How Do You Fix a Snail Infestation in an Aquarium?

Snails in an aquarium are not necessarily a problem as they prove to be beneficial for several reasons. The snails will devour algae, dead plants, and leftover food. Therefore, they keep your aquarium clean. So snails are not a bad idea, you might be thinking. They are not, to be honest. But the problem starts as they begin to reproduce.

They reproduce very rapidly and without you noticing it. You might see one snail in your aquarium, and some days later, it will get itself, numerous other friends. You might be overwhelmed by the amount of which they have increased. Too much snail in an aquarium is not a pleasant spectacle at all.

If your aquarium is going through a snail infestation, you might be scratching your head thinking about what to do. In this article, you will find undemanding and appropriate methods to get rid of snail infestation in your aquarium.

How do snails get in your tank?

It will be surprising for ones who don’t know how snails get into an aquarium. If you are of the bunch, then your head must be revolving around how do snails get into the aquarium unless we put them in manually. For the snails to get into your aquarium no human hand is needed.

The most common way that snails can get into an aquarium is through live plants. When you buy live plants from an aquarium, snail eggs or even grown snails can be attached to them. So when you put it in your tank, snails will start to grow in number.

The snails find a way to your aquarium through fish as well. The snails are not stuck to the fish, of course. The snails or snail eggs have the chance to be scooped up along with the fish in the pet store itself.

It only takes one snail for a snail infestation to begin in your aquarium. The speed at which they reproduce is just unimaginable in a matter of days their population grows up to the highest extent.

Keeping the infestation under control

Having a small number of snails in your aquarium poses no threat to your aquarium. The snails will keep off the unwanted substances from your aquarium. Algae and the leftover food have no chance against them, snails will devour them before they even have a chance of affecting your aquarium. The problem arises because of their reproduction. They reproduce rapidly, and your aquarium will be full of snails before you even know it.

Although there are ways by which you can control this infestation. There are methods by which you can keep the reproduction of the snails under control.

Snail eating species

The easiest one is to add up helping hands to your tank. There is a multitude of species of fish that devour snails, and the snail’s shell is helpless against the snail eaters. Loaches such as the Yoyo Loach, clown Loach, Zebra Loach are very efficient in eliminating snails from your tank.

As they are bottom dwellers, they will dig the substrate in search of the snails and devour them effortlessly, making the only defense of the snail useless. Gouramis and bettas will also lend you a hand in controlling the snails in your tank. Get some of them in your tank, and watch them eat away the excess snail.

Decoy food for Snails

If your aquarium is going through a snail infestation, you do something similar to a mousetrap. Just like rats, the snails can be enticed using a decoy. The decoy you must use are veggies such as lettuce, carrot, and many other veggies.

Put the decoy in before going to sleep at night. The snails will be attracted to the decoy-like moth to a flame. In the morning, a bunch of snails will be munching on those decoys, and you can remove them manually. The decoy method is the most undemanding method to control snail infestation in your aquarium.

Using Copper Sulfate

There are also chemicals available to get rid of snails from your aquarium. The most used one is copper sulfate. Using chemicals is the fastest way to get rid of snails for they are made to kill snails. But you will have to strictly follow the methods mentioned in the chemical as chemicals are never good for an aquarium. Copper Sulfate will affect the fish and plants in the aquarium if not used in the right quantities. So resort to chemicals as the last option.

Cannibal snails

Similar to the snail-eating fishes, there are snail cannibals as well. Assassin snails are the ones that will eat up other snails in your tank and control the levels of snails in your aquarium. They will stay on the substrate and eat up the snails. You don’t have to worry about them reproducing as unlike other snails they need to mate to reproduce.

Give food in a controlled manner

By now you must know that snails feed on the leftover food as well. This is a matter of common sense, the more leftover food the more the snails will thrive in your tank. Therefore if you are overfeeding your fish its best to start feeding them in a controlled manner. Don’t give them more than what they need.

How to not get snails in your aquarium at the start?

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure you ought not to give any chance to snails to get into your aquarium rather than remove them after they’ve infested your tank.

The best thing to do is observe fish and plants when you are buying them. If you happen to notice any snails along with the fish or if they are attached to the plant, remove them before adding them to the tank.

For the eggs, you won’t be able to see them with the naked eye properly, or you cannot notice them at all. Eggs mostly come attached to the plants. To remove them, you will have to immerse the infested plant in bleach solution for some time. It will get rid of the eggs attached to the plant. Although, remember to rinse the plant properly before adding it to the aquarium, for you don’t want bleach in your aquarium.

So here you have it, it is not as hard as you think to control snail infestation in your tank. A small number of snails is not a harm to your aquarium. Algae and several other things will remain under control. Too many snails are what you would want to avoid in your tank. They will begin to cover up your aquarium by sticking in the glass panes if you don’t pay attention to the alarming rate at which they reproduce. Follow the methods mentioned, and your tank will be snail free.