Snails Appeared in Aquariums? 7 Effective Ways to Get Rid of It
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The appearance of snails once in an aquarium is inevitable (Exceptions are always there). If you are an experienced aquarist then you may have faced this issue once definitely. So do not be anxious about it because you are going to know how to get rid of snails from the aquarium from this article.
Using snail traps with lettuce leaves is the most effective way to reduce the snail population in an aquarium. Not only that, but pufferfish and dwarf loaches help to reduce snails too. However, it doesn’t work for the overpopulation of snails.
This two-line answer may not have satisfied you. This is just an overview of the comprehensive answer to this topic. To know an in-depth guide of it you must read the rest of the article. So without wasting time let’s dive deep into the topic.
Why do snails appear in the aquarium? 3 main causes of it
Before knowing about the ways to get rid of snails from aquariums, you must know from where those snails are coming in the particular tank. It is mandatory to know because this helps you to be aware from the next time while building aquariums.
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Aquatic plants carry eggs of snails
As a beginner, you must know this fact before purchasing any aquatic plants from an unknown source. Some types of snails prefer to lay eggs on the leaves of some aquatic plants. Most of the snails prefer larger leaves of plants to lay their eggs. However, some of them lay eggs on floating plants and aquatic grasses too.
Now there is a high possibility that snails have appeared this way if you have aquatic plants in your aquarium. In most cases, you can’t see any type of snail eggs because they are transparent. So do not purchase aquatic plants from untrusted websites or wholesalers.
Here you can check the prices of some aquatic plants on Amazon. This is trustworthy enough to purchase without any hesitation. Go and check out the current prices.
Read More:- Fertilizing Aquarium Plants (Infographics): Basic to Advance
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Excessive foods help existing snails to breed rapidly
It is quite possible to have a couple of snails in your aquarium. It is actually good enough for your aquarium.
However, if you see that your aquarium is outbreaked by snails it means you have done something wrong. There is a high possibility that you have provided excessive foods in your aquarium.
You must know aquarium fish eat food within 1-2 minutes. If you see that flakes are floating on the surface of the water it means you are providing excessive food. This leads snails to breed more in an aquarium. A couple of pinches of food a couple of times per day is enough for fish (depending upon species and their size)
| Note:- Snail is not bad for an aquarium. It actually provides lots of benefits by cleaning the tank up. Otherwise, excessive foods can make the water foul which increases the chances of algal bloom. More details are below. |
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Snail eggs can come through substrate or decoration
Despite not having plants, if you are still facing a snail outburst in your aquarium then you should know that sometimes substrate and other decorations carry snail eggs too.
So you must purchase substrates and decorations from trusted and branded suppliers. You can purchase from locals too but branded products may save lots of your money for a long time period.
As decoration, you can try metal products like some type of ship depending upon the size of the aquarium and as substrate, you can use flourite black sand from seachem. Both of these products are recommended by us and you can check prices on Amazon. You will definitely not get any kind of snail eggs.
Read More:- Are Snails Compatible With Cichlids? Comparison With Each Cichlid
7 effective ways to get rid of snails from an aquarium
After knowing about the different causes of the appearance of snails in aquariums, you must concentrate on knowing how to get rid of them. Here we will discuss 7 effective ways to remove snails from your aquarium. So without wasting time let’s start discussing.
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Remove snails on site
Usage – On the low population of snail
This is the most effective but time-taking way to reduce the snail population in an aquarium. This way works well if the snail population is low or medium in an aquarium.
When you see my snail in an aquarium it is better to pick that up and throw it away. The real benefit of this way is you can know the actual numbers of snails. This will give you a rough idea of how many snails are there in the aquarium. Sometimes this works very well at the initial stage.
If you are very passionate about fish keeping then it is possible for you. However, it won’t work if the snail population outbursts in an aquarium.
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Purchase a good snail trap
Usage – On the medium-high population of snail
This way is applicable for moderate to high levels of snail outbreaks. If you feel reluctant to remove a snail with your bare hand then a snail trap is good for you to use.
There are two types of snail traps. One is homemade and another you can purchase from Amazon. We do recommend a homemade snail trap at the initial stage. For an experimental purpose, it is also applicable.
To make a homemade snail trap you just need a medium-sized plastic box with a cover. You just need to put yummy snail food inside the box. Make sure to drill the cover here and there. The size of the holes should be moderate. Now you just need to put that box down on the substrate keeping that food of snails.
