Snails be gone

[Artt]

I was recently giving a second hand setup that was riddled with snails.
I've emptied the whole thing removed the old gravel. Disposed of all the filter media, dosed it with vinegar and run it for a day after dismantling and cleaning everything. The tank sat empty for 2 days dry to the best of my ability and after a refill I still have snails...

Is there something I can dose it with that will kill the remaining ones and any eggs?
The filter is designed in a way that I can not physically remove it from the tank to clean it and can not get it completely dry.

Any advice would be appreciated ?

 

[kno4te]

Can try copper with repeat dosing.

 

[Rass]

What kind of snails are we talking about? Most are beneficial and they'll only populate to the level of the food that is available. Also leaving the tank to dry for longer would eventually work. At some point all moisture would evaporate.

 

[twentyleagues]

Yeah I don't understand the bad rap snails get. Most are just going to consume uneaten food, algae, dead things. Some are plant eaters, not many that will eat healthy plants that are considered "pest" snails. The ones that eat plants you usually have to pay for, then find out "oh it ate all my blah blah plant". I don't know of a fresh water snail that eats or attacks fish.....
Not sure the rampant disdain for these helpful little critters?

 

[fishhead0103666]

Well if you want it to be fast there’s bleach however if you have time you could try assassin snails if you are willing to set it up and be patient. Alternatively you could try the lettuce trick. Preferably at night you get a piece of lettuce, stab it with a fork, toss it in, wait a few hours, then remove it and it should be covered with snails.

 

[Rass]

I have 5 different varieties of snails in pretty much all my tanks, never paid for one. They all came from buying plants once I started getting into planted tanks. I just let them run wild in all my tanks to whatever numbers they balance out at. Never seen a single negative effect from having them. They are great for cleaning up fish food that the fish dont eat or small pieces that get into the gravel after bigger fish chew it up. You can feed heavily and you dont have to worry about excess leftover food in the tank. Plus some stir your substrate keeping that healthy, and aerated and further breaking down waste.

 

[Artt]

Well if you want it to be fast there’s bleach however if you have time you could try assassin snails if you are willing to set it up and be patient. Alternatively you could try the lettuce trick. Preferably at night you get a piece of lettuce, stab it with a fork, toss it in, wait a few hours, then remove it and it should be covered with snails.

Assassin sails are not legally here.

 

[Artt]

Yeah I don't understand the bad rap snails get. Most are just going to consume uneaten food, algae, dead things. Some are plant eaters, not many that will eat healthy plants that are considered "pest" snails. The ones that eat plants you usually have to pay for, then find out "oh it ate all my blah blah plant". I don't know of a fresh water snail that eats or attacks fish.....
Not sure the rampant disdain for these helpful little critters?

Normally wouldn't mind leaving them however if you stroll 20 metres down my road there is a wet lands reserve at the end of it. With small pockets of wetland reserves all around my area. We are subject to flash floods here and since all of my tanks get drained out on to my garden during a water change I don't want to introduce anything invasive.

As for the type I have, pond snails and Malaysian Trumpet Snails.

 

[jjohnwm]

Congrats on your responsible attitude; I consider myself a fan of snails, but if I ran the risk that you do I wouldn't want them either. I use my excess snails as treats for my musk turtle, and have several fish which relish them when crushed as well. I got several Assassin snails a year or two back, and although they gradually reduced the population there are still plenty left...and now the Assassins are breeding....

Copper works but may remain in residual amounts which will cause problems down the road if you ever decide to try shrimp or other invertebrates. Bleach works, but only if you are absolutely ruthless in making sure that it goes everywhere; if there is even a chance that some hidden pocket escapes treatment, you can rest assured that one or more snails will take refuge there and then re-populate, making your entire effort useless. Bleach also is nice because it rinses and evaporates completely and without residue.

Honestly, if I had this goal...the complete elimination of snails in a tank...I would just empty it, clean it as thoroughly as possible (maybe with bleach) and then leave it to go completely, 100% bone dry. I'm not sure what kind of filter you have but all it takes to dry it out is sufficient time, good air flow and perhaps added heat to help with the drying process. Of course, you won't be using that tank for at least several weeks...but when you do it will be snail free.

 

[twentyleagues]

Normally wouldn't mind leaving them however if you stroll 20 metres down my road there is a wet lands reserve at the end of it. With small pockets of wetland reserves all around my area. We are subject to flash floods here and since all of my tanks get drained out on to my garden during a water change I don't want to introduce anything invasive.

As for the type I have, pond snails and Malaysian Trumpet Snails.

Yes that is a responsible answer. And one I can get behind. I'd say bleach would do it for sure. I have no idea how long snail eggs remain viable out of water. Could be hours or months you will need to destroy them.