There's too many snails in my fish tank!!?

Question

when i first got my fish tank i just had one snail. then it laid eggs unexpectedly and i thought it was really cool at first but now all of them are big and they keep reproducing and now theres at least a hundred egg sac things in there and they're always pooping and i cant look in there without seeing like three pairs of snails doing it. and even when i clean the tank it gets dirty again like two days later and its kinda making my room smell bad. the snails gross me out. but i don't want to get rid of my fish. or kill the snails or something like that. I'm just sick of the smell and sick of looking in there and being grossed out. they obviously annoy my fish too. my algae eater has no place to stick to!. what should i doo?

Answer 1

take them out...and then put salt on all of them...it bubbles and fizzes

Answer 2

you know snails are a delicacy in france...

Answer 3

Give most of them away but 2 only good homes that you know who will take good care of them. You could sell them to a pet store or something and/or you could become a breeder and start selling them. That'll get you good money. I'd do it! =)

Good Luck!

Answer 4

Now, you can make a few bucks outta that. Put a little salt, a pinch of pepper, and yummmmyyy!! Okay, I'm joking, just take the snails out and put them in your front yard so they will go off by themselves hopefully and maybe you can give them to your local pet store.

Answer 5

Loaches are a good idea but there is a fish called spotted puffers there are cheap and almost impossible to kill. they should cost you about two dollars apiece full grown. Buy about 1 for every 2 gallons but you shouldnt need more then 6.If there are the small snails they will completley clean the tank of them . But if they are the small ones they will also get into your filter wash the pads off in a bucket with tank water in it this will help to get them out of the filter. WARNING these fish are mean so be careful once the snails are gone they will attack anything in there path. So once the snails are gone either keep them cause they are really cool fish i think or give em to somebody. Oh by the way try to figure out how you got them . Most likely you bought a live plant from a pet store and it had them on it. If so they should give you a discount on whatever you need to get rid of them and if they dont have it get them to put it in stock.

Answer 6

give the snails up for adoption,

Answer 7

If they're small-ish snails (like less than 1cm) and if your fish will be compatible with it, get a couple loaches (i.e. yo-yo loach) because they eat snails!

If not, just chuck 'em.  Maybe they'll start a snail colony in your (or your neighbour's...) backyard...?

Snails typically reproduce very quickly.  I used to have a bit of a snail problem but I got a Golden Dojo Loach and I have very few snails left!

Answer 8

That's weird

the snail I had actually kept the tank clean

Answer 9

a Clown loach will eat snails like crazy and a good idea if they are mystery snails or something, would be to give them to a pet store. If they are "pest" snails, like Rams horn or Pond snails, then unfortunately, your best bet would be to take a few out and put them in a separate container, and put a little aquarium salt in with the rest. Then when the salt has cycled out of the water, put the others back in.  I know it sounds horrible, but you haven't seen anything yet in regards to how out of control this problem can get. Right now though, reach in with your finger and scrape off all the egg sacs or the tank will be overrun and your fish will die. This is another solution to the problem, I know it sounds counterproductive, but get 1 large Apple Snail and let him loose in your tank. I had the same problem as you when I got my first tank, and my apple snail now eats most of the tiny baby snails! He totally keeps the population in check all by himself! He's awesome.

Answer 10

Scoop out what you can. Get a couple of Pakistani or Angelicus loaches to take care of the rest, it'll be like a freakin' buffet for them.

Answer 11

Goldfish (feeders) they will eat them  

Answer 12

Take as many of them out using all means necessary and sell them to France... or a pet-store, whichever takes the snails first.

Answer 13

i had the same problem. at 1 stage i had about 70 snails in my tank and they just kept breeding. the only thing you can do is to either sell them or get rid of them some other way. snails are supposed to clean the tank so I'm not quite sure what happened there

Good luck

Answer 14

Call your local pet store and see if they will take your snails.  Some Petco's even take aquatic life to adopt out.  Call and ask.  If this doesn't solve your problem (even after you give them away)...or they will not take em for adoption...then add a bit of salt to the tank...you can buy this at pet stores.  Ask for help if your not sure which kind to get.  It will kill your snails...but your tank will be snail free.  If you have live plants in your tank...snails love to eat these up.  Either way, your only two options are to adopt them out...check with friends who have tanks and ask them if they want 1 Snail...or to kill them off.

What kind of snails are these?

Best of Luck!

Answer 15

hahaha - i had this same problem!  i never got snails again.  they were EVERYWHERE.  sometimes i'd reach in and kill them by pressing them into the glass.  i.know.it's.sick - but - to anyone who's had a snail problem - ya do what ya gotta do.

as. for. the. loach.....

they'll eat some of your snails, and then they'll slowly murder the rest of your fish one at a time, eating the eyeballs and leaving a trail of fish corpses.

at least that was MY experience.... !

i finally solved the problem by switching the tank over to saltwater ;-)

Answer 16

WOW..i guess just try to give them away...