Snails!

[ChrissyBoy]

Well, it started about a week ago; I noticed a snail on the glass of my tank.

Then, the other morning; I switched the light on and there were loads of tiny white baby snails stuck to the glass. When I say loads I mean loooaaads.

Anyone know how I can get rid?

Also, I haven't put anything new in my fish tank for about 2 or 3 months and have never noticed any snails before. Where they hell have they sprung up from?

Cheers

 

[daleboy]

The best ways are to put lettuce in your tank overnight then in the morning remove it and it should be covered in the snails.
The other way that worked for me is to buy some assassin snails as they eat the pest snails in your tank.
Usually when you have a sudden explosion in the snail population its down to overfeeding the fish resulting in excess food in the tank.
Do you have live plants?

 

[davidov]

Buy Botia macracanthus.

It eats a lot of snails.

 

[Robj]

I had a fair few snails after putting some plants in. Last weekend I introduced some zebra loaches....no more snails.

 

[fluttermoth]

Buy Botia macracanthus.

It eats a lot of snails.

It also grows to foot long and needs to be in a shoal of 6+...


Catching the snails with veg (carrot is most attractive to them, apparently!) and reducing feeding is the best method of controlling so-called 'pest' snails, although assasins are great, if you like them.

 

[Dutsey]

i am also having this problem. i have brought a couple of assasins but not made much difference. how many should i buy?

 

[Louiseness]

You can also just squish the tiny snails with your fingers or a spoon or whatever - I find that once the shells are broken the fish will eat them anyway.

 

[alexbinge]

I just got a second hand tank that had literaly hundreds of snails and i have now got rid off them. In my opinion the best way is to take all your fish out the tank (this only is for a short period of time) then remove the water and replace it with verry hot water. This kills all of the snails and most off them will float. Remove all the snails and then the water and set your tank back up . Dont worry if you do not get them all out they will decompose and the fish will eat them.

 

[ChrissyBoy]

Cheers guys, think I'm going to do the lettuce/carrot thing and buy a shoal clown loaches. I've got a big old tank so they'll be alright to grow as big as they want.

I wanted some of them anyway.

 

[fluttermoth]

A 220l isn't big enough for clown loach (it's not big enough for your gibbis either...)

 

[thisguyek]

Cheers guys, think I'm going to do the lettuce/carrot thing and buy a shoal clown loaches. I've got a big old tank so they'll be alright to grow as big as they want.

I wanted some of them anyway.

Clown loaches can grow quite big... don't know if id recommend a shoal of them in your tank. may be a bit crowded..

I would say go the veggie route. Keep at it for a while and and youll get them in check. and besides... its not like the snails are hurting anything. granted it looks ridiculous if you have hundreds of them... but think of it as a complimentary tank cleaning in the meanwhile!

 

[StandbySetting]

Just leave them be, they're your best friends no enemies, just ensure that you don't over feed and food doesn't go uneaten, also don't leave decaying plants or detritus in the tank for them to feed on and they'll be fine.

I wouldn't ever recommend adding a fish for the sole purpose of eradicating snails.

 

[micko]

Snails are not doing your tank any harm. What they're actually doing is cleaning your tank. It would sound like your over feeding, if you remove the snails or squash them like someone else suggested then your actually doing more harm.
Work out why the explosion of snails has come about first or there could be more problems.