Removing Pest Snails From Tank W/out Chemicals

[CalebReich]

I've been getting asked about how to remove pest snails lately and the different remedies that I've found to work. Pest snails can piggyback on plants, rocks, wood, decor etc. and every enthusiast is about to experience this atleast once in their lifetime. As some of you know, 2 years ago I had a 50g tank which quickly became overcome by pest snails. This ultimately resulted in the tank being shut down and I actually left the hobby for a whole year after. Anyways, a year goes by before I start my tank up again and soon after experimenting with live plants, my tank was soon over run with these pesky bastards again. I wasn't going to give in this time and decided to fight back. Trying every trick in the book without resorting to chemicals. I am glad to say that I am currently staring into my tank, and I can only see half a dozen of them. Which is minuscule compared to what seemed like thousands!

First I upgraded my defense by adding assassin snails and loaches. I found the assassins only made any difference when having 6-8 at a time. Yoyo and Clown Loaches will eat the snail eggs stoping the life cycle. These options are good to maintain a low snail count, but are not really effective in resolving a snail problem.

DO NOT OVERFEED! Snails will eat every scrap that is left over. I went 3-4 days without feeding anything. My fish were completely fine, and I noticed the snail population decrease slightly.

During the time of no food, I added a lettuce trap - which is recommended on several websites. This attracts the snails near the trap so you can manually remove them. Slow, slightly ineffective and not worth while.

I then resorted to leaving 2 copper pennies in my tank (must be before 1960 and made of 100% copper). By the next morning (12hrs later), my snail count was down ATLEAST 50%. I left both in for another day, then took one out, leaving the last penny in for a total of 5 days. Although this affected all of my invertebrates, it consistently killed the snails leaving a war zone of shells which needed to be syphoned up. Now I mind myself routinely picking them out when I see them (once or twice a week).

Having a snail problem can completely ruin your aquatic experience, but you do not have to tear your tank down or resort to chemical methods!

Any other experiences or remedies are welcomed..

Caleb

[Nandopsis]

I moved this topic here because it definitely did not belong in the livestock section of the buy and sell.

[CalebReich]

Thank you. Still getting used to posting on my phone.

[Quetzalcoatl]

My chocolate cichlids love to eat them. I just hear the crunching sound of their shells. Their tank is 100% free of snails. My other tanks have colonies going because I don't mind them and I can always use them as feeders.

I personally think snails are part of a healthy balanced tank. I don't think they look ugly. They have a role to play, as you said, feeding on extra food, algae, dead plants and even dead fish.

[ckmullin]

grab a puffer or two...they will definitely help! aside from that put some veggies down, let them gather in the dark then do a surprise sneek attack. works also quite well lol

[jewels]

DO NOT OVERFEED!

That sums 'r up, right there.

I have also found no snail can survive in a CO²enriched aquarium.

[Okotoks]

I enjoy having about 10 in my 33 gallon planted/shrimp tank. I have 2 assassins in there and use the lettuce trap from time to time if they get out of hand.

[kevie88]

Yoyo loaches demolished the snails in my aquarium! They did a great job.