How do I get rid of snails?

[spekulatius]

They have taken over the fish tank. I keep removing them and they come back, they are on the gravel, plants, everywhere. So fed up. Is there anything I can do to get rid of them other than picking them out one by one?

You can't get rid of them completely (unless you use one of those pesticide treatments, which is a TERRIBLE IDEA), but numbers can be controlled fairly easily. Snails will multiply a lot more quickly if there is plenty of food. So make sure you don't overfeed your fish.

If you need to get rid of a lot snails in a short space of time then the best way is to stick a lettuce leaf in the tank overnight, and then first thing in the morning when it's covered in snails, hoik it out and bin it.

Ok thanks. Will try that. I removed about 30 last night and 20 this morning. Don't know how they all got in there in the first place. There are lots of eggs or similar as well. Do the fish mind?

They can become a problem in large numbers blocking the filter etc. but unless you overfeed then theh shouldn't become a problem. You could get an assassin snail or two, they are slower breeders and will eat a lot of the pest ones.

Ok thanks. You know we talked about plants before. I've got 2 Elodea, they've grown really fast, i've cut some of and replanted it, that should be fine, shouldn't it. Also just discovered a baby Platy , hope I didn't suck any up when I cleaned the tank last night.

Yes, it should be fine, elodea roots really quickly. If it comes loose then just stick it back in the gravel again until it takes.

Cute, I love babies! I always check the bucket before I tip it out. I use a white bucket because it's easier to check.

I'm still really struggling with snails. Got at least 100. Went to a different aquatics shop and they seem very good and they sell Assassin Snails. Sort of yellow and black. Could I get one of those to control the others? They are quite big and look pretty but I don't want to end up with lots of them.

They don't breed quickly so you shouldn't get overrun. You can always sell any spares on ebay.

How much and how often are you feeding your fish?

I feed once a day, try not to overfeed. Do you think one snail is enough? The other snails are eating all the plants as well. I would like more plants but now I'm worried about the snails.

How much do you give them? I usually give what they can eat in 2 mins and then scoop the rest out. If there's a lotof detritus in thr tank then that can boost snail numbers too.

Hi
I'm gonna get some Assassin Snails today but would also like some more fish. Water has been fine and not changes levels for a while and fish seem happy. What cihld I get that looks pretty? In 125 litres. I've got 7 Platys (including 3 babies) and 7 Neons. I would like Tiger barbs but person in shop said I need a bigger tank. Are Clown fish not a good idea either?

Clown loaches get massive and need to be in a shoal so unless you have an 8 ft tank then they're not really an option. Also they live longer than most other fish- 30+ years!. If you like the look of them then there are some similar small loaches. Have a look at sids (commercially bred, not wild caught- they are critically endangered due to habitat loss) or zebras.

Tiger barbs are fab fish but in a tank your size they would probably be the only species I would keep, or at least the only open-water swimmers. They have a bad reputation for being aggressive but when kept in a large shoal they shouldn't attack other fish. They are pretty boisterous though and would probably scare the others. Plus you haven't really got the space for a shoal.

Ok thanks. Do you think I should wait until the babies are a bit bigger? One is about the size of a neon but the 2 others are very small.

Well, you might be OK. Any new fish you buy are not going to be fully grown so the platy babies would probably be safe. But if you're not in a rush then you could leave it a few more weeks just to be on the safe side.

Guppies are pretty as well, aren't they. I'll see what they have. The Elodea keeps uprooting. Is that normal? I don't know if that's the snails though. Do you think they would do better if I had sand? But that means starting fresh, doesn't it?

Yes, they are pretty. I wouldn't get any more mid-water swimmers though unless you just wanted to increase your other shoals by a couple.

Elodea does uproot when it's new but once it gets in then it should grow enough roots to stay put. I don't think it's the snails doing it, it's probably the fish. It can come out pretty easily even if they just brush past. All you can do really is just keep poking it back in.

Sand is better for bottom feeders. You don't need to start over completely, you could do it with the fish in there if you are really careful, or you could stick them in a bucket. It should only take 30 mins to switch over. I'd turn the filter off so it doesn't get full of grit.

We ended up getting Bleeding Heart Tetras. They don't show up as much but they're very pretty. Do you know if they'll eat bloodworms? Also got 2 Assassin Snails. I want to clean the gravel before putting them in, will they be ok in the bag overnight? Looks lovely at the moment, they all seem to come out late in the evening.

Only saw your message after we bought the fish. They do all swim mainly at the bottom and middle, makes the tank look empty from a distance.

I can't find the Assassin Snails in the tank. Surely the platys won't have eaten them, maybe they are jyst hiding very well. Haven't seen them since this morning.

They bury themselves in the substrate and mostly come out at night (mostly). I hardly ever see mine.