How can I get rid of snails?

4053 Views 32 Replies 17 Participants Last post by amcoffeegirl, Apr 12, 2014

Taiga

Discussion Starter · Apr 7, 2014

Hey guys, I recently received some plants from a variety of sources and was wondering what the best way to get rid of those tiny snails are.

Currently I have no substrate, I kind of just threw the plants into an extra tank that I filled with dechlorinated tap water (after a potassium permanganate dip 20 mins / rinse), but there are still snails around! I read up alot on different approaches on taking care of them and am leaning towards using Fenbendazole.

I don't want to use other creatures to kill the snails (clown loaches, assassin snails, etc); I just want to purge them all with a chemical bomb!

I have a few questions though.

- Is this safe for my plants? I have read that it is, but would like confirmation from someone who has done this so that I feel safe lol.

- Should I boil my filter media in my Eheim 2213 to make sure no snail eggs are there? I just started, so there is little to no cycling that has occurred, so killing of beneficial bacteria isn't really a problem.

- And most of all, will it kill the snails? I have read mixed reviews on how effective Fenbendazole is when dealing with the pond snails. Some say it kills them some say it doesn't.

- Also read about No Planaria as another option. Has anyone had any experience with using it?

- Are there any other chemical bomb options for killing snails? (I am planning on having shrimp later though so no copper)

Thanks in advance!

- Alex

1 - 20 of 33 Posts

Matthew RJ

· #2 · Apr 7, 2014

another question

I tried a chemical - a product called snail zap, and I think it took out a roseline shark.

If you have fish, I'm curious what people will suggest?

Taiga

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 7, 2014

Matthew RJ said:
I tried a chemical - a product called snail zap, and I think it took out a roseline shark.

If you have fish, I'm curious what people will suggest?

Thank you for your quick reply. At this time, I have no fish or invertebrates (besides those snails...lol), so I am open to all options that are available.

Kat12

· #4 · Apr 7, 2014

do you plan to have any inverts in that tank later?

Taiga

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 7, 2014

Kat12 said:
do you plan to have any inverts in that tank later?

Yes. As mentioned in the latter section of the post, I am planning on keeping shrimp in the future.

What I forgot to mention though is that I do not plan on ever keeping snails of any kind. So if the chemical option kills all snails that will ever be put in, that is fine.

dmagerl

· #6 · Apr 7, 2014

I just used No Planaria to rid my shrimp tank of snails.

You have to use the maximum dose for the maximum treatment time. it takes several days for them to all die horrible deaths. But you still have to contend with unhatched eggs so a repeat dose may be needed several weeks later.

You also have to be on your toes to smush any missed by the drug. I've been smushing teeny tiny ones for the last two weeks that I assume are newly hatched.

Didnt harm the shrimp one bit but it does make the water kind of yellowish and foamy.

Taiga

Discussion Starter · #7 · Apr 7, 2014

dmagerl said:
I just used No Planaria to rid my shrimp tank of snails.

You have to use the maximum dose for the maximum treatment time. it takes several days for them to all die horrible deaths. But you still have to contend with unhatched eggs so a repeat dose may be needed several weeks later.

You also have to be on your toes to smush any missed by the drug. I've been smushing teeny tiny ones for the last two weeks that I assume are newly hatched.

Didnt harm the shrimp one bit but it does make the water kind of yellowish and foamy.

Ahh thank you for sharing your experience on using No Planaria. It is unfortunate that it does not take care of the eggs as well.

Is there any product that kills the eggs?

Kat12

· #8 · Apr 8, 2014

Problem is most chemicals that will kill snails will also kill shrimp and getting it out of everything in your tank would be difficult.

AnthonyW8822

· #9 · Apr 8, 2014

You could pick them out and send them to me for my dwarf puffers

Taiga

Discussion Starter · #10 · Apr 8, 2014

AnthonyW8822 said:
You could pick them out and send them to me for my dwarf puffers

If I continue to have snail problems I just might send them to you lol.

Kat12 said:
Problem is most chemicals that will kill snails will also kill shrimp and getting it out of everything in your tank would be difficult.

Mmm, that is the main problem I've run into. I was hoping people would know some alternative ways to permanently getting rid of snails. So far fenbendazole is looking to be the best option (and safest). Has anyone used this to take care of snails before?

dmagerl

· #11 · Apr 8, 2014

I tried fenbenezole and it didn't faze them one bit.

Taiga

Discussion Starter · #12 · Apr 8, 2014

How much did you dose?

