How to get rid of snails in an aquarium: all working methods

Any aquarist with experience with time acquires a twofold relation to the snails that live in his glass houses. On the one hand, they seem to be useful - they eat up food leftovers that attacked the bottom, and (some) are cleaned of the glass of aquariums. On the other hand, most of these species are dirty, and sometimes the mollusks multiply so "brute-force" that they destroy green plantations, turning a cozy oasis into some watery desert. The snail melania is a special dislike of the "fish-owners" . How to get rid of a creature multiplying with cosmic speed? Moreover, she is also viviparous, so that her cubs immediately replenish enemy ranks. Other species of such fertility do not differ and give time to find a way how to get rid of snails from an aquarium. But to deal with this problem is, probably, all owners of the "pools".

The causes of the appearance of the "snail" problem

In many cases, aquarists first themselves plant these animals in aquariums. But sometimes they are brought in the form of caviar, with the plants bought in the pet store. However, no matter how mollusks are bred, they grow excessively due to the conditions that you provided them. In particular, due to irregular or careless cleaning of the bottom space. Settling in abundance of food and provokes rapid multiplication of undesirable inhabitants. So before choosing how you can get rid of snails in an aquarium, you should first get puzzled by preventing their appearance and reproduction. It will consist not only in "vacuuming" the bottom; The aquarium should be washed regularly, and the water should be changed in due time. Not eaten for 20-30 minutes, it is better to clean food directly from the surface, without waiting for its settling. New plants before planting in the aquarium should be rinsed in a weak potassium permanganate for ten minutes - this will kill the possible masonry.

With your own hands

Since it is very difficult to get rid of snails in an aquarium and can threaten the rest of its inhabitants, the easiest way to prevent them from proliferating is to control the population. If once a week to take out large specimens, and small ones to "shovel" about the glass (they will be eaten by fish), then the problems of overpopulation simply will not arise. The difficulty lies in the fact that hiding in the vegetation of shellfish is extremely difficult to get, and from caviar this method and does not get rid of.

Snail bait

It is less laborious, more guaranteed, completely ecological and absolutely free way how to get rid of snails from the aquarium. At the bottom of the tank is placed something attractive for these creatures: a salad leaf, a piece of cucumber or a banana skin. When a sufficient number of individuals creep onto the bait, it is removed and discarded. For convenience, the lure is put on the net loaded onto the bottom, so that it can be pulled out more easily. When the procedure is repeated several times, with interruptions of 2-3 days, the population will decrease to a non-threatening amount.

Snare traps

As some individuals, having eaten, with lures slide down and avoid the sad fate of their fellows, the more effective way is the huntsman's way how to get rid of extra snails in the aquarium. Some companies offer ready-made traps based on the fact that their doors open only inwards: the shellfish crawls on the bait's odor, and can not leave the "house". Advertising assures that the devices are absolutely safe for the "cultural" inhabitants of the aquariums, but their owners have repeatedly made sure that before the sluggish parasites in them have time to penetrate, for example, catfish. Therefore, they prefer to use self-made clothes. From the bottom of the plastic bottle is a bowl with a depth of five centimeters; Its edges are bent inward, in order to prevent the creeping out of the captives. To ensure that the structure does not float up, holes are made in the bottom, and for easy pulling to the sides there are attached threads tied to the cork. Inside is put bait; Fish, of course, will be trapped, but when pulled out, they will quickly escape from it.

Electrode

If the "clogged" water body is too large, it will be necessary to look for cardinal methods how to get rid of snails in an aquarium. All of them are associated with the risk of losing all living creatures in the "pool", so that when they are used it will be necessary to plant both fish and animals in another temporary dwelling. The fastest and without further consequences is the use of electricity. In the settled aquarium, where only snails and water were left, two stranded copper wires, each of which is connected by the second end to the batteries (even 9-volt ones), fall for three minutes from different sides. Parasites perish, and you will only have to wash the aquarium and return to it its inhabitants.

Chemistry to the rescue

It is used in many areas of human life - in plant growing, cattle breeding, and in everyday life. But we must always remember that the fruits of this science can be dangerous. No objection: chemical methods, how to get rid of snails in an aquarium, are quick and effective, but they can harm other living organisms that live in it. In particular, most zoopreparations for the destruction of snails contain copper. The labels state that it is harmless to all other "neighbors". However, the same shrimp such weapons kill no worse than snails. Yes, and for fish, they are not useful, so that all livestock will have to be planted, and the aquarium after processing - boil.

Many fish holders advise the use of salt solutions. They are really intolerable to snails. But many plants and fish also react badly to salt - you will again have to reboot the aquarium.

Biological mode: fish against snails

Of all the existing methods, the most effective, humane and safe remains the launching into the habitat of parasites of their natural enemies. It may take a little longer, but you do not have to restart the aquarium, nor risk your pets' health. If you are too concerned about snails in an aquarium, fighting with snails should be entrusted to those for whom they are prey. Among the fish, the most famous winners of this scourge are the macro - the cleaning of an aquarium in a hundred liters from the dominance of snails will take less than a week. Strong competitors are macrodods tetradonts; However, according to their variety, it is better to launch dwarf ones, because the breed is characterized by increased aggressiveness. Many gouramis, cichlids and bots are also suitable for combating snails. To prevent the restoration of an excessive population of shellfish, catfish-antsitrus are launched into the glass house: together with the growing algae on the glasses, they eat up and spawn.

Biological method: shellfish against snails

Certain problems arise if you have small and peaceful pets in your aquarium. Fish, which destroy mollusks, naturally, are predators. Often it becomes impossible to use them, as getting rid of aquarium snails with the help of natural killers means risking the life (at least - with health) of the precious fish stock. The same tetradons are aggressive even inside their species. Yes, and cichlids can well eat small neighbors. In this case, the snails with the gentle name of Helena will help. Their main diet is composed of other types of cousins. Considering that they move much faster than usual - after all, hunters - they do not experience problems with overtaking prey. And they also know how to ambush ambushes. And after catching the victim, Helen thrusts it into the soft part, under the shell, the proboscis with the "mouth" and sucks, like a cocktail through a tube - there is only an empty shell.

There are restrictions on the activity of these predatory snails. First of all, they do not touch too large individuals (which, on the other hand, is great - the ampullarians will remain intact). Any little thing is also "too tough for them" - the Helen simply can not put their mouthpiece into them. And most importantly - there are snails chelen expensive. I'll have to get stuck in the budget to buy myself a couple.

So, we told how to get rid of snails in the aquarium, all the working methods listed and indicated their advantages and disadvantages. Which one to choose is up to you!