How to Get Snails Out of Fish Tanks

Because snails feed on dead and decaying plants, algae and aquarium debris, they do a good job of maintaining the water quality in your tank. Some snails, such as the apple snail, are even popular pets because they grow to tennis-ball size and have bright yellow shells. When you have just enough snails to keep your water clear, they're a beautiful thing, but if you're not careful, they can take over. Even if you don't add snails to your tank, their eggs can hitchhike in on your plants and fish food. That's why snails can easily become a problem.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium net
  • Lettuce leaf
  • Small jar or shot glass
  • Snail-eating fish (such as a clown loach)
  • Snail-killing chemicals (such as copper sulfate)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Starve them. If your snail population is booming, the first thing to do is reduce their food supply. It's easy to overfeed your fish, and snails thrive on food that sits at the bottom of your tank. When you put food in the tank, your fish should be able to eat it in three or four minutes. If food is left over after this, you're giving them too much and you need to cut down. Scoop up the excess food and give your fish a smaller portion next time.

    • 2

      Use a lettuce trap. Like setting a mouse trap, you can use lettuce to collect the snails wherever you want. Wash a small leaf of lettuce in hot water and put it in a clean shot glass or small jar. Fill this container with aquarium water and drop it to the bottom of your tank at night. Check it the next day and you'll see lots of snails. Just take them out and repeat the process. After several days you'll catch fewer snails and have a handle on the problem. You can also use carrots, zucchini or fish food as bait.

    • 3

      Use natural predators. Loaches love snails and they're also a colorful addition to your tank. If you have a 20- to 30-gallon tank, three yoyo loaches will be happy in it, and if your tank is 40 to 50 gallons or more, you can add six clown loaches to deal with the snails. Since loaches kill snails by sucking them out of their shells, you'll need to scoop out the empty shells with your net. Puffer fish also enjoy snails and they eat them by crushing the shell in their mouth. A puffer is suitable only for aquariums with aggressive fish populations because they'll nip at other fish if they get hungry. Some puffers also need brackish water (water with aquarium salt in it).

    • 4

      Use chemicals. This is really a last resort because chemicals destroy the beneficial bacteria in your tank and can even kill your plants and fish. Products like Snail-Rid and Aquari-Sol contain copper sulfate and they're effective snail killers. Even though chemicals get rid of snails, using a little too much can be a disaster. According to AquaticCommunity.com, a safe level is 0.15 to 0.2 ppm (parts per million), and you should keep the water temperature at about 75 degrees Fahrenheit for best results.