How to get rid of snail infestation in fish tank?

We got some live plants a few weeks back, and there must have been some snail eggs on their or something, as our tank is now completely over-run with snails. It's a fresh-water tank. Any idea how we can get rid of them?|||A friend of mine who is a veteran fishkeeper and plant enthusiast once told me that f I wanted live plants I actually also want snails because there is no way around them.



I do have some good news for you though: snails are actually good for your tank, and will help to keep the water clean.



The bad news is that most aquatic snails that I know Of are able to reproduce asexually, and breed and are born under the gravel, where you won't see them until they have matured and grown a bit. For this reason manually removing snails can achieve aesthetic victory, but it's a downhill battle: you simply can't eradicate them this way, and believe me it's dreadfully boring.



My solution has been in loaches. In our large tank (6'x2'x2') we keep 3 Clown Loaches. In my smaller 2' tank (recently upgraded to 3.5') I've kept Yoyo Loaches (Botia almorphae) which are amazing at keeping snail numbers down. They eat them as they see them, so while the snails are still there they aren't bothering you by being visible, and you get happy, fat loaches for your trouble.



Bear in mind that Clown Loaches will grow up to 1' long, and so can't be kept in small tanks for long. This is why I went with the Yoyos, a much smaller variety of loach (max size of up to 6"). One downside to my Yoyos has been that they are as Efficient at dispatching fry as they are at dispatching snails, do they aren't a good solution if you are trying to breed your fish.



If your tank is too small even for Yoyos, there are other small species of loach, like the dwarf chain loach or khuli loach (sometimes called the coolie loach - eel like in appearance) which you might look up, but I have no personal experience with them and snails.





EDIT: whups, Yoyos grow to six *inches*, not six *feet*. lol.|||I've been dealing with this problem in one of my tanks too. I don't want to tear it down as it is a very established planted tank, plants and fish are doing great. So I use a turkey baster to suction them up between water changes/cleanings. When I see them on the plants or glass i just suck em up...dump them in the yard.. I started out with more than a hundred a day.. but now after a few weeks or so I only find one or two a day..





Keep a watch out for eggs on the glass too. they lay a semi circle shape of eggs enclosed in jelly like stuff.





Other options I hear -





Put some veggies/lettuce in a container at night, remove in the morning and discard whatever snails are attached to it.





Get a clown loach if your tank is suitable for one. They love to eat them.





Get an assassin snail. I've heard they will keep thm down.|||I hope you have learned from this mistake. You can get rid of them in time by cleaning, but next time, when you add something to your tank, please quarantine it first. Who knows what kind of diseases these plants or other objects may carry.|||Go back to the store where you purchased the plants. See if they would like some of the snails back. If not, ask them what kind of fish enjoys Escargo and get one or two.|||I have herd that assassin snails will eradicate other kinds of snails from a tank but I have never found a source to buy them.|||You simply need to start cleaning them out and throwing them away. It may take a little while, but there is no real quick fix.|||put a pice of cucumber carrot in the tankover night you will be amazed at how manny flock to it !





then just throw it away !|||A green puffer will make breakfast lunch and dinner out of them.