# How do I get rid of snails in my sump?



## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

The never ending learning curve continues! The sump has been running beautifully now for about 5 months. With alterations here and there. Anyways, its a cichlid tank so I thought to try and help with nitrates I would add some plants. Well there must have been a snail or two on a plant or two because my sump is INFESTED with snails! A few snails could be beneficial to eat up some of the food that gets in the sump. But now there are so many of them they have to be why my water quality is garbage. I made a post about "dusty" water. Well the bottom of the sump looks like that's where the dust settles, and I looked at it for a good while today and I think the sump "dust" is just snail poop. And then it gets thrown all over my tank. And seeing how the snails in the safety of the sump. I can't even place a fish in there to eat them. What can I do???


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

With sponges you will never get rid of them in any natural way. Are they affecting anything?


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

The snails are making the water dirtier than the fish! I need a filter for my filter because of the mess they make. They have to go.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Try baiting them.Place some food(lettuce,cucumber zucchini,or maybe something for carnivores) in a jar in the sump.Just pull the jar daily and dispose of snails.My tank looks snail free all day,but 2 hours after lights go out the snails come out.Saw over 100 on my front glass last night(kind of couldn't believe it!),but keep the sump dark when you are "hunting" them and you'll probly have better luck.
No body likes copper and we know why,but a little copper kills alot of snails!


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

Ya I was thinking I could do something like that. Aren't their certain meds or plants chems PR something that are fish but not in very safe I could use on a small dose in addition to the jar trick? Or I know I can get an assasin snail or two. They dont reproduce on the same level do they?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Assasins won't reproduce nearly as fast and will eat left over food if they kill all the pest snails.For the most part copper is how many kill snails but it has many other effects on the tank.If you checked out Aubans trick thread you might want to try shutting off the sump and pouring plain unflavored seltzer water into the sump.He says it will gas them with co2 and they will suffocate,or all run to the surface where you can catch them.The effects of the seltzer would go away just like any other co2.I'll link to his thread.
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f2/trick-thread-50778.html
Trick #9 second to last post .
I think you should try the seltzer and report back how it worked!Just shut off the sump first.


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

I am definitely going to try the seltzer water! That makes so much since, I'm off tomorrow ill give it a try then. I'll have to be ready to make snail paste.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Yummy!


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## hotwingz (Mar 3, 2013)

lol I'm sure I cam send ya some if you'd like! I'm going to give my fish whatever you don't want.


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