Do you know how to kill harmful snails in aquariums?

Kill harmful snails in aquariums - "Catch the enemy with bare hands"

Mixed substrate and

aquatic plants

Mixed substrate: Using mixed substrate of uncertain origin, especially soil from a bad source, can lead to the appearance of harmful snails.

Aquatic plants: Aquatic plants that are not sterile and grown in unsafe environments are also a common source of harmful snails. Snail eggs can stick to plants and develop in tanks.

Causes of harmful snails:

There are many causes of snail outbreaks in lakes

– Arising from plants that you buy that have snails or eggs in those plants that have not been killed with drugs

– The lake already has snails and cannot destroy all the eggs that are laid everywhere without being detected

– The water you put into the lake has snail eggs in it, etc.

– Snail eggs will hatch quickly in cool water, and aquariums often have low temperatures to suit mosses and plants.

Many tanks with chillers will have a snail outbreak very quickly.

Mixed substrate and aquatic plants

Mixed substrate: Using mixed substrate of unsure origin, especially soil from a bad source, can lead to the appearance of harmful snails.

Aquatic plants: Aquatic plants that are not sterile and grown in unsafe environments are also a common source of harmful snails. Snail eggs can stick to plants and grow in tanks.

Types of Harmful Snails in Aquariums

Bladder snail (Physella acuta)

Small size, maximum 1.25cm.

Dark or light brown, sometimes opaque white, with spots on the body.

The shell is round, tapering towards the tip.

Reproduce quickly, can break out in large numbers.

Red apple snail

There are two main colors: black and red (also available in pink and blue).

Maximum size is about 2.5cm, average lifespan is 1 year.

Reproduction is not as fast as Bladder snails.

Apple snails (Ampullariidae)

There are many types, with many different colors such as brown, yellow, white, blue, purple,...

The shell is round, slightly pointed towards the tip.

Size and reproductive rate vary depending on the species.

In addition, some other types of harmful snails include:

Ferrissia Snail: shaped like a snail, clinging to glass and leaves.

Ramshorn snail: has spiral horns, brown or yellow.

Nerite snail: has a thick, colorful shell, often kept as an ornamental.

"Catch the enemy with your bare hands", this method is quite laborious but many aquarists often apply it. Normally, when users clean the tank or aquarium, they also use their hands to catch harmful snails.

Avoid overfeeding your fish

You need to be careful when feeding fish, avoid overfeeding, which will not only provide excess nutrition but also create opportunities for snails to "reproduce" more, increasing the snail population in the tank. And of course, with the overnutrition situation, a "population explosion" of harmful snails will soon occur.

Kill aquarium snails by setting snail traps

You can place snail traps online to carry out a "trapping" plan to destroy harmful snails.

Suggesting to you the 2 simplest snail traps.

The first type is to place a large piece of lettuce in the tank, clamp the sturdy stem to the wall, then leave it overnight. The next morning, take out the leaf and you will be surprised at the number of harmful snails clinging to the underside. By setting this type of trap for a few nights, you will be able to eliminate quite a few harmful snails in the aquarium.

The second type of trap is to use banana peels as traps. Use a dark banana peel and place it in the tank at night, turn on the light. The next morning you will see harmful snails on the banana peel, remove them.

Kill harmful snails in aquariums - Use chemicals

You can apply some of the following methods to kill harmful snails in aquariums:

Aquarium salt: Use aquarium salt or kosher salt, dissolve, and wash the plant in salt water for about 15 seconds. Then wash the plant in fresh water before planting it in the aquarium.

Use alum: Alum can eliminate snails but is not effective on eggs.

Add some "snail hunters" to the aquarium

You can put into the tank some "snail hunters" such as killer snails, goldfish, blue-spotted puffer fish...

Conclude

Snails that are harmful to aquariums, although causing a lot of trouble such as being unsightly and rotting the leaves of aquatic plants, are also a natural part of the aquarium. The appearance of snails shows that the environment you created is close to the natural environment.

Don't worry too much about harmful snails appearing in the tank

Harmful snails cause us many troubles, specifically causing loss of aesthetics. Causes aquatic plant leaves to rot. But it is also a natural part of the aquarium, it shows us that the environment you create is close to natural, you should not focus on destroying it or anything! Just limit them to the lowest level and it's ok.

With the above sharing, let's immediately start killing harmful snails in the aquarium to return the ideal living environment for fish and aquatic plants in the tank. At Ken, the unit also shares a lot of useful experiences for aquarists.

- The aquarium hobby, a serene and totally immersive pastime, has grown into a beloved hobby for many around the globe. This fascination with creating and maintaining miniature aquatic worlds is not merely about the aesthetic appeal; it also encompasses a profound therapeutic effect that benefits mental and emotional health. In exploring the calming influence of aquariums, we look into various aspects: the psychological benefits, the connection with nature, the meditative qualities of aquatic environments, and the educational and conservation value they hold

Thank you for spending time reading and I wish you the best of luck with your aquariums, new or old.

Thank you for spending time reading and I wish you the best of luck with your aquariums, new or old.