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Positron

· #13 · Apr 8, 2014

If there is nothing in there but plants, and you have co2, open up a needle valve and flood the tank with it. The snails will be gone in the morning

Bluebugs

· #14 · Apr 8, 2014

I know some people do not like snails, but I will never understand the logic. They keep food from just rotting, they break down fish waste into smaller pieces for bacteria and plants to use, and they can even provide food from some fish/shrimp (squeeze them against the glass and the shrimp do the rest).

I think that snails are just part of having a planted aquarium, you can minimize them, but eliminating them with chemicals often starts bigger problems.

I would suggest adding something they will have to compete for food with. This is cooler snails (nirite, apples), ottos, and shrimp. Less food for snails = less snails.

Oxl

· #15 · Apr 8, 2014

Bluebugs is right, my tanks required so much more maintenance before I let the snails proliferate to keep them clean for me. The trumpet snails are pests but pond, ramshorn, and apple snails have no downside as they self regulate their own population and keep the leaves and glass pretty much algae free.

brandon429

· #16 · Apr 8, 2014

I know something that can work

you have exactly a 50 50 chance

50 pct chance it kills the snails

and 50 pct chance it doesn't but it wont kill anything else

peroxide.

after having studied it in tank for about 5 yrs straight now this is what it comes down to, most snails are highly tolerant of it but a few absolutely aren't.

we know the dosages that are safe for nitrifying bacteria, actually its an astounding amount that would stress other animals first. bacteria have adaptations to harsh peroxide dosing and it is not the antibiotic its touted to be, it is actually a massively helpful aquarium cheat.

normally we fight algae with it in planted and expensive sps reef tanks, but all you have to do is take two or three snails out and put them in a cup 8 oz of water you dont dose your tank yet. see how many capfulls of peroxide it takes to kill them, log this, from it we'll develop a whole tank dosing scheme IF your snails are even susceptible to it at all, 80% chance says they aren't and wont die even with a large amount and then you can not use this method and move on.

if it does work, peroxide w be the best chem cheat simply because it leaves no trace as it dissipates. for questions about whether this recycles your tank you can see a huge thread by googling 'pico reef pest algae challenge thread' which is sixty pages of before and after tank documentation and about a thousand written pages of peroxide work.

for the ratios we might use IF your snails respond in a test cup to a few caps, it wont hurt plants either. thick cuticles and biofilm equal peroxide resistance.
add one cap in the morning if not dead in 12 hours add another cap
if these snails haven't died in 48 hours after you added 4 caps to 8 oz water then move along they are typically peroxide tolerant. shrimp are the sensitive ones, but after 48 hours no peroxide is left in the system anyway which is why its an excellent non residual cheat for many things.

Its a little known fact that peroxide use actually induces reproduction in corallimorph corals, you can literally use it to stress them into pedal laceration and they'll mutiply at an astounding rate compared to the unchallenged. conside this when breeding $180 polyp candy cane mushroom frags lol

I dont think your average brown shell round plant snails (gen?) will die. its just a shot in the dark and in cup testing you've committed to nothing in your main tank.

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dru

· #17 · Apr 8, 2014

I wouldn't add any chemicals to the tank just to kill snails. Want to get rid of them? Stop feeding them. Excess food / organics will cause a population outbreak.

These seem like drastic measures in response to pond snails. What if you buy new plants down the line? Drop another 'chemical bomb' on the tank? Embrace the snails, they earn their keep.

brandon429

· #18 · Apr 8, 2014

agreed, i think they'll come back they come along with each plant addition even if you dip usually.

what I used to rid my tank of them (didnt want them in the hundreds, liked my feeding schedule) was simply introduce a map turtle.

Kat12

· #19 · Apr 8, 2014

you can get snail free plants.

Taiga

Discussion Starter · #20 · Apr 8, 2014

I think many of you are missing the point. This isn't going to be a real tank; it is a holding tank and I want the plants snail free. I do not mind the extra work keeping the tank clean, I just want to have a supply of snail free plants. I am not feeding anything in the tank because it has nothing to feed, so I'm not sure why people keep bringing that up. The only thing I am planning on putting in is Amano shrimp so I can keep the algae under control. It's almost as if many are just reading the title and assuming...lol. That being said, I still appreciate the responses, thank you.

Also, thank you for the detailed response brandon429. I'll be sure to check that out. Not to forget Positron though, I will be flooding my tank with co2, thanks for the input. : )

@Kat12 its hard to find specific plants that are snail free. I figured people had a way to get to that "snail free" point.

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