Snail Overrun! Help!

[Kerri Gronow]

ok so i got some plants about two months ago and about one month ago one snail appeared and now there is loads!! i got my filter out to clean it today and its covered in loads of blobs of eggs aswell as my large helicopter and plants is there any thing i can buy that will get rid of them because it is virtually impossible to fish out all snails and eggs!!! thanks in advance!!

 

[electropunk06]

Hi overfeeding is the main cause of snails so if you cut down on feeding a little that should sort it out. One way ive heard of getting them out the tank is to put a lettuce leaf in the tank, leave it in there for an hour or 2 and take it out lots of snails should be stuck to it. A few snails is not an issue they cause not problems other than aesthetics.

 

[Kerri Gronow]

ok i dont mind them but with the amount of eggs i will defo be overrun lol i was looking on the internet and there is some stuff you can get medication that you put on the plants to get rid of the eggs so will have to get some tomorrow lol thank you

 

[micko]

Noooo, don't do that.
What you'll then have is loads of dead, rotting snails and rotting food too. The snails at present are your best friends. They're feeding on the left over food that your over feeding.

Reduce food now and when you see them you can get them out by hand. You may never be totally free from them this way but at least you can keep on top of them.

As I said, get a potion to kill them and they'll all decay along with the rotting food and send your water stats sky high.

 

[Fyurae]

I don't feel comfortable using chemicals to get rid of them. Here's my tips.

Siphon them out first thing in the morning. After the lights have been off, they will be out and about more. If they are just simple rams horns, its easy to vacuum them out, then just pour the water back in.

Take a piece of zucchini, lettuce, cucumber, and tie it onto your magnetic cleaner with some mono-filament (fishing line). Slide it down to the bottom at night, then first thing in the morning, draw it up and pull it out.

I've also found that some fish eat the babies as fast as they can hatch, which helps keep the population down a lot. My stickleback used to hoover them up, my gouramis eat them sometimes.

Mild beach baths will destroy eggs on plants and ornaments. If you suspect you have anything from a snail-y tank, I would recommend this. Just rinse thoroughly with tap water after (wont hurt the plant), and then give it a double dose of dechlorinator in a bucket for a while before putting it back in the tank.

 

[horseten]

http/www.fishfriend.com/articles/getting_rid_of_aquarium_snails.html this page show a bunch of was to kill them.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I recommend that you not add any chemical to your tank that isn't absolutely necessary. Chemicals can have a few side effects that are unexpected.



Just cut back your feeding by about 25-50% and then watch the population. If it gets too high, then add lettuce to attract and physically remove as necessary.

 

[bangerdemon]

ok so i got some plants about two months ago and about one month ago one snail appeared and now there is loads!! i got my filter out to clean it today and its covered in loads of blobs of eggs aswell as my large helicopter and plants is there any thing i can buy that will get rid of them because it is virtually impossible to fish out all snails and eggs!!! thanks in advance!!

Send them to me - my loaches would love them!!!

Or get yourself some clown loaches!!!

Alan

 

[Delloy12]

Alan, your clown loaches and my Bengal loaches will have a feast

I had 100's of snails and as soon I bought those loaches they were gone in a few days and this is a natural way to do it

 

[Mark Z.]

In my tank, the snails lay their eggs just above the water line. (I have some kind of small brown snail) If I lower the water level for a while, the snails lay their eggs and then I raise the water level and the fish are able to deat the eggs. No more new snails and the fish get a treat.

 

[micko]

Please do not suggest to people to combat a snail explosion by buying fish to do the work for you.
Especially clown loaches. They grow far too big for the average aquarium and need a minimum of 6. They also have a life span of over 20 years so that's a huge commitment for anyone to take on.

 

[Kerri Gronow]

ok thanks for your replies i am gonna pick most of them out and leave the eggs in my fish dont eat them lol and them pick them out when i see them... prob the kindest method lol i wish my fish would eat them though lol thanks again

 

[the_lock_man]

As others have said, the problem is caused by overfeeding, so just cut back on that, and they'll subside.

Another potential solution is assassin snails - one or two of these will control your pest snails in a natural way, and are much nicer to look at.