Snail Infestation

[kevingrods]

I just looked in my tank this morning and i realized i have tons of snails everywhere, there getting large too. some are just floating around on the top.
 
Does anyone have suggestions on how to control this and what to do with the snails when I remove them?  I may just leave them, they seem to be cleaning up the tank.  Is this recommended or should i take them out?
 
Thanks
 
Kevin
 

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

Snap a pic if you can.  We can identify them easily that way.  For the most part, snails are good for the tank.  Their population will balance with how much you feed your fish.  They can be a good CUC and algae controller.  A lot of people try to get rid of them because they might overrun a tank (but that is indication of overfeeding) and sometimes they are unsightly.
 
Assassin snails help control population.  I would steer clear of de-snailing chemicals.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Assassin Snails will do the trick 

 
They might take a little while but they are effective and definitely will keep your common snails population under control.
 
If you do not want any snails at all, get some lettuce or courgette or something like that into your tank, and by morning it will practically be covered in snails, simply remove the lettuce and snails and keep repeating until under control.
 
NeonLeon has got there before me and has said pretty much the same as was about to say as well, they are decent agar eaters and help to keep algae under control. Although has to be said some common snails may munch on your plants!

 

[Baccus]

The issues of snails is really up to you, some people love them while others swear death to all snails, while yet others are more take em or leave em.
 
Some species of snails can really make a pest of themselves by over populating and eating the live plants you have spent a great deal of money and effort on. While other snails are much more appreciated for their glass cleaning abilities and not breeding so freely in home aquaria. Snails can have a place in tanks, as cleaners they will eat almost any organic item they come across, but at times their usefulness can be out weighed by their other less desirable habits.
 
There are a few ways of trapping snails on either a piece of lettuce. carrot or even a dedicated purpose built snail trap that has little trap doors to let the snails. Any snails that you remove I would put in to either the rubbish bin or in your yard, ensuring that they can not get into any local waterways.
 
As stated assassin snails are also an option for you, I don't generally suggest these as they are not available in all countries.

 

[l_l_l]

The only snails I'd want in my planted aquarium are nerite snails and Assassin snails because they don't eat my plants, Nerites only eat algea, and Assassin snails eat pest snail.
Then again, I don't want Assassin snail as they also eat shrimp.
 
You could always get some loaches depending on your setup.. (Remember they can grow quite large for some of them (thinking of the clown loach with it's 12+ inches..))

 

[the_lock_man]

Then again, I don't want Assassin snail as they also eat shrimp.

 
 
Thank God no-one told my Assassin Snails that, else I'd have no shrimps left by now.

 

[Ch4rlie]

The only snails I'd want in my planted aquarium are nerite snails and Assassin snails because they don't eat my plants, Nerites only eat algea, and Assassin snails eat pest snail.
Then again, I don't want Assassin snail as they also eat shrimp.

 
Is that true? Assassin eating shrimps? Just wondering how an assassin can catch a fast little shrimp......

 
I have both assassin snails and RCS in my tank.....but have never seen assassin eating any of my shrimps though.
 
BTW Assassins will eat Nerites as well so no point having both types of snails in the same tank........

 

[-Craig-]

I had about 5 assassin snails and a LOT of those pest snails and within months I was seeing less and less of the pests, I was fine with having a few but having hundreds ruined a lot of the plants.
 
Assassin Snails, also if you don't want the pest snails to ever breed in your tank just get a few Assassin Snails upon setting it all up which should stop any pests from ever breeding to develop a healthy population.

 

[l_l_l]

 

The only snails I'd want in my planted aquarium are nerite snails and Assassin snails because they don't eat my plants, Nerites only eat algea, and Assassin snails eat pest snail.
Then again, I don't want Assassin snail as they also eat shrimp.

 
Is that true? Assassin eating shrimps? Just wondering how an assassin can catch a fast little shrimp......

 
I have both assassin snails and RCS in my tank.....but have never seen assassin eating any of my shrimps though.
 
BTW Assassins will eat Nerites as well so no point having both types of snails in the same tank........

 

I have seen a few posts on different forums with people complaining of seeing their assasin snail with a shrimp sticking out of their mouth!
But then, it can be only one out of MANY MANY MANY, just like my Betta and Neons having a go at my shrimp

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

Perhaps the shrimp decided to take a nap right where a assassin snail had burrowed.   Bad-luck-Brian shrimp.