# Getting rid of snails in a 1.5 gal?



## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

I bought a plant from my LFS, and low and behold, I got snails. These tiny little monsters multiply to about triple the population in 2 weeks. Any ways I could control them? They're too small for me to pick out, and throughly cleaning my tank only keeps them at bay for about 3 weeks. Is there any hope, or am I stuck with snails for good?


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## mec102778 (Feb 17, 2011)

You can weigh down a piece of lettuce and wait for them to hop on and start eating. Repeat till they are gone.

Let the water parameter go off so they die, add some non-invert friendly chemicals.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Dont add chemicals to the tank, with a tank that small you would be heading for a disaster. Do the bait trick with the lettuce or just pick them out by hand. You will eventually get rid of them.


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## BBradbury (Apr 22, 2011)

Hello Kehy. Good advice to use the lettuce. I typically just float a small piece. Lettuce is the preferred food for snails. They'll stay on it until it's gone, so a piece floated for 24 hours will net you quite a few snails. Just retrieve the lettuce and toss in the trash.

BBradbury


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

mec102778 said:


> You can weigh down a piece of lettuce and wait for them to hop on and start eating. Repeat till they are gone.
> 
> Let the water parameter go off so they die, add some non-invert friendly chemicals.


There's no way I can let the parameters get out of hand or do chemicals, I've got a betta living in there! And my tank is so tiny, it'd be insane trying to figure out dosing without killing stuff. But I might try your lettuce trick, that might work.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

You could always get an Assassin snail.... they eat all other snail types and are NOT hermaphrodites so it will not breed with itself. If you get 1 you will only every have 1, lol. It will take care of your snail problems. 

Just ask your LFS guys what you can feed it once the snails are gone.... probably blood worms or something your betta will like too. (Bettas and Assassin snails are both carnivores, so they will probably eat the same thing).


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

holly12 said:


> You could always get an Assassin snail.... they eat all other snail types and are NOT hermaphrodites so it will not breed with itself. If you get 1 you will only every have 1, lol. It will take care of your snail problems.
> 
> Just ask your LFS guys what you can feed it once the snails are gone.... probably blood worms or something your betta will like too. (Bettas and Assassin snails are both carnivores, so they will probably eat the same thing).


That's be a great idea, but my LFS is pretty, well VERY limited. They pretty much only have the basics, and no snails aside from the ones on the plants.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Is there any way you could drive a little farther to get to an LFS that carries them? Or could you have one shipped to your home? (I know how odd that sounds, but many people have aquatic animals and plants shipped to their homes).

Maybe your LFS could order an assassin snail in for you from a supplier? (I've had some smaller pet stores order me in some things that they didn't normally carry.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

holly12 said:


> Is there any way you could drive a little farther to get to an LFS that carries them? Or could you have one shipped to your home? (I know how odd that sounds, but many people have aquatic animals and plants shipped to their homes).
> 
> Maybe your LFS could order an assassin snail in for you from a supplier? (I've had some smaller pet stores order me in some things that they didn't normally carry.


I'd love to drive to the next biggest store, unfortunately, I don't have a car. I might order one, how much do they usually cost? And are they a freshwater/brackish/saltwater snail? I haven't actually heard much about them.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

I can't remember what my LFS charges, but I checked a few websites and they all are about the same: $6 - $10 bucks. They are a fresh water snail. (I've heard someone mention a salt water Assassin, but the ones I was going to buy were fresh water). 

They some times burrow into the substrate, so don't worry if yours does this. 

Do you have a filter on your tank? Fresh water snails don't need them, but they prefer them. The more water movement the cleaner their shells will keep. Make sure you have a lid on your tank as well, as Assassin snails have been know to 'wander out' of tanks with no lids, lol.

Do you know if your water has calcium in it? Snails need calcium for their shells to stay hard - not enough calcium and the shells will get holes. If your water doesn't have a lot of calcium you can get a cuttle bone, break a piece off since your tank is small, boil it for a few minutes to get the germs off of it, and put it in the tank. It will dissolve into the water, putting calcium into it. The snail may also nibble on it. (I'm sure there are calcium water supplements as well). You could take a small water sample to the fish store and have them test it for you.

