Snails :(

[xCowlesy]

I have snails
Well ive only found two at the moment but i pretty much only recently added real plants to my aquarium and i feel as though i have done something wrong because i dont overfeed my fish which i know is a main factor to getting snails.
But how do i get rid of them??

 

[abbiebrown]

Their a pain in the bum! get some assassin snails, they will sort them out, look pretty too!

 

[xCowlesy]

Their a pain in the bum! get some assassin snails, they will sort them out, look pretty too!

Ive never heard of those haha!!
I will have to invest in some.
do any LFS sell them?

they look scary! haha

 

[Primous]

I'm going to start a journal on my quest to get rid of these things soon. If they are small, the assassin snail wont be able to eat them...

 

[KittyKat]

Not overfeeding will only prevent the snail population from exploding (in most cases). Why do you want to get rid of the snails?

 

[abbiebrown]

your lfc should have them if not try ebay.... failing that squish them! the fish will soon hoover them up..

 

[xCowlesy]

I want to get rid of the snails because they are a pain and make the tank (in my opinion) look poorly looked after, because i feel getting loads of little snails in your tank makes it look likes its poorly managed which doesnt look like the fish are happy.
I hate them, thats why i wasnt planning on getting real plants in the first place.
I think im going to get rid of the real plants and stick to my plastic ones, much safer

 

[Qwatch]

I put a peice of cucumber in the tank to get rid of mine, they soon swarm all over it! after half hour I pick it back out the tank and get 40+ at a time!

 

[xCowlesy]

I put a peice of cucumber in the tank to get rid of mine, they soon swarm all over it! after half hour I pick it back out the tank and get 40+ at a time!

wow! i hope i dont have that many! im not a big fan of snails as it is!!

 

[KittyKat]

I want to get rid of the snails because they are a pain and make the tank (in my opinion) look poorly looked after, because i feel getting loads of little snails in your tank makes it look likes its poorly managed which doesnt look like the fish are happy.
I hate them, thats why i wasnt planning on getting real plants in the first place.
I think im going to get rid of the real plants and stick to my plastic ones, much safer

You do realise that removing the plants will not remove the snails, right? And that in the wild, everything is not sterile? Also, live plants can manage ammonia in emergency a bit better than fake plants and will keep nitrate lower at all times, which doesn't really strike me as less safe…

The easiest way to get rid of a couple snails is to remove them as fast as possible by hand and remove any babies and eggs as and when you see them. Assassin snails will quickly starve to death without a steady food supply and apparently eat only 2-3 snails per week anyway, so not that great an option, while anti-snail "medications" can harm fish and other inverts too, so also not great. A food trap is the best option if one has a large amount of snails and wants to remove *some*.

 

[magpie]

If they're not exploding, don't worry about them. A few snails can help your tank by eating off some of the dead plant matter and algae and such. If you're not overfeeding, they shouldn't explode in population. If you're concerned, squash eggs when you see them. The cucumber / zucchini trick does work, too. Also, I've found that in very soft water like mine, they don't last long because their shells can't harden very well.

Live plants add so much benefit to your tank's ecosystem, and depending on the fish, they can really add to their happiness. Don't get rid of them!

I could loan you my Laetacara for a few weeks - they'll happily assassinate them for you.

 

[cynic]

I want to get rid of the snails because they are a pain and make the tank (in my opinion) look poorly looked after, because i feel getting loads of little snails in your tank makes it look likes its poorly managed which doesnt look like the fish are happy.
I hate them, thats why i wasnt planning on getting real plants in the first place.
I think im going to get rid of the real plants and stick to my plastic ones, much safer

Got to say i think your view is a little blinkered. Nothing in nature is perfect, our tanks are a snapshot of an enviroment that is incredibly complex. Snails are a valid part of said system, same as algae even problems like ich.

They are all part of having the tank, i like the couple of snails i have as well as the little (for now) algae. It shows life, TBH at its cruelest in the fish world. A completely sterile, 'picture' if you will in the tank seems to be missing the point for me. Fish are not like cats and dogs to be mollycodled. Their conditions need controling sympathetically and getting the balance is the art we all strive for. The very existance of a healthy tank creates an area all manner of life will want a piece of. Embrace it.

 

[xCowlesy]

Thankyou for all your answers, i will definatley have to keep the live plants, i must honestly say i had no idea they did so much for the tank, i just thought they upped the oxygen in the water (my friend told me).

A Laetacara, i so want one anyway!! I dont think i could promise that id give it you back if you let me borrow it

And yes, i understand that removing the plants wouldnt remove the snails, but i knew what i meant hehe.

Thanks again for your comments, much appretiated!

 

[KittyKat]

[…] i just thought they upped the oxygen in the water (my friend told me).

Actually, the amount of oxygen that plants supply is not significant in a tank with good surface movement (as far as I am aware, and the surface movement on its own should be enough for gas exchange) and they actually use up oxygen at night

 

[littlenemo]

i would defo advise assassins to get rid of the pest snails. i had loads in my planted tank so got some assassins they took care of them and they keep my tank nice and clean. and they look nicer than pest snails.