A couple of people have suggested a pinned thread on this subject, so I thought I'd give it a go - feel free to comment, perhaps when it's done it could be added to the FAQs section, or Beginners Resource Centre?
Anyway
Pest snails usually arrive in the aquarium via a new plant. They don't actually do any harm, although they're not particularly nice to look at. Some people argue that they're beneficial in the aquarium, as they are an alarm call that the tank is being overfed. Certainly, when a tank is overrum with pest snails, 99% of the time, the cause is overfeeding.
So how do you get rid of pest snails?
1. Don't feed so much food to your fish
Without the food source, most of the snails will die off - you simply pick out what you do see, and as stated above, any that remain will multiply again if you fall back into overfeeding. In any case, it's not good to feed your fish too much. Their stomachs are about as big as their eyes, which gives you some idea of the amount you need to be feeding anyway.
2. The Squishy Method
Pick out the snails, squish the shell in your fingers, and drop the fleshy body of the snail into your tank, where it makes a delicious treat for the fish. If you squish enough in one go, that could easily be their meal for the day. Again, it may not get rid of all the snails, but they will multiply if you start overfeeding - alerting you to the error of your ways.
3. The Lettuce Method
This basically entails popping a lettuce leaf in the tank overnight. In the morning, lots of snails will have decided that the lettuce is breakfast, and will have made their way onto the leaf. Take the leaf out, and dispose of the snails. A point to note is that if you decide to bin the snails whilst still alive, pop them into a sandwich bag, and seal it, or you may find them crawling out of the bin. Alternatively, keep them to one side, and at feeding time, employ the Squishy Method, and the fish get a free meal.
4. Additional Fish
A number of fish, including various species of Puffer, as well as Clown Loaches, and others, are renowned for eating snails. The danger is whether your tank is suitable for the additional fish. For instance, Clown Loaches need to be in a group of at least 6, and grow VERY long. Does your tank have the capacity for that extra bioload? If so, and you like the look of Clown Loaches, then fair enough. The chances are, though, that your tank was already well stocked when you noticed the snails - adding another fish into an unsuitable environment (in terms of numbers, space and filtration capacity) isn't recommended.
5. Assassin Snails
These snails primarily feed on other snails. Ideal, one would have thought, for getting rid of pest snails. But they too will breed, albeit not so quickly as the pest snails, but the danger is that your tank could become overrun with Assassins. Further, they only eat the snail body, not the shell, so your substrate will be littered with empty snail shells, which need to be picked out. On the plus side, they don't add to the bioload on the filter, and have some resale value. Once they've eliminated the pests, they will happily feed on normal fish foods. Again, the advice is only get these if you are happy seeing them inside your tank.
6. Chemicals
A number of manufacturers offer chemical snail cures. Of those that I have investigated, they are based around copper, a heavy metal, which in large concentrations, could be harmful to the fish. Obviously, the instructions tell you to dose at a level that won't cause harm. The downsides to chemical additives are that they don't kill the snails, they merely stun them, allowing you to pick them out of the tank - well you could do that without the chemical. The other major drawback is that if you have any other invertebrates (other snails, shrimps, etc), the copper will damage them too.
7. Snail Traps
A gizmo which goes in your tank, and attracts the snails in, such that they can't escape. You then pick out the snails and dispose of them safely. Place the gizmo back in the tank to get the next batch.
Many people recommend thoroughly washing plants to get rid of any hitchhiker snails, or their eggs, prior to planting them in the aquarium, and you will (hopefully) avoid having to read all the above.
Any comments, please feel free.
Anyway
Pest snails usually arrive in the aquarium via a new plant. They don't actually do any harm, although they're not particularly nice to look at. Some people argue that they're beneficial in the aquarium, as they are an alarm call that the tank is being overfed. Certainly, when a tank is overrum with pest snails, 99% of the time, the cause is overfeeding.
So how do you get rid of pest snails?
1. Don't feed so much food to your fish
Without the food source, most of the snails will die off - you simply pick out what you do see, and as stated above, any that remain will multiply again if you fall back into overfeeding. In any case, it's not good to feed your fish too much. Their stomachs are about as big as their eyes, which gives you some idea of the amount you need to be feeding anyway.
2. The Squishy Method
Pick out the snails, squish the shell in your fingers, and drop the fleshy body of the snail into your tank, where it makes a delicious treat for the fish. If you squish enough in one go, that could easily be their meal for the day. Again, it may not get rid of all the snails, but they will multiply if you start overfeeding - alerting you to the error of your ways.
3. The Lettuce Method
This basically entails popping a lettuce leaf in the tank overnight. In the morning, lots of snails will have decided that the lettuce is breakfast, and will have made their way onto the leaf. Take the leaf out, and dispose of the snails. A point to note is that if you decide to bin the snails whilst still alive, pop them into a sandwich bag, and seal it, or you may find them crawling out of the bin. Alternatively, keep them to one side, and at feeding time, employ the Squishy Method, and the fish get a free meal.
4. Additional Fish
A number of fish, including various species of Puffer, as well as Clown Loaches, and others, are renowned for eating snails. The danger is whether your tank is suitable for the additional fish. For instance, Clown Loaches need to be in a group of at least 6, and grow VERY long. Does your tank have the capacity for that extra bioload? If so, and you like the look of Clown Loaches, then fair enough. The chances are, though, that your tank was already well stocked when you noticed the snails - adding another fish into an unsuitable environment (in terms of numbers, space and filtration capacity) isn't recommended.
5. Assassin Snails
These snails primarily feed on other snails. Ideal, one would have thought, for getting rid of pest snails. But they too will breed, albeit not so quickly as the pest snails, but the danger is that your tank could become overrun with Assassins. Further, they only eat the snail body, not the shell, so your substrate will be littered with empty snail shells, which need to be picked out. On the plus side, they don't add to the bioload on the filter, and have some resale value. Once they've eliminated the pests, they will happily feed on normal fish foods. Again, the advice is only get these if you are happy seeing them inside your tank.
6. Chemicals
A number of manufacturers offer chemical snail cures. Of those that I have investigated, they are based around copper, a heavy metal, which in large concentrations, could be harmful to the fish. Obviously, the instructions tell you to dose at a level that won't cause harm. The downsides to chemical additives are that they don't kill the snails, they merely stun them, allowing you to pick them out of the tank - well you could do that without the chemical. The other major drawback is that if you have any other invertebrates (other snails, shrimps, etc), the copper will damage them too.
7. Snail Traps
A gizmo which goes in your tank, and attracts the snails in, such that they can't escape. You then pick out the snails and dispose of them safely. Place the gizmo back in the tank to get the next batch.
Many people recommend thoroughly washing plants to get rid of any hitchhiker snails, or their eggs, prior to planting them in the aquarium, and you will (hopefully) avoid having to read all the above.
Any comments, please feel free.
