How to deal with a snail infestation in a tank with newts?

[jack443]

sorry if this is in the wrong thread.

So I have searched countless threads and articles on this subject but cant seem to find a solution.

Basically I have a cold water tank with two fire belly newts and too many snails to count, it all started when I purchased a new tank and planted live plants (quite a few plants) as well as created a ledge and so on with expanding foam as well as planted moss and "grass", so emptying the tank and giving it a good clean is not really an option.

I've read about assassin snails but I cant seem to find any that can live happily in cold water and I don't want to buy one if it's going to die an unfortunate death.

Manually going through the tank and getting the snails out is an option i'm considering but I thought i'd just check on here if anyone knows of a certain snails that can co exist with newts in cold water, I've read that fish don't do so well sharing water with newts..

Thank you

 

[Colin_T]

Depending on what type of snails. Most snails you can pick out manually. You can put a bit of food (like an algae wafer) in the tank and the snails gather on that. Then scoop them out and remove food.

If they are Malaysian Livebearing snails that live in the substrate, pull the tank apart and boil or bake the substrate, and wash everything else thoroughly to remove the snails.

You can use copper but have to remove the newts first, and then you have to wash the tank and substrate after using copper or you kill the newts. Copper does not work well on Malaysian livebearers because they simply close their operculum and wait it out.

 

[stanleo]

Snails are unsightly but I made my peace with them. I have so many Malaysian snails that at feeding time they almost cover the glass though since upgrading the snails haven’t exploded to that point yet. I have about 30 assasins and they don’t make a dent. Assasins in my experience are only good for pest pond snails but they are pretty and I like them. Snails are apart of a healthy tank and eat leftover food and animal and plant waste. If you over feed the tank they will over run the tank. You could try a homemade snail trap if you really want to get rid of them. Small plastic cup with a lid and holes drilled in so the snails go in at night. Put a bit of zucchini in it and in the morning just throw away the snails. Don’t flush them, they can infect your natural water systems. Or just put zucchini in the tank at night and in the morning pull it out and throw it and the snails that are in it away. I wouldn’t do anything beyond that. Don’t use copper. It’s hard to remove and if you ever want to get some kind of invertebrate you won’t be able to because copper is lethal to all inverts.

 

[NickAu]

 

[Toney]

Feed a lot less food, they can only increase with a food supply

My Africans love snails, I use a net to scrape them up to the top and a toothbrush to get them off the glass into the net. They don't make it to the bottom dumping them in with the africans

 

[jerryg]

Snails are unsightly but I made my peace with them. I have so many Malaysian snails that at feeding time they almost cover the glass though since upgrading the snails haven’t exploded to that point yet. I have about 30 assasins and they don’t make a dent. Assasins in my experience are only good for pest pond snails but they are pretty and I like them. Snails are apart of a healthy tank and eat leftover food and animal and plant waste. If you over feed the tank they will over run the tank. You could try a homemade snail trap if you really want to get rid of them. Small plastic cup with a lid and holes drilled in so the snails go in at night. Put a bit of zucchini in it and in the morning just throw away the snails. Don’t flush them, they can infect your natural water systems. Or just put zucchini in the tank at night and in the morning pull it out and throw it and the snails that are in it away. I wouldn’t do anything beyond that. Don’t use copper. It’s hard to remove and if you ever want to get some kind of invertebrate you won’t be able to because copper is lethal to all inverts.

I have used a 16oz water bottle, just take a razor knife and cut it where it starts tapering into the neck .then put a bit of lettuce in the bottom then invert the neck and sink it in the tank.