How to Get Rid of Snails in Aquarium – Snails are common in our aquariums and are beneficial for the balance of the aquarium. However they reproduce very quickly and we can quickly find themselves invaded! This article introduces some effective methods to limit or eliminate snails in the aquarium.
The snails participate in the ecological equilibrium of the aquarium, eliminating leftover food and algae, and stirring the gravel of the bottom which fluffs and promotes the growth of the plants. The problem with some species is that they reproduce very quickly and can literally invade the aquarium. The snails are then visible on the scenery, the plants, and their excrements cover the entire aquarium. The real challenge, we understand it well, is to regulate the population of snails to take advantage of their qualities while avoiding overpopulation.
Snails are most of the time introduced into the aquarium by plants, gravel or decoration items purchased or taken in another container. Snails are sometimes too small to be seen with the naked eye, or then still in the state of tiny larvae, or even a bunch of translucent eggs glued all over. Unless you treat everything with great detail before the introduction into the aquarium, it is almost inevitable to introduce snails.
Snail-eating fish
For most situations, it is the solution that will require the least amount of energy from you. The results vary depending on the type of fish, the food you bring to it, and the species of snails present in the aquarium. The most famous snail-eating fish are cichlids from Malawi, varieties of gouramis, varieties of bettas, and most of the Botias, including the famous Loche clown (a flat, the latter can only live in very large aquariums).
The manual technique
It is simply a matter of removing the snails that you will be able to see. It is the most practiced and it has the advantage of being effective immediately. As with the snails in the garden, one can easily attract, group and catch the snails of the aquarium by leaving a
leaf of lettuce or spinach, boiled, at the bottom of the aquarium all night. The next day it should be covered with snails. We also find small snail traps in stores that are filled with food and that work very well.
Do not overdose fish food!
Snails reproduce very quickly. Their number explodes in a few weeks, but they have the property to stabilize their number according to the food limit they get to find. This means in clear that if you feed the fish without excess so that there are only very few leftovers after the meal, then the snails will no longer have food intake, and eventually, their number decreases visibly.
Chemical treatments
Chemical treatment is for sale at most aquarium stores. Although they are very effective, these treatments are also dangerous for fish and plants. And even if they were not said to be dangerous, the brutal death of all snails entails the decomposition of all this organic matter, and the consequences are very detrimental to the aquarium with peaks of nitrite. These products can also destroy the bacteria colonies in your filter. In the case of use of such products, dispose of residues with activated charcoal after treatment, and above all monitor the evolution of water parameters, nitrites, nitrate, ammonium, in the following days and weeks.
As a last resort: Complete cleaning
As a last resort, you can completely remake the aquarium. The soil, the decor, the plants, the filter, the windows and all the elements of the aquarium must be changed or treated and cleaned with bleach. Snails, their eggs, and larvae resist long without water and are very difficult to eliminate.
