I have hundreds of tiny snails in my tropical fish tank how do I get rid of them for good?

I've tried emptying the tank, cleaning it, even boiling all the rocks and stones and replacing the sand and gravel - the sods came in on some plants I once bought from a garden centre, must of been some eggs attached, as soon as i hook some of the snails out hundreds more have bred. Is there anything that they dont like to eat which would kill them?

I have hundreds of tiny snails in my tropical fish tank how do I get rid of them for good?
There are several ways to keep snails in check:





Several species of fish just love snails, for breakfast that is. The most common snail eater is the attractive Clown Loach, It will grab the unprotected soft part of the snail and literally suck the poor gastropod out of the shell. If you don’t mind me saying, this can be quite entertaining. In the marine tank, Pufferfish are good snail eaters and will crunch the shell of the snail and eat the soft parts. In fact, some people grow snails specifically to feed to their Clown Loaches and Pufferfishes.





Run some hot water over a lettuce leaf and just before you turn the lights out, tie a piece of cotton around it and drop it in the tank. It will sink to the bottom and in the morning you should find it covered in snails. Remove the lettuce, snails and all. Repeat until the snails are under control








It is important to note that most snail blooms are caused by overfeeding. In these cases, the only reason that the snails are overpopulating is because they are feeding on the excess food that the fish leave behind. Watch your fish when feeding, if they do not eat all their food after 3-4 minutes or less then you are overfeeding.





There are some commercial snail killers available that local fish shop owners might try to sell you. If used as instructed these remedies may well kill your snails. However, these chemical based solutions should be avoided because they tend to kill the bacteria that keep ammonia and nitrite levels in check. In turn, this may also kill your fish.





Prevention is usually better than the cure. If buying plants from a local fish shop and you don’t want to accommodate any hitchhikers then I suggest that you take the following action. Before introducing your plants into the aquarium, make the effort of soaking them in warm salty water. After ten minutes remove the plants and wash thoroughly. This should remove or kill any unwanted gastropod guests. It will also remove potentially harmful parasites such as White Spot
Reply:Some crabs are know to be snail murders. maybe get a few crabs to control your snail problem. another thing is talk to your local fish store maybe they will take them and give you store credit.
Reply:They aren't so bad. They acutally help eat a lot of uneaten, unseen waste, althought they do create a bit of waste themselves.
Reply:there is a treatment called "snail away" and should be available from your local fish shop
Reply:don't....they are really good for keeping the tank clean and will not harm the fish.....take a few out but not all of them
Reply:try removing all your fish and buying some loaches from your local petsmart. they will eat anything in your tank thats alive.


worked for me at least
Reply:Use a product by Interpet called Snailaway. It is fish friendly but will kill the snails.


the link below is just for your information as i don't know which country you are in. I am in th UK, Interpet is international.


http://www.atlantisaquatics.co.uk/acatal...
Reply:DON'T GET RID OF THEM! Snails help filter the fish's water. They fish poo, and all that dust and dirt in the air. They are good! KEEP THEM!
Reply:they eat the algae. good for the tank. but thats a lot
Reply:sell or give them to a pet store, they may not credit u for it but youll have them of ur back
Reply:do they have cone shaped shells and pointed at the end? if so don't get rid of them, they will help to prevent the substrate from clogging and generally help to keep the aquarium clean by eating any leftover foods. If you must get rid of them then try not to use chemicals 'snailaway' etc, try to do it manually or better still invest in some clown loaches or fish of the same family, they will relish the thought of snails for breakfast, dinner, and tea. take care and good luck.
Reply:Thats a really good question, im over run with them, i got one with a fish i bought and they've multiplied.Although they're annoying the snails help to create a realistic habitat for your fish, just keep the numbers down by taking them out, but you'll be fighting a loosing battle.


Good luck
Reply:ummmm





things that u should get some snail-eating-fish


i seen some myself


but i dont like fish


suggest sea-monkeys for pets you heard right


go www.sea-monkeys.com


jus don let snail come out of tank


or add colorine ok
Reply:I had that problem when I got my tank. The person that had the tank before me had snails and they are a pain to get rid of. I boiled everything and then let everything sit out of the tank and dry for two days. It worked. Also try Aquarium Salt.
Reply:well snails are good they clean the tank but if u want to get rid of them get a new everything u have in ur fish tank and a new fish tank and do something with the other one
Reply:You have pond snails also known as tadpole snails.





These snails are assexual and will breed like wildfire.





Option1:


Put lettuce in the tank and manually remove the snails that eat it.





Option2:


Get yoyo loaches


Kuli Loaches


Sid Loaches





Any of these loaches are fine, NO CLOWN LOACHES.





Option3:


Use chemicals





Anything with copper will kill snails, but than you won't be able to have any kind of snail or shrimp in your tank for a while.


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Personal experience, I have yoyos and they are great, grows up to be 3-4 inches. Also overfeeding can be a factor in the population rise of the snails, you can fast your fish and not feed them for 2 days.





Also, do not get puffers. They belong in a species only tank and will rip up any tropical fish.





New plants can be dipped into a phosphate bath and will kill the snails.





Pond Snails/Tadpole Snails, look like miniature conch shells.


Malaysian Trumpter Snails, have sprial shells, ranging from brown to tan with sometimes having spots.


Ramshorn are like a cinnamon swirl looking pastry.


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I agree on how snails help with waste and algae, but they also contribute to the bio waster. Snails will populate, and snails will die. Decomposing bodies raise nitrates. Be better off with shrimp than snails really, or ottos and plecos(get the best pleco to fit your tank).