Be gone pond snails!

[alym]

Pond snails have taken over my planted tank. I have some rams, some MTS and a brig that I purposefully added to the tank, but the pond snails snuck their way in and are breeding like crazy. In a planted tank, I don't know if a lettuce leaf will do much to catch them...will it?

[Yadokari]

It will reduce numbers, though it will also attract any other snails you have in there. Also, pond snails lay eggs like crazy so uh... removing them all completely is almost impossible once established into a tank.

[alym]

So they are attracted more to lettuce than to other plants?

[msjinkzd]

I would try using a piece of cucumber or zucchini, the pest snails (as well as the intentional snails) go crazy for it in my tanks. What I would do is take an old water bottle and cut the top off. Then place it back inside the bottle, but inverted (upside down). Place your bait inside the water bottle and put in the tank around lights out. Check it an hour or two later. Pick out the pond snails, release the snails you want to keep and repeat. I have found that ramshorns typically outcompete my pondsnails for food so the pond snails tend to dieback. You could also increase your wc's/gravel vacs and decrease feeding the tank until you get the pond snails under control. Best of luck to you!