From Shirlie Sharpe,
Your Guide to Freshwater Aquariums.
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Have you seen the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Well Sheila has a nasty invasion of her own ... unwanted snails.[

Invasion of the Snails!
OMG the snails are taking over my tank. Will these creatures eat my beautiful plants for lunch? Ok, on a more serious note now, the few snails that I got when I put in my live plants have now become way more than I can handle. I have been taking them out with my net every day -- usually up to 20 a day.

I tried using lettuce to lure them in and remove them, but that just is not working. I'm really getting concerned that they will destroy my plants as they are everywhere. What would you suggest I try to get rid of them? I hope that all of you trying to change over to live plants are not being invaded as well. If so take note of the answer to this journal entry -- maybe it will help.

See you all soon, Sheila

Guide Comments
Sheila has one of the scourges all aquarium owners dread. Snails often come in on live plants, either as tiny snails that aren't seen, or as eggs attached to the plant. She has five basic options to rid herself of them.

• Remove them by hand - This may nor may not be an effective option. It's time consuming, and only works well when there are small numbers of snails to be removed.
  
  
• Trap and remove them - Pieces of fresh veggies or algae wafers can be used to lure groups of snails to one place. When the snails congregate on the vegetable or wafer, remove it along with the snails. Another variation is get a snail trap in which to place the bait. This ensures that the snails won't get away after they feast on the vegetable tidbit. Although the trapping approach works a little better than removing them by hand, if the infestation is severe it won't be enough.
  
  
• Chemicals - Chemical preparations are available that are fairly effective against snails. The downside is that the chemicals are harmful to live plants, and can stress the fish as well as the beneficial bacteria in your tank. Ideally, chemicals are the last resort if all else fails, especially in a tank with live plants.
  
  
• Tear Down the Tank - This is a very drastic option that I would not recommend. However, if deemed necessary, be sure to bleach the gravel, plastic plants, and rocks. Rinse everything very well and allow to air dry. That way you are assured of killing off any unseen eggs.
  
  
• Snail Eating Fish - There are a couple of fish that love snails. Pufferfish and Clown Loaches will eat snails voraciously, and are a great alternative to using potentially harmful chemicals.

Since Sheila has already tried removing the snails by hand, as well as using vegetables to lure them into groups, I'm recommending that she get a clown loach. Her tank is not overstocked, and she would enjoy a clown loach. The negatives are that the loach may uproot her plants a bit, so she will have to keep an eye on that. Also, clown loaches can get pretty large, and are happier in groups. Since Sheila's tank is small, once she no longer has a snail problem I'm going to offer to put her clown loach in one of my larger tanks with a group of his own kind.

... stay tuned, our series continues with some advice readers sent in to help Sheila with her snail problem.

My thanks to Sheila for sharing her journal and to for sending plants and providing Sheila with expert advice.