I have been keeping snails with fish in aquariums for a long time. From my experience, I can say that everyone like me keeps snails to clean the aquarium waste and enhance its beauty. A small number of snails can be beneficial for the aquarium, but if there are more than necessary, they can become harmful. In that case, it’s important to know how to remove snails from an aquarium.
I have discussed the methods I used to grow snails in my aquarium so that those who have issues with excessive snail growth can benefit.
Where do unwanted snails come from?
There are some snails that we do not keep in our aquariums, but they come into our tanks, breed, and spoil the environment. All these snails come from other aquariums. When we take decorations, gravel, fish, etc., from other aquariums and put them in our aquarium without quarantine, snail eggs or larvae-like life forms come along with the decorations, gravel, or fish and breed in our aquarium.
Overgrown snails
Bladder snails, and tadpoles: These are the most common snails, and they breed very quickly. They have small, round shells and grow to about the size of a pea. They lay eggs on surfaces like decorations, plants, and tank glass, which easily hatch and breed.
Trumpet snails: They have elongated shells and grow to about an inch in length. They can be difficult to spot when the aquarium is lit because they burrow into the gravel during the day and emerge in the dark. Trumpet snails, like bladder snails, are fast breeders, but they are live-bearing and do not lay eggs.
How to Remove Snails from an Aquarium
Method 1: Manual Removal
If the snails in the aquarium are few in number or have just started to appear, you can remove them one by one by hand or use a fish net available at aquarium stores.
Method 2: Snail Trap
There are many types of snail traps available commercially, or you can use an empty container that sinks to the bottom of the tank. Place some lettuce leaves or cucumber slices in the trap or container and keep it in the tank in the evening. At night, the snails will come to the trap or container for food, and by the next morning, you will find many snails in the trap. Remove it before daylight. Repeat this method for several days to eliminate a large number of snails.
Method 3: Keeping Snail-Eating Fish
Some freshwater aquarium fish eat snails. You can keep these fish in your aquarium to reduce the snail population. Here are a few fish to consider:
- Betta: Many bettas will eat small snails. However, ensure that the environment is suitable for bettas to prevent stress or health issues.
- Freshwater Puffer Fish: Puffers help reduce the snail population. They have strong beaks that can crush snail shells, though they require specific care and need to be moved to saltwater as they mature.
- Clown and Yo-Yo Loaches: Loaches prey on snails of all sizes. They dig into the substrate and uproot snails hiding in the gravel. They are larger in size, so a 40-50 gallon tank or larger is ideal.
- Goldfish: If you consider using goldfish to control snails, remember that goldfish are unsuitable for tropical aquariums long-term. You can add them to the tank for a few hours weekly, but this method is not highly recommended.
- Cory Fish: Cory fish won’t eat snails directly, but they will consume snail eggs, helping to control the snail population. However, they may not reach all the eggs if the eggs are deeply hidden.
Method 4: Killer Snail Breeding
Killer snails resemble ordinary snails but prey on smaller snails. A group of killer snails can reduce pest snails within a few weeks. They are easy to keep.
Method 5: Chemical Treatment
If the methods above do not solve the problem, you can use a chemical treatment. Many chemicals can quickly remove snails from the aquarium, but this method is not recommended due to its drawbacks. Chemical treatments kill other invertebrates in the tank, including shrimp if they are present.
Prevention methods:
Quarantine: Before moving any new plants, filters, or other equipment from one tank to another, quarantine them so that no snail eggs or larvae can enter the tank. First, manually remove all snails and snail eggs and place them in a vinegar solution to kill their larvae. Snail eggs can take 1–4 weeks to hatch, so this process requires some patience. When you add new fish to your tank, do not add any additional water or ingredients from the bag, and make sure to quarantine the fish before adding them.
Avoid overfeeding: Overfeeding your fish causes leftover food to rot and create food for snails, which snails can easily eat and multiply. If you feed your fish their full amount of food, there will be no extra food left, which will reduce the food supply for the snails, so they will not be able to multiply quickly. Do not just give them food; feed the fish in small amounts slowly so that they can eat before the food sinks. Leaving too much food will cause it to sink to the bottom and create food for the worms.
Control algae: A little algae in the aquarium is good for the environment, but too much of it can ruin the aquarium and provide a food source for snails, which can improve the health of the snails and help them reproduce. To reduce the proliferation of snails, algae should be controlled.
Change the water regularly: To maintain a healthy aquarium, regular water changes are necessary. Water changes cause snails to have a food shortage as chemicals from fish waste, decayed food, and plant matter leach out of the tank. Due to the food shortage, the snails cannot reproduce. Moreover, keeping the water clean provides a healthy environment for the fish.
Waste vacuum: When vacuuming gravel, small snails get trapped in dirt and debris, which reduces the number of snails in the aquarium. Since the dirt and debris are removed during vacuuming, the snails are starved for food, become sick, and die.
Are snails necessary for an aquarium?
There are many snails that are actually beneficial for your tank. If there are only a few in the aquarium, they act as scavengers, cleaning up excess food, waste, and debris. They also help keep the tank clean by eating some of the algae. The problem begins when their numbers exceed the necessary limits. Snails breathe, produce waste, and, when they die, decompose, which is harmful to the aquarium. They are considered pests and need to be removed.
Suitable snails for aquariums:
Ramshorn snail: Ramshorn snails grow to the size of a dime and have long shells. They lay their eggs on the tank, on decorations, and on plants. They are attractive to look at, which is why they are kept in aquariums to enhance their beauty. They do not breed quickly, so keeping them in aquariums is not a problem.
Mystery snails: Mystery snails are freshwater snails, and they are very popular in aquariums because they help keep the container clean and are attractive to look at. They are peaceful and can adapt well to cold water temperatures. Mystery snails lay their eggs on the surface of the water to give birth to young. Their reproduction rate is low; they hatch within about 2–4 weeks of laying. More here
