the snails! Especially the tiny pest snails. The loaches reach a size where they won't bother the tiny ones. Our yoyos wiped out the apple/mystery snails, but didn't touch the pest ramshorms, so they don't always help either.

What kind of snails are you being over-run with? I have a few different snail control methods depending on the species.

 

[Byron]

Adding to AdoraBelle's pertinent advice...loaches do not make good tankmates for angelfish. None of the fish I know eat (maybe) snails would, frankly. Sometimes the aquarist has to take responsibility for this or that. And on that note...it is you feeding the fish that allow the snails to reproduce because they have food. You may be feeding too much. Snails will only reproduce if they have food. Ther are many types of organic matter in an aquarium, providing food for snails. Remove some of this yourself, and the snails will not have as much to eat.