Advice needed!!

[Vistravi]

I have a 100 litre tank that we inheridated about 2 to 3 months ago. It's looking really nice and we are patiently waiting for the next additions to it.

But we have a huge problem with snails!! They are mulitplying so fast that they are trying to cover the plants. I've been removing them but its an every ending battle with them. I don't want them in my tank and they keep coming back regardless of boiling the gravel stones, cleaning the plants(we have plastic ones atm) and boiling the ornaments.

How do i get rid of my infestation problem?

[Dadie]

Have you changed the filters as the snail eggs can get caught in them...and its a nice safe place to grow and hatch in?
Remove the plants.
Change all filters.
Scald the gravel.
Clean/scald the whole tank....
Soak the plants in something that kills the snails...cant remember the name of it off hand...give it a fortnight before returning it to the tank.
Hope for the best
fingers xxed!

[Vistravi]

I did change the filter when we first got it but didn't think to do it now. That would explain why they have come back after the full clean up it had a couple of weeks ago.
I've done everything but change the filter and soak the plants in the stuff that kills the snails.
Will find out what the stuff is and give it a go as well as changing the filter.

[unicorn]

They also lay their eggs on the lid, we often find them there.

[Leanne]

A copper based medicine will kill them (white spot treatment has it in). Kills crustaceans too so don't use it if you have shrimp. If you have clear silicone it will dye it blue though :(

[orkneycadian]

I have a 1,250 litre tank and have never seen any snails in it. I think its the heating oil in it that keeps them at bay.

[oldchemist]

I have a 1,250 litre tank and have never seen any snails in it. I think its the heating oil in it that keeps them at bay.

Don't put Shell oil in it though.

[Leanne]

I've thought of something else that kills them - dwarf yellow puffer fish LOVE to eat snails! They would probably eat all of your other fish though too :( They are incredibly cute though!

The best thing about them is they make eye contact so seem like a proper pet and they will follow you around the room

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh22/l34nn3_k4ut/Picture1-2.png

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh22/l34nn3_k4ut/Picture2-2.png

[Red]

Clown loaches love snails... They are quite pretty too We had an infestation of snails in our 500-litre tank when we got some of the bogwood plants from a large pet supermarket in Wick. Four clown loaches soon had it under control...

[Dadie]

Quarantine everything new for the tank for a fortnight!
Thats what we do....it solves the problems with unwanted pests hitching a ride in new plants, and sickly fish (not presenting any symptoms at time of buying)
Anything that doesnt look right, doesnt go in the main tank!
The clown loach we had would only eat the snails if they were pre squished for him!

[Leanne]

Clown loaches also grow quite large so with put a serious addition to your bioload on a 100l tank - probably not advisable...

[neepnipper]

http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/fishimages/2903_assassin_snail.jpg
Assassin snails are really good at killing the snails you have, they sell them in Pets at Home, here's some more info:

The Assassin Snail is an ironic solution to the problem of snails over-running an aquarium, since it has the ability to hunt down and kill other snails. Assassin snails will hunt for any similar sized or smaller snail of another species and literally suck it out of its shell. They are of particular use in controlling the tricky Malayan Trumpet Snail, which can rapidly reproduce and overrun an aquarium. Even the other snails seem to know they are in trouble when assassins are added to the tank, since they can often be seen changing habits and heading up to the surface.
Assassin snails are reportedly not a fast reproducer, so one snail problem will not be swapped for another, and if they do reproduce at least they have value and can be sold on or given away. Once the assassins have cleared up any other snails, which may take some time depending on numbers, they will happily feed on debris and algae wafers although they are not a great algae eater. The assassin snail does not tend to eat its own kind and has a quite attractive shell, so a few can be an ideal addition to a tank in their own right, or as a method to control other snail populations.
No special requirements are needed to keep these snails and they will settle into most tanks without predators.