Snails are a bit of a problem in tropical aquariums, while small infestations are nothing to worry about a small problem can turn into a big one in a matter of days. While some snails, for example Apple snails, are actually beneficial as they consume algae, it isn't very nice looking into your aquarium and only seeing your aquarium glass or decor covered with them and I've heard of many stories of people having huge populations of snails, often obscuring the front glass! This article will give an insight into types of snail, prevention and of course, how to get rid of populations of biblical proportions.

The main causes of snail problems and where they come from...

If anything is to survive, it must have a source of food. In an aquarium this food is of course detritus that has culminated in the aquarium and uneaten fish food which simply falls to the bottom. Keeping on top of tank maintenance will keep the snail population in check, no food means no snails. It's also important to keep on top of nutrient levels, in an unplanted aquarium, nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate will cause algae. This algae is just another food source for the snails. Cutting back on the food itself will also reduce snail numbers.

Snails are most commonly introduced to aquariums via live plants, they serve as spawning sites and places where the adults can leave their eggs. If you have a snail problem you may also have seen several small, clear sacs on the inside of the aquarium glass or on the decor and internal equipment, these are the egg sacs.

Preventative measures...

Before you add any live plants to the aquarium, I would highly recommend dipping them in a solution of Potassium permanganate. This should be added to the water so that it just turns it a pale pink colour. However be careful when handling this, it will cause burns on any surface that it comes into contact with, including skin and clothes. Always wear eye and hand protection when using this substance. It's also very important that none of this substance enters the aquarium, as it is highly toxic to fish.

Potassium permanganate can usually be obtained from chemists, however if you can't get hold of any then you can use copper (usually found in many chemical whitespot medications), this isn't as effective but it still does a reasonable job. As you probably already know, copper is highly toxic to invertebrates, this includes snails.

Types of snail...

Ramshorn snails (Planorbidae)- Ramshorns can be a problem due to their size and also their tendency to chew on soft live plants. If you have a planted aquarium then avoid these.

Apple snails (Ampullariidae)- These are pretty much harmless however if their numbers do begin to multiply rapidly then they can soon become a pest. Most apple snails that come in on aquarium plants are usually very small, often no larger than 1-2mm.

Pond or Wandering snails (Lymeaea ovata peregrai)- While not as damaging as Ramshorn snails, these can actually secrete a potent toxin which can cause fish deaths. If you ever experience this, carry out several large water changes and remove any surviving fish from the aquarium immediately.

How to get rid of pest snails in the aquarium...

Manual removal- This is fairly simple and is probably the safest method of removing them, however it can be very tiring and snails have a distinct ability of moving themselves into areas that are almost impossible to reach. Sometimes you may have to strip the tank down in order to remove them.

Natural predators- For many people, this is the first choice of snail removal. Many species of loach from the genera Chromobotia and Botia are known predators of snails, these genera include old favourites such as the Clown loach and the Pygmy chain loach.

However if there is another food source available the fish will become pre-occupied on this and completely ignore the snails, while smaller species of loach may have trouble dealing with larger snails such as Ramshorns. Others may just ignore them full stop. Clown loaches can also grow pretty big, so make sure you have a suitable tank to house them in the long run.

Chemical treatments- I can give you many reasons why you should only consider these as your last resort, one of them is that they usually do more harm than good. Owners of carefully planted aquariums should definitely avoid chemical snail killers as some brands are so strong they can burn through the leaves! Other chemicals have also been known to effectively strip the water column of dissolved oxygen, leading to problems with oxygen starvation and fish deaths.

A word of warning...

Once you have killed the snails, get them out of the tank ASAP. Dead snails will simply float around and do two things, clog up the filter intake and decompose. The results are usually poor water quality. Unless you have a major infestation of snails and are unable to keep their numbers under control, leave them alone.

Couldn't have said it better myself...

THANKS for the post Pleccy.

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Fish Tank Aquariums