Snail infestation

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Aquarium Advice Newbie
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Dec 17, 2017
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What is the best way to deal with a snail infestation? I have a mystery snail who is wanted in my 10 gallon but I also have a bunch of tiny snails that I think came in on a plant.
Thanks
 
Counter sink a piece of lettuce right before you go to lights off in the morning carefully remove the lettuce and the many snails that will be attached to it, if you're over feeding it will also lead to a snail outbreak because they can't live without food like every creature, feed lightly 2 times a day instead of one big feeding (if that is what you are doing)
 
Assassin snails hunt, kill, and eat other snails. Unfortunately, unless you get quite a large amount of assassin snails, they won't kill the invasive snails as quickly as the invasive snails breed. In addition to that, you always run the risk of the assassin snails breeding and over-running the tank.
You could make a couple of snail traps. Simply use a glass jar with a plastic lid. Drill 2 1/3 to 1/2 inch holes in the lid, put a few sinking pellets in the jar, fill with water and leave on your tank bottom overnight. Several snails will be inside each trap in the morning. Repeat as necessary.
The very best way to eradicate snails, however, is with either Yoyo or Clown loaches. Both are voracious eaters of snails. If your tank is on the smaller side, under 75 gallons, Yoyo loaches would be best, as they stay fairly small. If you have a larger tank, clown loaches work well. Both are fun fish to have, and easy to care for. Both species do best in small groups of 3 or more. Both will probably have your tank devoid of snails within a couple weeks.
 
That limits your options to manual removal, as TMRC already stated, Assassin snails, or snail traps.
Maybe start with 3-4 Assassin snails, and work on removing the largest snails by hand.
 
What ever you do, DO NOT buy one of those 10 dollar snail traps you see at the major fish store. They do squat, and google results after the purchase say the same thing.
I’m going through a bout of it right now. Manual removal when you see them on the sides. I also put a sinking wafer in the tank at night, and in the morning, scoop it up with the snails, and a little bit of gravel with a net.
I also bought an over sized aqueon siphon, so I’ll gravel clean them up every couple days. They don’t pass through right down to the bucket, but I interrupt the siphon with my hand and pour the tube in the bucket when I got enough of them. It’s all a slow process but I’m getting there.
 
I would say assassin snails are definitely a #1 solution. However, I'd say one is plenty. I had an infestation of hundreds (with eggs and larvae in my gravel, probably thousands) of pond snails in my 36 gallon courtesy of the person I bought plants from. After a few months I was poaching MTS from my sister's tank to feed him and taking my friend's unwanted baby mystery snails off her hands!!!! Now I've got a good, mild infestation going but only because I want them to keep him fed.
 
Agree with everything posted, and don't underestimate potlucks suggestion on sinking produce, its a nice natural trap with no real harm. Zuchinni may do well also. Good luck!
 
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