Snails in fish tank

[andym]

A few weeks ago I bought some new plants for the fish tank and thought nothing of it, a couple of weeks ago I found a snail moving along the glass and again ignored it... yesterday I counted 5 (ranging from around 1mm to 4mm).
With the smaller ones I've tried flicking them back in to the water and some of the fish will look like they are about to eat them... then just turn away.

So, should I just leave them to it for now or get some snail eating fish to keep the numbers down?

This one is about 2mm
https://i.imgur.com/G4Fs3qy.jpg
and this one is about 4mm
https://i.imgur.com/D39wbzJ.jpg?1

One sitting on top of the rock not giving a fuck:
https://i.imgur.com/e2AJyRz.jpg

[MCN]

You can get snail killing chemical (I think).
Sometimes snails carry disease that harms fish etc.
I would get rid. Pick them off or chemical. They breed like fcuk.

I got Fresh Water mussels in a tank obviously from plants I introduced. I could never get rid of them. I don't know if they did any harm but part their life cycle is attaching to soft parts of fish gills. Not sure i parasitic or just hanging on for a free ride. Try to find info on those feckers.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[andyscooter]

I leave a few in there as they help clean the tank


did get so many once they blocked the filter propeller and you could hear it crunching them up
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[chris-red]

I think you can get snail eating snails. Then it becomes a bit like the old lady that swallowed a fly.
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[Hawkeye1250FA]

Assassin snails for the win.

Awesome name and they do the job properly. As stated - catch it early and you only need 1.

If you have an infestation, to need multiple assassins.

They dont breed so you dont end up with a tank full of "bigger" snails...

If you decide not to go that route - get some clown loach. They eat snails (Including the assassin snail! so dont do both!)


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[stinkwheel]

[Chinaboy]

You can nuke them with chemicals, but you need to do it several times to get rid of them all as the life cycle means that you already have mature snails that have already laid eggs. So treat now and again a week later and again and again until they are all gone.
Initially though, kill the ones you can see and then give your gravel a good cleaning (after treatment) with a syphon to suck up all the dead, they can if really infested cause anaerobic poisons and your fish can suffer.
If you are more confident with using chemicals, PP (potassium permanganate) will kill all snail life in the tank. (remove fish first)

for info: https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/articles/problem-solver-snails

Also look for eSHA Aquarium Snail Killer on ebay

[Minty]

Or just leave them be, they are good cleaners and will not grow big/over populate if you do not overfeed the tank. I have had a minor sprinkling of them for a bout a year now. They get to about 2mm in size and no biger for me.
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[Fisty]

[andym]

Thanks for the info... I've ordered some assassin snails now (partly because I like the look of them over the brown snails)

[MCN]

[Fisty]

[Polarbear]

[stinkwheel]

[andym]

[andyscooter]

how do you post snails
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[Rogerborg]

[Minty]

[Polarbear]

[andym]

[andym]

The assassin's have arrived.... a little groggy from the trip in this photo (not sure if they put them to sleep for the trip or if it was just the ice cold water they were in), a few minutes later and they are all alive and practicing their parkour skills:

https://i.imgur.com/Ld4MSqs.jpg

[MCN]

If they eat each other how do they transport them?
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[kerr]

Bit late to comment but clown loaches will eat them.
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