How to get rid of snails in an aquarium

Video: How Do I Get Rid of Snails in my Fish Tank?

Content

To step
Method 1 of 2: Remove snails from your tank
Method 2 of 2: Preventing a snail problem
Tips
Warnings

Snails are unwanted residents in an aquarium. Snails, or their eggs, can enter an aquarium through live plants, through aquarium decorations that have been transferred from one aquarium to another without being dried and cleaned, through the bag of water containing new fish or through a net that is used for multiple aquariums. It only takes one snail to start an entire population. These shellfish reproduce quickly and can quickly take over an aquarium. It takes a little time and effort to get rid of them, but getting a snail-free tank is well worth it.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Remove snails from your tank

Avoid overfeeding. Too much food can lead to a sudden snail explosion. Try not to overfeed the inhabitants of your tank (feed them just enough food they can eat during a feeding session) to see if that fixes the snail problem.
Use a chemical to kill the snails. The most common fish-safe snail killer is copper sulfate. When using this, carefully follow the directions for use on the bottle to ensure your fish survive the treatment. It usually causes massive snail death, which can pollute your tank. If this is the case, remove the dead snails from the water and treat the water to keep it safe for your fish and live plants.
Place snail traps in the aquarium. There are several snail traps for sale on the internet and in pet stores. However, a very simple trap is to put a large leaf of lettuce in the tank, clip the sturdy side of it to the tank, and leave it in the tank overnight. The next morning, remove the sheet. You will probably find a lot of snails on the underside of the leaf. Doing this several nights in a row can help you get rid of the snails in your tank.
- Snails can also be lifted out of the aquarium on sight. This is especially effective if you have a small number of snails. However, since snails are mainly nocturnal, it may not help much.
- When snails have just hatched, they are quite small and can climb up the walls of the aquarium. Use a small diameter hose, such as the hose from an air pump, and create a siphon. Use the siphon to suck the small snails out of the aquarium. You may have to do it more than once to get rid of all the snails, but you can vacuum up about 100 in minutes. Repeat the process after a few hours.
Add snail eaters to the aquarium. You can add scavengers to the tank to eat the snails. For a smaller aquarium you can use Botia Striata or Yasuhikotakia sidthimunk. The Clown Botia or Spotted Pimelodus are suitable in larger aquariums.
- Snail-eating snails will also eat the snails. They do not reproduce as quickly and so do not usually become such a problem as other snails.
Try multiple solutions. There are clearly several methods to rid your tank of a snail infestation. Since snails can quickly take over an aquarium, removing them should be a priority. You may need to try a few methods before you get rid of the snails in your tank.
Clean everything. If the situation has gotten completely out of hand and you want a solution that works 100%, you can thoroughly clean the tank. This means removing everything in the tank from gravel and plants to decoration, draining the water and thoroughly cleaning and drying everything before refilling and putting everything back in the tank.

Method 2 of 2: Preventing a snail problem

Inspect everything that ends up in the aquarium. Preventing snails from entering your tank can save you a lot of time and effort. Inspect life plants and decorations for snails and their eggs before placing them in the tank. Remove any snails or eggs before adding the object to your tank.
Quarantine objects before placing them in the tank. You can put live plants in a quarantine tank first, quarantine the plants for several weeks, and remove any snails.
Dip any new additions to your tank in a snail killer before placing them in the tank. Plants can be dipped in a bleach solution to kill snails and eggs. Make a solution of 1 part bleach and 19 parts water, which is approximately 175 ml bleach to 3.5 liters of water. Dip the plants in this solution for 2 to 3 minutes, take them out and then rinse them well under running water for about 5 minutes.
- This can be very drastic for certain plants, there is no guarantee that it will not harm your plant.
- You can also put the plants in a lethal solution of aluminum sulfate and water. Add 2-3 teaspoons of aluminum sulfate to 3.5 liters of water and stir well. Immerse the plants in this and let them soak for at least 2-3 hours, but up to 24 hours. When removing the plants, rinse them well before placing them in the tank.

Tips

A few snails in the tank will not be a problem. They are scavengers and can be useful in that capacity.
A common invasive snail is the slender bugle horn. These snails like to live buried in the aquarium gravel and are usually active at night. You may not notice the problem until there are so many snails that it looks like the gravel is moving. Ampullariidae can also reproduce quickly and take over an aquarium.
Baby snails can be used to feed certain fish.
Some live aquarium plants offer a snail-free guarantee. So look for these plants, if possible.