SNAILS EVERYWHERE!!!! Please advise

[orangepunkins]

Hello my fellow fish keepers.
I have a MAJOR issue going on. My fish tank has had an explosion of snails. I went out of town on Thursday and before then I seen 1 or 2 ramshorn snails I would pick them out and dispose of them. I get home today and BAMB they are everywhere! What is the best way to rid of them. Assassin snails or a clown loach? I have a small mystery snail I can re-home to one of my larger tanks.
Please advise me of ridding these pests. Thank You

 

[Brookster123]

Send them all to me and I'll send you an assassin snail!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Potluck]

There's a few ways, hand pick, counter sink a couple pieces of clean lettuce in the tank and turn off the lights over night and remove gently in the morning so the snails don't fall off, loaches if you don't have a big enough tank you will have to rehome because they get huge, assassin snails but that's a hit or miss because if they're too big the assassin's can't ambush them, also cut down on how much food you feed they can't survive if there's nothing to eat

 

[Potluck]

Lol brookster I knew that was coming, waiting on T lol

 

[orangepunkins]

Maybe I am wrong on the ramshorn snail. All I know is they came in on a plant which I thought I washed thoroughly. They are about the size of a pin head or smaller. I see them all on the sides of the tank and on the driftwood and they are really hard to see on the plants they are so small. I am not worried about getting a clown loach as I can re*home it to one of my larger 75 gal tanks. I also have a friend who owns a fish store that has larger tanks that they would take if needed.

 

[Potluck]

Clowns need the bare minimum 75 but would never go under a 125, do you have any pics? they might be trumpets are the shells ice cream cone shaped our round

 

[TMaier]

Lol brookster I knew that was coming, waiting on T lol

Chiming in too. Lol. Mr Puff loves to eat those little snails.

 

[Meesh]

My LFS sold me three Clown Loaches for my 56 gallon tank and assured me they are a small variety that won't grow more than 6" and will take quite a few years to attain that. They shouldn't be kept in groups of less than three to five. They are very social. Mine sleep together in one of the caves in my tank. They will do a great job on those little snails.

 

[Delapool]

Who knew snails could be so wanted

Just a note - yoyo loaches (which I have) or I'm told dwarf chain loaches will also tackle most snails.

 

[Potluck]

My LFS sold me three Clown Loaches for my 56 gallon tank and assured me they are a small variety that won't grow more than 6" and will take quite a few years to attain that. They shouldn't be kept in groups of less than three to five. They are very social. Mine sleep together in one of the caves in my tank. They will do a great job on those little snails.

Your lfs lied just to sell you them, they get 10-14" I have had mine less than a year and they are 2- 2.5" and I got them small, it's not only the length that they get but they have big bodies also. They grow fast within the first couple years then slow down they will be about 5-6 inches within a few years.

 

[Potluck]

Who knew snails could be so wanted

Just a note - yoyo loaches (which I have) or I'm told dwarf chain loaches will also tackle most snails.

Very wanted some people breed them in a separate tank for puffers, loaches other fish that eat snails

 

[Brandon20]

Get a Yo-Yo Boytia they are the absolute best for keeping down snail population

 

[Coursair]

YoYos can be pushy with shy fish. Don't just throw in random fish for snails.

The problem will resolve itself. You had a snail explosion. So less food and good water changes will help.

I do the lettuce thing.

The snails will die off or stabilize. If you keep having a ton of snails, something is off.

People like Ramshorns. Some breed and sell the pretty colored ones.

Can you post a pic ???

Ramshorns don't hurt healthy plants.

 

[Castianna]

I have a few assassin snails that I bought after a pond snail outbreak. At first I thought they were worthless but after a couple weeks the only thing left of the pond snails were a thin layer of empty shells.

 

[Canadiver]

I have found the best way to decrease the snail population is to cut way back on food. I to had snail explosion years back. Loaches would eat a few but not many as it was much easier to eat the ample food I dropped in there.

I was told to cut back on the food you feed by 3/4. Only feed once per day, you can even skip a day. So I gave it a try. Low and behold snails started to disappear. At one time I had snails on everything now I have none. I have found a few inside the filter when I clean it, but none in the tank.

The food you feed the fish should be all gone within 2 min of dropping into the tank. If there is some still floating around, then there will be some on the bottom and everything else. The fish will be fine with less food and the snails will be gone.

 

[Autumnsky]

How big was that Mystery Snail? Maybe it made an egg sac and they hatched. Are you sure they are just little RH's? Probably so. But the hatching of baby MS can be pretty amazing to see, little dots everywhere!

 

[fishychick]

I have a few assassin snails that I bought after a pond snail outbreak. At first I thought they were worthless but after a couple weeks the only thing left of the pond snails were a thin layer of empty shells.

That's good to know. I just bought one for a 20gal and all he does is burrow in the sand. I thought he'd be chasing snails all over the place but instead I never see him, lol.

 

[Autumnsky]

They can stay in the substrate and come up in an attack while the RH is sliding over the top!!! You don't need to see him, for him to do his job.

 

[fishychick]

They can stay in the substrate and come up in an attack while the RH is sliding over the top!!! You don't need to see him, for him to do his job.

Awesome! Thanks. I guess I'll just let him do his thing. Lol.