# Best way to get rid of tiny snails



## 91BRGmiata (Apr 29, 2015)

I just set up a 29 gallon low tech planted tank, already seeing a few tiny snails on the plants, is there any way to easily get rid of these snails before putting the fish in and keep the plants ok?


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## Atheek (Jun 10, 2015)

Add assassin snails


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## Straight shooter (Nov 26, 2015)

Embrace the new addition to your aquarium.. or something positive like that..

They are now part of the ecosystem and won't move out unless drastic measures are taken. You can try adding a snail eating fish like a loach (they do an EXCELLENT job), squishing them on sight (fish love to eat the snail goo left behind), putting a piece of lettuce in and removing them once they gather, snail traps, if you had CO2 you could gas them (as long as there is no other livestock), there are chemical treatments that can be a little hairy... All pretty drastic measures.

After years I just embrace them. Sometimes I squish them to remind them who's boss, but mostly I just let them clean up to pay for their rent. They are ok at that I guess.


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I'd borrow a loach from the LFS (buy and sell back, small price to pay). Let it go to town for a few days. That or a single assassin snail can be kept for the life of the tank. I have 2 assassins in my 75g and NEVER see a snail on the glass. They get them quick. But the large tank lets the pest snails breed so the assassins have a food source. I added a single assassin to my 30g and he cleaned it up within a few weeks. After that, I never saw snails. Well, I didn't see them for long. They do clean up well.


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## Rinfish (Aug 16, 2015)

I would say an assassin snail! Never did the buy/return concept, but i imagine that might be pretty stressful for the fish.


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## 91BRGmiata (Apr 29, 2015)

Are assassin snails compatible with other invertebrates like shrimp?


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## evil nick (Oct 20, 2014)

if they are pond snails you can do 2 things I found that worked accidentally
1) just train your fish to eat them or get a snail eating fish, loach or DWARF puffer (only). My fish ravage pond snails.... ALL OF THEM, from my Angel to my mollies. I started by smushing them on the glass and letting them eat them off. Then they just started doing it themselves. The ONLY pond snail I even see are when I shake out my filter pad. then I throw those in my puffer tank. Ive actually started a small side container to get more snails because I cant keep them in supply enough
2) remove the calcium from your tank. I was using a PH stabilizer in my water for a while when I thought my PH was too high for my angel fish. It was right when I noticed the pond snails infesting. When using this I noticed all their shells turning white. I realized the stabilizer pulled the calcium from the water. I am pretty sure I had a huge die off of them from this. I stopped using the stabilizer, the snails rebounded (which I wanted since my fish enjoyed eating them) and the angel never batted an eye at the change in PH. This may hurt other snails and shrimp though.

If they are MTS.... sorry
A loach will help keep them in check, did for me, but other than completely nuking the tank all you can do it hope you dont over feed, which to me is a flawed concept because they eat ANYTHING! If you have plants then you have dying plant matter, they will eat that. You will have algea, they will eat that. If you have fish then there is fish waste, they will EAT THAT! They will even eat each other. 
you can try trapping them but thats pretty futile. Even the stabilizer did nothing to their shells. They seem to be the perfect organism, like aquarium roaches!


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

I sure wish loaches wouldn't eat cherry shrimp! I have MTS and I feed my bottom dwellers and my shrimp (amanos as well) so the MTS go insane in my tank.


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## evil nick (Oct 20, 2014)

schnebbles said:


> I sure wish loaches wouldn't eat cherry shrimp! I have MTS and I feed my bottom dwellers and my shrimp (amanos as well) so the MTS go insane in my tank.


what size tank?
In my 5 the puffers will get the smaller ones (I presume as they have not exploded)
In my 30 the only way aside loaches, which I cant do due to my acaras strange fixation on murdering them, is the vac them out. I use my small gravel vac and plunge into the gravel and just vac out hundred of babies at a time. 
I do this once in a while but its tough since its so planted. 
I wanted to throw in some skunk botias since they are supposedly a little more aggressive and may fight back the blue acara but I dont want them murdering EVERYTHING ELSE!


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

I have a 40. I guess I could always collect the babies and take them to the puffers at the pet shop I work at

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


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## 91BRGmiata (Apr 29, 2015)

Ok let me ask another question, how do the little pea puffers fare with other fish and shrimp? I've always been interested in them but never tried any, current setup is 29 gal low tech planted, other tank mates include 5 Siamese algae eaters, a dwarf gourami, a few AE shrimp, otto cats, and a school of 10 or so harlequin rasboras. Only reason I ask is because I absolutely love those AE shrimp, they tirelessly keep the tank clean. Considering they're size full grown would they be ok with pea puffers?


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## evil nick (Oct 20, 2014)

91BRGmiata said:


> Ok let me ask another question, how do the little pea puffers fare with other fish and shrimp? I've always been interested in them but never tried any, current setup is 29 gal low tech planted, other tank mates include 5 Siamese algae eaters, a dwarf gourami, a few AE shrimp, otto cats, and a school of 10 or so harlequin rasboras. Only reason I ask is because I absolutely love those AE shrimp, they tirelessly keep the tank clean. Considering they're size full grown would they be ok with pea puffers?


