Best Method Of Getting Rid Of Snails?

[popalu]

Hi,

Anyone know of a good, quick and easy method of getting rid of snails.

I put some new plants into my tank, I checked them before putting them in and saw nothing, now the tank is getting overrun with the buggers.

They are mulching up all my plants, which are going brown and dying. Not had this problem until the new plants were introduced

 

[sykogngsta]

Maybe you can get a couple of loaches or something. Then you arent using chemicals, plus you get some cute loaches

 

[emma12321]

what size tank is it and what fish do you have in there?

Emma

 

[popalu]

125L

2 Dwarf Gourami
9 neons
3 Peppered Cory
5 Platys
8 Shrimps
2 Plecs

No chemicals or anything in use in the tank.

I have had Snails in the past from new plants, the odd one or two, which I have removed, but this is getting to the point where the tank will be overrun.

I am removing when I see them, but more are just popping up everyday and the plants are being mulched to nothing. Used to have lots of greenery, now very little is left, seems like over night things just get eaten.

I want to avoid stripping the tank down, as it was a nightmare when I switched from Gravel to Sand last time, lost a few fish and took ages to get the cycle going again, want to void, thought there might be a good fish to eat them

 

[Genesis]

There are some very effective snail-killing chemicals at your LFS, and they won't do any harm to fish

 

[Behold]

if your tank was bigger i would say bala's im snail free now!!!

as said loaches will munch on them.

 

[murphyk32]

loaches,, there great friendly wonderful fish, come in neat cool varieties, and kill snailes just read up first so u dont get something like a clown loach, look attractive, get massive.

Murph

 

[Spider Pig]

Problem with anti snail remedies is that they can be toxic to inverts like your shrimp.

Your tank looks fairly full (depend on size of plecs) but if have space would recommend loaches. If planning upgrade in the future clown loaches may be ok. If not some of the smaller species like zebra loaches might be better.

 

[sharkbaitwoohaha]

deffo loaches
i had about 200 snails in my 125l. now i have just 5 that are too big for my loaches to eat

 

[Shrimper]

I wouldn't recomend Loaches for getting rid of snails unless you really want to keep some.

Most loaches are social so should be kept in groups. I don't think you have enough stocking space left for a group of loaches. They are long lived fish as well (20 years + in some cases) so its a very long term sollution to a short term problem than can be fixed other ways. The Loaches are also likely to eat your shrimp as well as the snails.

As mentioned by Spider Pig any anti snail chemical will also harm your shrimp.

You can make a trap using a couple of plates and some veg (like cucumber). Slice the cucumber and put it on the first plate. Then cover it over with the other plate leaving a small gap round the outside. This will stop the fish getting to the food but allow the snails to get to it. Leave this in the tank over night and take it out in the morning. You should have lots of snails on the plate/veg for you to remove. You then repeat this until the population is under control.