Invaded By Snails

[newly]

Hi I am quite new to tropical fish and have had my tank for nearly a year but just recently I have been invaded by snails. Can anyone suggest an easy remedy to help get rid of them - im not to sure about using a chemical treatment so wondered if any natural remedy was available

 

[Miss Wiggle]

stop feeding so much!

the snail population will only multiply if there is enough food to support it, so the fact that it has grown means significantly means that you are feeding too much so the first thing to do is cut back to stop the problem getting worse.

supposedly if you put a piece of lettuce or cucumber into the tank overnight it'll be covered in snails in the morning and you can remove it then, although this method gets mixed reviews.

personally i would just say take them out by hand, it'll probably take you a week or so but just take 10 minutes each day and pick out all the ones you can, this combined with a sensible feeding regime should get rid of them and stop them coming back. you'll never eradicate 100% of them but you should be able to get it much more manageable

 

[newly]

stop feeding so much!

the snail population will only multiply if there is enough food to support it, so the fact that it has grown means significantly means that you are feeding too much so the first thing to do is cut back to stop the problem getting worse.

supposedly if you put a piece of lettuce or cucumber into the tank overnight it'll be covered in snails in the morning and you can remove it then, although this method gets mixed reviews.

personally i would just say take them out by hand, it'll probably take you a week or so but just take 10 minutes each day and pick out all the ones you can, this combined with a sensible feeding regime should get rid of them and stop them coming back. you'll never eradicate 100% of them but you should be able to get it much more manageable

Thanks for the quick reply - I do try to feed only the required amount but am not 100% sure how much I should be feeding them. Cheers

 

[Miss Wiggle]

they should eat all the food within a few minutes and feeding time should be a frenzy.

 

[Fluffybiker]

I had a snail explosion myself this week (new plants didn't know about rinsing them 1st lol)
one of the guys here said pop some cucumber slices in overnight and it works a treat!!

3 nights now and looking like the end is in sight!

 

[newly]

I had a snail explosion myself this week (new plants didn't know about rinsing them 1st lol)
one of the guys here said pop some cucumber slices in overnight and it works a treat!!

3 nights now and looking like the end is in sight!

I think I will try that for the next week and see if it works for me many thanks for that tip

 

[mark.w.jones]

I had a snail explosion myself this week (new plants didn't know about rinsing them 1st lol)
one of the guys here said pop some cucumber slices in overnight and it works a treat!!

3 nights now and looking like the end is in sight!

I think I will try that for the next week and see if it works for me many thanks for that tip

Snails are like the terminator. Just when you think you've got rid of them they come back and are a bloody nuisance to get rid of once you have them. I use the rather brutal and extreme method of of bleach dipping all new plants for 1 minute in a 1:20 mix of bleach and water. Then obviously a mega rinse under the tap for a few minutes. This has kept me snail free for a long time but is not recommended for extremely sensitive fish or plants.

 

[lilfishie]

there are also fish that will gladly dispose of them for you but it depends on your tank size and stocking