Pest Snails in the Aquarium

There are several different snail species that are considered pests in the aquarium. The most common ones that create Fish Problems are trumpet and ramshorn snails.

They are not directly harmful to your fish, however they can completely destroy any live plants that you may have. For the most part, these snails are considered pests for an aesthetic reason -- after all, an aquarium overrun with hundreds of snails is difficult to see into! They also increase the amount of waste put into the water since they consume large quantities of food continuously.

1. Do not overfeed your fish!

Overfeeding your fish also gives the snails something to eat. If you give your fish too much food you will find that you will having a thriving snail population! You really only need to feed your fish once a day, unless they are growing babies.

2. Use vegetables to collect them.

You can easily get rid of large numbers of snails by using pieces of vegetables as a trap. Just take a piece of frozen zucchini or squash, pop it in the microwave with some water for a few seconds, and then toss it into the aquarium after you have turned out the lights. All you have to do is wait for the snails to start eating it - as a plus, your fish will benefit from the extra veggie treat!

3. Use snail-eating fish to your advantage.

There are quite a few different species of fish that enjoy eating pest snails. One of the most popular ones is the clown loach. However, keep in mind that clown loaches get pretty large so if you have a smaller tank you should pick a smaller species of loach. Please note that loaches are considered scaleless fish, so they cannot tolerate full doses of medication like your other fish.

For the most part, you shouldn't worry too much about having the occasional pest snail hitch a ride back to your aquarium. They do have the potential to overpopulate your tank pretty quickly, but there are also some very effective (and easy!) ways to keep their numbers down. That being said, please don't try to use snail removers sold at the store - while they are very effective at killing snails, they also seem to be pretty good at helping you kill your fish too!

The best thing you can do to prevent pest snails from showing up is to always be very diligent when you are adding fish - NEVER let any of the bag water get into your aquarium, especially if there is any loose gravel in the bag.