getting rid of snails?

[spirals]

goldfish love to snack on snails. when my tanks at work get a bit crazy with snails we just have our little orandas go to work and take care of the snail problem.

i've come to love my little snails, its kinda fun watching them grow from itty bitty specs to these giant beautiful snails. plus i can't keep mystery snails alive for some reason so these little-big guys work for me

 

[Flaringshutter]

i do understand the desire to be rid of them, as they can overpopulate and sometimes be unsightly.

however, think of them as teeny tiny canaries. they do a great job at eating leftover food, algae, etc, and they require no special care from you in return. in addition, their best advantage is that they are a sign of a healthy tank. if they are overbreeding, you are overfeeding. if they die off in massive numbers, you have a water quality problem. they are a great way to monitor the tank's health.

if, however, you do want to be rid of them, the best way is to put in some lettuce or zucchini in the evening as it gets dark. just before you go to bed (assuming it's been a few hours) remove the pieces with the most snails, put in a ziplock bag with some water, and put in your freezer. in the morning, remove the other pieces and repeat. this will get rid of most of them. the only way to be rid of all of them is to use an invert-killing chemical, which may harm your fish and leave residue in the tank.

i sincerely ask you to freeze the snails overnight before discarding, as many pest snails can live out of water for days, if not weeks, and if they end up in local waters they can overwhelm local species and cause real problems. freezing is the most humane (if you're worried about that) and easiest way to avoid this.

 

[Just5398]

weed

noun
1. a valueless plant growing wild, esp. one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.
2. any undesirable or troublesome plant, esp. one that grows profusely where it is not wanted: The vacant lot was covered with weeds.

Snails do not cause trouble, nor do they harm desired plants or fauna. And they do have value.

Therefore your statement is illogical.

It is MY OPINION. They may not harm anything in my tank but when they out number the fish I have I consider that a problem.

You can apply your definition of a noun to a tank, especially #2.

"any UNDESIREABLE", in this case, snail "esp. one that grows profusely where it is NOT WANTED"

 

[Just5398]

If you want them gone then remove them. You cant change someones mind about what they want for their tank.

I say use the veggie method.

Thank you for understanding.

 

[austinpetemo]

when you freeze the snails, do they expand and explode. makeing a mess. or do they just freeze?

 

[Flaringshutter]

oh no, they just freeze solid.

 

[J double R]

It is MY OPINION. They may not harm anything in my tank but when they out number the fish I have I consider that a problem.

You can apply your definition of a noun to a tank, especially #2.

"any UNDESIREABLE", in this case, snail "esp. one that grows profusely where it is NOT WANTED"

just a technicality... but you purposely omitted the word "plant" from that definition.

snails aren't plants.

you can call them a pest if you must, but not a weed.

 

[Finley]

Here's a very easy and natural solution that will dramatically reduce your snail population over time without entirely eliminating them: Put a 3" Clown Loach in there.

Clown Loaches love snails and will suck 'em right out of their shells in front of your eyes.

Finley

 

[Lupin]

Here's a very easy and natural solution that will dramatically reduce your snail population over time without entirely eliminating them: Put a 3" Clown Loach in there.

Clown Loaches love snails and will suck 'em right out of their shells in front of your eyes.

Finley

I don't often agree to this. Never use fish to do the job for you unless you intend to keep it with you permanently if you can really accommodate its requirements. Clowns may be slow growers but they will eventually need a large tank.

Without knowing the tank size (I did not see it mentioned here or I may have missed it again.), it is best not to suggest a fish at all.

There are plenty other options but I will never suggest them for "janitorial duties".

 

[Finley]

Yes it does depend on the size of the tank, and whether the OP would like to keep one or not. I am sure that the OP will consider such fundamentals. Also remember that Clown Loaches take a very loooooong time to grow large, and can remain under 3 inches for a couple of years in a modest sized tank.

Also small loaches can do the job. I had two small CLs gang up and kill a Malayan snail on the first day I put it in there (not anticipating that outcome, of course). The snail was at least as large as they were!

I am quite sure that loaches do not view the activity as 'janitorial duties', but are utterly delighted to find themselves in a Garden of Fishy Eden.

Finley