# SNAIL INFESTATION> Assassin Snails on the case. Please Adivse.....



## Jobby75 (Feb 23, 2011)

as the topic suggests. included one pic. what variety are these and how do i get rid of them. removing dozens daily....







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## freshwater77 (May 24, 2011)

These appear to be the common Pond Snail. My mother had an infestation of these for a while several years back in her 55-gallon. My suggestion would be to get a snail-eating fish or two, such as clown loaches, or get a few snail-eating snails (the assassin snail) and sell them once you are finished if you don't want any snails in your tank. This website here (Snail Guide - Piranha-Fury Forums) says practically the same thing I did, along with other suggestions. You CAN continue to pick them out manually, but you'd have to inspect all of your plants, ornaments, filter pieces, etc. for the snail eggs (they look kind of like small patches of gel) and remove them if you want to stop the life cycle completely... I understand your tank probably doesn't have piranhas in it but this is the first decent resource I came to... I'll talk to my mother and if she removed her snail problem better than the suggestions I already gave, I'll let you know... good luck!! =]


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## graybot (Apr 24, 2011)

It's probably more trouble than it's worth to remove them completely. Basically a full breakdown and cleaning of the tank and substrate.

I thinned down my snail population using the lettuce trick. Place a piece of white lettuce in an area of the tank easily accessible by the snails for a few hours. I was able to get 15-20 adult and juvie snails out every 3 hours. Doesn't remove them completely but puts a dent in the population and slows the breeding down a bit. 

Unless they're completely overtaking the tank those snails are actually beneficial. They dispose of waste and dead plant matter..


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## Jobby75 (Feb 23, 2011)

graybot said:


> It's probably more trouble than it's worth to remove them completely. Basically a full breakdown and cleaning of the tank and substrate.
> 
> I thinned down my snail population using the lettuce trick. Place a piece of white lettuce in an area of the tank easily accessible by the snails for a few hours. I was able to get 15-20 adult and juvie snails out every 3 hours. Doesn't remove them completely but puts a dent in the population and slows the breeding down a bit.
> 
> Unless they're completely overtaking the tank those snails are actually beneficial. They dispose of waste and dead plant matter..


 No Surrender!!!


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

What size of tank is it? You can keep just removing them, and cut back on your feedings. I have found that when you feed to much the snail population explodes. Assassin snails are good and you don't have to get rid of them once the snails are gone. They will eat things like shrimp pellets and such.

Loaches will eat snails but you need to consider the size of the tank and you should never buy them just for eating snails, they also like bloodworms and fishfood. One snail that loaches won't eat is malaysion trumpet snails, the shells are to hard for them.


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

Yep, pond snails. They're easy for fish to eat because the shell is so thin, so even fish that don't normally eat snails will often eat these. Bait (lettuce, zucchini slices, etc) that can be removed, learning to spot the little transparent jellybean shaped egg sacs and remove them, and cutting down on the extra food (babies don't successfully grow to adults without available food, like algae and uneaten fish food) will cut your population down a bunch. Plus if you cut the amount you're feeding the fish you have may decide to chow down on these easy to eat snails, so its a double benefit to cut those feedings, maybe even incorporate a fast day or two into your week.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Jobby75 said:


> as the topic suggests. included one pic. what variety are these and how do i get rid of them. removing dozens daily....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Do nothing.

Literally nothing (other then perhaps adding less food).

I always get a snail bloom on my tanks which are always heavily planted. then a year later there are only a few left.

snails are self regulating, clean the tank, provide food for fish, and IMHO interesting to observe.

So IMHO the best thing to do is


nothing. *old dude


my .02


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