I have two puffers and I think they get a really bad rap. Mine are two of the most docile lax fish I have. I had them share their tank with a dwarf frog (two actually lost to I believe fungal issues), guppies (which I lost to adding one that brought dropsy from the store, their tanks were wiped out the next time I Went) and now a beta. 
The beta is more of a harasser than hey are. They keep to themselves and barely even bother each other. I will say thought I have put in ghost shrimp and they arent there anymore so I would be iffy on whatever AE SHrimp are. My LFS has some dwarf orange crays really cheap right now and I wont even risk it with that. 

Almost anyone else I ask who had them says the same. They are not as bad as people make them sound. Maybe its a matter of feeding. They know what the turkey baster and tweezers mean and as soon as I pull them they come running to the front of the tank. So maybe the lack of necessity to fight for food makes them more docile? Could also be that theres lots of moss and plants in that little tank. 

I thought of moving them to my 29 but opted out though as they enjoy their tank and even when the beta flares and tries to chase them they are to fast and Im beginning to think they stress him on purpose.

also if MTS, I dont think an assasin will help. They didnt in my tank. Mine actually died, prob of starvation or trying to eat each other.


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## leemacnyc (Dec 28, 2005)

What's the problem with the snails? They are an asset to the tank. Seems like over-kill


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## NotCousteau (Sep 25, 2014)

I'm going to be a broken record here and also say that most snails aren't a problem in tanks and will stay in very reasonable numbers.

My only exceptions are Malaysian trumpet snails, which I would avoid at all costs, and known-plant eaters (Columbian ramshorns, apple snails, etc.).


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

I'm just getting a lot of snails and if they continue to multiply (MTS) there will be too many.

I love my mystery snails and I somehow got ramshorn and I think pond which I'm not so fond of. oh, and I like my nerites.


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## sohankpatel (Jul 10, 2015)

There is no way to get rid of snails without drastic measures, i know i have pond snails, but my corys get all the food at the bottom, so i dont have any issues. You can gas them to death, or overdose a copper based medication. a Loach will demolish snails, so will assasin snails


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## Straight shooter (Nov 26, 2015)

sohankpatel said:


> There is no way to get rid of snails without drastic measures, i know i have pond snails, but my corys get all the food at the bottom, so i dont have any issues. You can gas them to death, or overdose a copper based medication. a Loach will demolish snails, so will assasin snails


Please make even some small effort to read the thread before posting. 

Don't ever overdose a copper medication if you want to keep shrimp in the future. In fact, don't use copper based meds at all, even at recommend doses unless you use a hospital tank.


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## Nordic (Nov 11, 2003)

Problem is, like them or not, eventually snails die. Then their shells just become unsightly in your gravel or substrate, and impossible to remove.

Always quarantine new plants, like you would fish. It's easier to spot and destroy a few hitchhikers than a full infestation.

Do keep something handy for squishing any snails you see in your tank.


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## Aquarium_Alex (Jul 28, 2014)

I was wondering this as well. I would use assassin snails, but I've heard too many stories of them eating shrimp.

Fenbendazole medication (for treating heartworms in dogs) is known to kill hydra and planaria at the correct doses. I hear it can kill some snails as well. What I've read so far suggests it may kill a few shrimp but not too many and does not affect fish, at the correct dosing of course.


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## bereninga (Mar 18, 2006)

Assassin snails can kill shrimp? I have a couple of them and they did a good job for a while. But I think they're suddenly tired of eating snails as the snails are making a huge comeback.


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## fishophile (Feb 6, 2012)

I'm not impressed with assassins. I have 5 in a 55 gal and haven't noticed any impact on my snail population. However there is almost always an abundance of decaying plant matter in my tanks. I have removed the assassins in my shrimp tank after reading that they may take out a shrimp once in a blue moon. No reason to risk losing a nice shrimp just to have a few less snails.


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## Jcstank (Jan 3, 2015)

I have MTS in my 75 and one night I shinned a flashlight in my tank and was alarmed at what I saw, literally hundreds of them everywhere. I purchased two rather large assassin sails and after about 4 months I shined a flashlight in my tank again and there were hardly any. You will also notice empty shells everywhere, which of course means they are doing their job. I also think the MTS catch on to the assassin snail presents and do more hiding. Ether way they are a worthy investment and are fun to watch as they go around hunting down snails.


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## sohankpatel (Jul 10, 2015)

Straight shooter said:


> Please make even some small effort to read the thread before posting.
> 
> Don't ever overdose a copper medication if you want to keep shrimp in the future. In fact, don't use copper based meds at all, even at recommend doses unless you use a hospital tank.


I said "drastic measures" for a reason. I admit I didn't notice that he mentioned that he had shrimp. No need to be rude.


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