Pest Snail Population Control, as told in testament by many

[bignellm]

When it comes to Pest Snail removal and eradication, you really have three options: Physical, Chemical, and Biological.

Physical:

You set up a bait trap, with pieces of Zucchini, Cucumber, or lettuce. You wait till it has some snails in it, then lift up trap and kill contents, smashing and scalding hot water work well.
In addition, use a wide hosed gravel vacuum to suck them out of tank, or a turkey baster.

Chemical:

Copper Sulfate: This will eradicate all invertebrates in the tank and make it unsuitable for any inverts for a long time.




toddnbecka, “The copper sulfate won't bother plants or fish, but will kill any shrimp or other small inverts in the tank, and the copper ions absorbed by the silicone will then slowly leach back out for months, making the tank unsuitable for inverts long-term.”

Biological:

The snails are breeding out of control for a reason. 1, there is a lot of food in the water column; because you feed your fish too much; And 2, There are no natural predators in the environment.

If you have a small 10-30 gallon tank, the two part attack of introducing a predator and cutting back on feedings, will have a tremendous impact on the population of snails in your tank. For smaller tanks, Assassin Snails have proven effective. For larger tanks, some baby Clown Loaches will eliminate the population. (Research tank requirements of a Clown Loach prior to purchase)

Testimonials:

To loach or not to loach
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=82889
Kill snails while leaving cherry shrimp?
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=83232&highlight=pest+snails
I might have a problem...
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=83116&highlight=pest+snails
Overpopullating
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=82647&highlight=pest+snails
Snail Math
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=79833&highlight=pest+snails
Snails! Really?
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=71062&highlight=pest+snails
Opinion on snail population management
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=71614&highlight=pest+snails
Assassin Snails are my new best friend!
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=70499&highlight=pest+snails
snail infestation? help!
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=48474&highlight=pest+snails
Looking for a small snail eater
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=53054&highlight=pest+snails
Invertebrates & Rid A Snail?
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=42747&highlight=pest+snails
What species is a "pest" snail?
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=37004&highlight=pest+snails
Snail Outbreak
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=29637&highlight=pest+snails

In addition to these few testaments, there are countless more. Please fell free to share your testaments about Snail Control Below:

[CrazedMichael]

Glad someone took my adivce. I think....

Great write up and much needed. Maybe it should be a sticky in the general Aquarium section

[Aeonflame]

A comprehensive compilation of advice. Good writeup.

[Lady Hobbs]

Good job! I stickied it for you and threw ya some reps for that one. I appreciate the division of paragraphs and the easier format for reading, too.

[Cliff]

Great write-up

Hopfully I won't need the info, but now have some good referance info when it's needed

Nice job

[gm72]

Really good post.

[kittyg04]

Hi,
I have a bunch of snails who inhabit the back of my aquarium, which is a 80ish gallon SeaClear System II, which I bought 2nd hand about 5 yrs. ago and sometimes regret. (It has a back section which has bio-balls in it and used to have a pump, but it had to be removed because the hole that it was attached to broke open, so everything goes on without it. Anyway, the "cone-head" trumpet snails that came from I-don't-know-where (the pet store) come out at night and cover everything. I think my clown loaches eat a lot of them, because there are so many of their shells mixed into the gravel. They don't come up into the siphon, and the AquaVac can't sweep them up because of the siphon screen. I have taken out bunches of gravel and hand-sorted the shells out of them. I'm assuming that this is the only way I'm going to get rid of them. Am I right?