Snail issue

[Americancichlidsaredabest]

I have a huge snail problem in my 20 gallon tank. In the tank I have my mated pair of angelfish and two corydoras and what seems like a billion snails. I’m not sure how they got there.( I think through a piece of hornwort I purchased from my lfs). Any ideas or recommendations on how to get rid of the snails?

 

[Midwater]

Get a group of loaches. 20 gallons is not big enough for CL or modesta. But you might try half a dozen chain loaches.

 

[duanes]

Are these snails tiny, and cone like, with hard shells.

Or more circular with more easily crushable shells.

The later of the 2 are easily crushed on the glass, and in many cases will be eaten by cory's and angels.
The cone snails are a bit hard to crush, but can be baited, and when the bait is covered in snails early in the morning, pulled out and disposed of.
They can also be vacuumed out during water changes, and a glut of them usually means more vacuumimg of left over food would be a good idea.
During the day these cone snails usually bury them selves in the substrate. I find this habit a positive thing, because it keeps the substrate pliable, and slightly aerated, so in this way, it doesn't go anoxic.

Adding snail eating fish, to such a small tank, may be problematic.

 

[Deadeye]

If not loaches, you can always try a few assassin snails - they should do a good job with cleaning them up even if it’s not perfect.

 

[HarleyK]

Gravel vac and feed less. The only reason why their population explodes is because there’s enough food for them left in the tank after your fish have filled their stomachs. Everything your fish don’t consume goes to the snails, and that’s what snails do - they propagate.