Your betta shouldn't bother the Assassin snail. Sometimes they eat smaller snails, but if you haven't really noticed the betta pecking at your pest snails, then the assassin should be fine.

Not sure if the assassin uses a siphon to breathe air every once in a while. If it does, you will have to leave a little room between the water and the lid for him to stick his breathing siphon out to get air. (I don't know if this is how this type of snail breathes - you'll have to research that. I'm having trouble finding that info'). Some snails do this.... I'll keep checking sites and let you know if I find the answer.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

My tank is filtered, live plants, with a gravel sub, and a lid, my betta likes to jump. If the lettuce thing doesn't work, and I feel the need to get another plant, I'll probably get a snail too, but for now I'll see what I can do without buying anything for now


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Kehy said:


> and I feel the need to get another plant, I'll probably get a snail too, but for now I'll see what I can do without buying anything for now


Rinse your plant in tap water and inspect the leaves for snails or eggs before you put any new plants in the tank. (I forgot to do this and had a little tiny snail in my tank an hour later. Pulled it right out! Thankfully, it was the only one!)

Sounds like your tank is perfect for an Assassin! If you can find a way for the store to order you in 1, that would work great!


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

Update: I tried using lettuce, but even though I left it in the water for plenty of time, no snails on it :/. Look for an assassin snail it is, I guess


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## retiredsemi (Feb 8, 2011)

you can also try putting a penny into the tank that was how we used to control snails before all the new chemicals and treatments were brought out..*old dude 

25 gal planted tank
4 dalmation mollies
5 balack skirt tetras
2 cory cats 
10 ghost shrimp

15 gal planted tank
eight cichlid fry
two cory cats 
one clown loach

30 gal planted tank 
8 african cichlids
2 black stripe cats

10 gal planted tank 
one cichlid 
this is my quarintine tank


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

If you haven't gotten rid of them all yet - take a few pieces of that lettuce bait and throw it in a bag and ship it to me! I'll pay you for them - my Assassin snails are going hungry.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> If you haven't gotten rid of them all yet - take a few pieces of that lettuce bait and throw it in a bag and ship it to me! I'll pay you for them - my Assassin snails are going hungry.


lol, I haven't gotten rid of any yet! Apparently these snails don't like lettuce! But I'd trade you for assassins, I'd rather have anything but these annoying lil guys


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

would they take zucchini? I put some in for my otos and found some snails on it.....


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

holly12 said:


> would they take zucchini? I put some in for my otos and found some snails on it.....


hmm...It's worth a try.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

Update!
I think I might not actually have snails, instead I think I have freshwater limpets! They look exactly like the ones in the picture here: Bugs you might encounter in your aquarium

That would explain why they didn't go for the lettuce, and I glad to see that they don't really cause much damage. I haven't noticed any damage to my plants, so I guess the little guys get to live. Still ugly though, lol


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Sad days. Looks like my Assassins are going to stay hungry


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> Sad days. Looks like my Assassins are going to stay hungry


lol, wonder if they'd go after the little guys? I just can't catch any on lettuce to show you


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Dunno. They won't eat anything bigger than them (there's been a Nerite snail in my tank for years now and they leave him alone. He's 2x their size).


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> Dunno. They won't eat anything bigger than them (there's been a Nerite snail in my tank for years now and they leave him alone. He's 2x their size).


well, these are pinhead-size, tiny lil guys, like half a milimeter I'm guessing. They're just everywhere though, and too small to get all of them when I clean the tank


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## laxfanweeb (Mar 2, 2011)

try getting a crayfish snails are their favorite food. I had tons of little pest snails but they were in a tank with my two calico crayfish in about a week all that was left was their shells.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

laxfanweeb said:


> try getting a crayfish snails are their favorite food. I had tons of little pest snails but they were in a tank with my two calico crayfish in about a week all that was left was their shells.


hmm, never thought about that. But I'd be worried about the crayfish killing my betta. Also, this is a really small tank, and the only ones I can get around here are about 1/4 the size of my tank's footprint, but they probably work for a bigger tank


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## laxfanweeb (Mar 2, 2011)

yeah the cray would definately eat your betta, they eat anything and everything. When they get older they'll try to eat your fingers too whenever you stick your hand in the tank.


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