Snail infestation!!

[Kate14]

Hi everyone, just after some advice. I have a well established small tank that I have cherry and bamboo shrimp in along with a giant ramshorn and an apple snail that have all been fabulous. I brought a new plant a few months ago and I now have an infestation of baby snails.
I've now set up my new tank, but can I risk moving any of my shrimps to the new tank without bringing any unwanted snails?? Or, do I just start a fresh and leave the shrimps in the smaller tank and continue manually removing as many snails as I can?

 

[MaloK]

If you want to completely get rid of them for good. Setup your second tank ready to go, with new substrate.

Don't wait too long to give them time to invade your filtration system. Rinse and Move the filter immediately to the new tank.

Move everybody to a temporary container where you can see well, leave them there a couple hours so if anything undesired following them, you will be able to find and eliminate.

Rinse and brush thoroughly solid decor directly under tap water to make sure no snails can go trough. install it in your new tank.

In a second container prepare a solution to disinfect your plants, I prefer peroxide, but any method will do. Disinfect, rinse and install them in the new tank.

introduce your shrimps and snails.

Cross fingers. And kill every one you could still find in the following days.

It's an absolutely painful job to do, but it's better than... An horror tank like that:

Manual removal failed and I gave up.

 

[gwand]

I found placing a few assassin snails gets rid of, or at least controls pest snail populations. Don’t overfeed tank.

 

[Kate14]

Thank you. New tank is all set, luckily I have another filter, heater etc. it's just the shrimps I didn't want to lose really!! I've got new plants that have been treated already as the other ones are very much munch on now!!!

 

[Kate14]

I found placing a few assassin snails gets rid of, or at least controls pest snail populations. Don’t overfeed tank.

Would assassins be ok with my ramshorn? He is pretty large

 

[MaloK]

There's no snail safe with assassins. They will team up together to overwhelm larger snails. They are also not stupid. Some might be more persistent or skilled at taking down larger prey.

But it all depends on availability of food, so as long as there's smaller snails, I would think your bigger ones should be safe.

But, they are carnivorous hunters.

 

[emeraldking]

Welcome to TFF to start with...
Well, once you've got ramshorns in your tank, it can become a plague very fast. newborns grow up pretty fast and can lay eggs in a short time period. So, if you really want to get rid of them, start a fresh tank.

 

[Kate14]

Welcome to TFF to start with...
Well, once you've got ramshorns in your tank, it can become a plague very fast. newborns grow up pretty fast and can lay eggs in a short time period. So, if you really want to get rid of them, start a fresh tank.

I've had my giant ramshorn for a couple of years and never had any eggs or baby snails. Maybe just been lucky!!

 

[emeraldking]

I've had my giant ramshorn for a couple of years and never had any eggs or baby snails. Maybe just been lucky!!

Those snail eggs could also have been introduced by a new added plant from the store.

 

[Oldspartan]

We dislike snails, but our Angels love them, (crushed).

 

[EmmaS]

Welcome to TFF to start with...
Well, once you've got ramshorns in your tank, it can become a plague very fast. newborns grow up pretty fast and can lay eggs in a short time period. So, if you really want to get rid of them, start a fresh tank.

Best advice regarding snails if you don't want them. It's hard work maintaining zero snails in my tanks which I've managed to do with 5 aquariums.
90% of my plants are tissue culture. Not all plants are available though this way. I treat other plants with alum and quarantine them for 30 days.
Snails can also come in with fish so you have to be careful. Possibly live food but I’ve haven't encountered that yet. No snails or duckweed.
I have shrimps,amanos,otocinclus and plecos as my cleaning crewe and myself.
I personally don't like looking at an aquarium with a loads of snails all over the glass and dead shells on the substrate.