If you have a huge snail outbreak inside the aquarium then you must purchase a commercial snail trap. Here we recommend a very well structured snail trap from Amazon. You just need food to keep within it for a night and a huge number of snails will definitely be trapped. You just click on this link to check the price and purchase this trap. You can repeat this process, again and again, to remove snails completely from your aquarium.
Read More:- Assassin Snail vs Nerite Snail: Everything About Compatibility
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Place a piece of lettuce and remove it in the morning
Usage – On the medium-high population of snail
Putting a small piece of lettuce leaf works well to remove snails from the aquarium. This also works like a snail trap.
You must know that any type of snail prefers lettuce leaves as their lunch or dinner. This is like a delicious hamburger for them.
Either you can put this leaf without any protection or with protection. In both cases, snails will be caught. You can use this as food in a homemade snail trap also.
Snails prefer to eat other foods like cucumber, zucchini also. However, you should not use this as a snail trap because fish also like this food. Lettuce will be the most suitable option in this case.
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Add a few dwarf loaches to the aquarium
Usage – On the low-medium population of snail
If you do not have much population of snails in the aquarium then you can use this method to reduce the number of snails. Personally, we do not recommend adding dwarf loach only for removing snails because it takes time. However, it is very effective to eat them out.
If you notice a couple of snails in your aquarium initially then add 5-6 dwarf loaches to take them out. Do not add a single dwarf loach in aquariums because they prefer to live in a group and this helps to make them healthy. In addition, for a heavily planted tank, loaches may not work well to reduce the snail population.
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Use assassin snails against other snails
Usage – On the medium population of snail
If you do not want to add extra fish in your aquarium due to some reasons then you can use assassin snails against other snails. They are very effective at taking down other snails. You must know that assassin snails are carnivorous and they do not prefer plants to eat. So they kill other snails for eating purposes which are actually good for us who are suffering from snail outbreaks in aquariums.
However, if you use assassin snails as weapons against other snails then you must control the intensity of giving food to fish. Having excessive food is not good enough for an aquarium.
The main advantage of using assassin snails as a weapon is that they are not afraid to attack bigger snails. They build groups and attack to take down a comparatively bigger snail. However, this is not very effective on a huge population of other snails in an aquarium.
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Pufferfish works well against snails
Usage – On the medium population of snail
Pufferfish are also effective against aquarium snails to reduce their numbers down. However, It may not be as effective as snail traps. You have to make sure that your tank is well cycled or well established. Pufferfish cannot live in an uncycled tank or in an unhealthy environment.
In our experience, we do recommend puffer fish over loaches. It is because sometimes loaches did not work against snails as we expected but puffer did. In addition, pufferfish do not require to live in a group. The main drawback of using pufferfish against snails is that it leaves the shells of snails sometimes. This is what we have experienced.
Read More:- How Long Does It Take To Establish A New Fish Tank? (THREE Types of Tank)
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Build a new tank after drying up
Usage – On the very high population of snail
If you have no control over the population of snails then it is better to build a tank from scratch. This is a very hard decision which you need to take to run your fishkeeping hobby smoothly.
A snail does not harm any fish, rather it adds benefits to the aquarium. However, excessive snails in an aquarium are not good for visual purposes at home or anywhere else. The aquarium needs to be clean and well decorated. So building a new tank from scratch is a good decision in this type of situation.
However, you should not make the same mistakes while building a new tank. So try to be conscious during this time.
As aquatic plants carry eggs of snails most of the time, so you need to dip these well in a bleach solution. 3/4th cup of bleach is required to make a one-gallon water solution. This will destroy snail eggs completely.
Not only that, but aluminium sulphate solution works the same way too. To make the solution you are required one gallon of water and 2-3 spoons of aluminium sulphate. You need to stir the solution well before placing plants into it.
In both cases, the aquatic plants must be dipped for 5-15 minutes. After dipping, you must rinse those plants well before placing them inside the aquarium.
If you want to know how to sterilize your tank then you can click on that link to read our researched guidelines without a single penny.
| Note:- These chemical solutions may harm your plants too. However, it depends upon species. It is not recommended to use these solutions against sophisticated & expensive aquatic plants. It is better to purchase from a trusted website or retailer. |
Read More:- How to set up a community fish tank? With Cost analysis
Are snails beneficial for aquariums?
Generally, all types of snails are good for aquariums at a certain level. Snails clear debris, algae & excess foods from a tank by eating. They turn over the substrate well which is beneficial for a planted tank. However, excessive snails harm a tank by eating plants, clogging filters & increasing biological waste.
So best of luck & happy fishkeeping🐟