One of the unwanted inhabitants of the aquarium is the snail. Snails (or their eggs) enter the aquarium through live plants, aquarium decorations transferred from another tank that are wet and have not been cleaned, from bags of new fish, or from nets transferred from another aquarium. One snail can produce a large population. These mollusks (soft-bodied and hard-shelled animals) can reproduce quickly and fill the aquarium in a short time. Getting rid of these animals does take a lot of time and effort, but it's worth it as you'll have a clean aquarium without slugs.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Removing Snails from the Aquarium
Step 1. Avoid overfeeding the fish
Overfeeding can make the snail population soar. Try to reduce the amount of food given to the aquarium inhabitants (only give enough for the fish for each meal). Check to see if this action can address the overpopulation of snails.
Step 2. Kill the snails using chemicals
Usually, the chemical that is safe for fish and can be used to kill snails is copper sulfate. Be careful when using it, and follow the instructions on the package to keep the fish alive when this material is added to the aquarium. Usually, this material will kill a lot of snails so they can contaminate the aquarium. If this happens, take the time to remove the dead snails and change the water to keep the aquarium healthy for the fish and plants living in it.
Step 3. Place the snail trap into the aquarium
You can buy snail traps online or at pet stores. You can also make a very simple trap, by placing a large lettuce in the tank, then pinching the tough stems of the lettuce against the edge of the tank, and leaving it overnight. Take the lettuce the next morning, and you'll find lots of snails lying on the bottom of the tank. Do this for several nights to kill a large number of snails.
You can also pick up any snails that are seen in the aquarium. This is very effective when the number of snails is not too large. However, snails are nocturnal animals (activities at night) so you will have a little difficulty doing this
Step 4. Put the predator snail into the aquarium
You can add scavengers to your tank to eat snails. If you have a small aquarium, try using zebrafish or dwarf chain. For larger aquariums, you can include a clown loach or pictus catfish.
Killer snails (assassin snails) can also eat other types of snails. This snail is very slow in reproducing so it will not cause problems like other snails
Step 5. Try some other methods
You can use various methods to get rid of these pests from the aquarium. Since snails can fill an aquarium quickly, the top priority is to get rid of them. You may need to try several methods to get rid of the snails that invade the aquarium.
Step 6. Clean everything
If the situation is really out of control or you want to clean it thoroughly, do a complete clean of the tank. This means you have to remove everything inside, from the pebbles to the decorations to the plants. Drain the water, then clean and dry everything before you put it back in the tank.
Method 2 of 2: Prevent Snail Invasion
Step 1. Check all objects that enter the aquarium
Preventing snails from getting into the tank can save you a lot of time and free you from trouble. Check live plants or decorations for snails or their eggs before placing them in the tank. Remove any snails or eggs found before you put objects into the tank.
Step 2. Quarantine objects before you place them in the aquarium
Prepare a special aquarium to quarantine live plants before adding them to the aquarium. Leave the plant in the quarantine tank for a few weeks and remove any snails found.
Step 3. Dip all aquarium additives in the snail-killing solution before placing them in the tank
Snails and their eggs will die if you dip your aquarium plants in a bleach solution. Make a solution by mixing 1 part bleach to 19 parts water, which is the equivalent of 3/4 cup bleach to 4 liters of water. Immerse the plant in this solution for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and rinse thoroughly under running water for up to 5 minutes.
- This action can make certain plants suffer a bit. So, yet this method is safe for some plants.
- You can also place the plant in a slug repellent made of a mixture of aluminum sulfate and water. Mix 2-3 teaspoons of aluminum sulfate with 4 liters of water, then stir until dissolved. Soak the plant in this mixture and let it stay there for at least 2-3 hours, but not more than 24 hours. Next, take the plant and rinse it thoroughly before adding it to the tank.
Tips
- It's okay if you leave a small number of snails in the tank. Because including the type of scavenger, snails can also be useful.
- The snail that most often invades the aquarium is the Malaysian trumpet snail (Malaysian trumpet snail). These snails usually live under the gravel of the aquarium and are very active at night. You probably won't notice a problem until you see a bunch of slugs that look like moving pebbles. Apple snails can also reproduce quickly and fill the aquarium.
- Some types of fish can be fed with small snails.
- Some vendors provide live plants that are free of snails. So, if possible, look for live plants that are free of slugs.
