How to get rid of Malaysian trumpet snails

[Leo2o915]

Before they start multiplying like crazy 

[Fish Folk]

It’s hard... once there’s a bunch visible, there’s probably hundreds of eggs already. In general, you can feed less and clean more. Remove what you can by hand and long aquascaping tweezers. Then, just before lights out at night, drop in a disc of lightly boiled zucchini. It will drop to bottom. Snails will find it and congregate on it. Then remove that in the morning, snails and all. Some people buy assassin snails... or puffers... but those options have downsides. For us, we’ve totally embraced snails. Love em! 

[TheDukeAnumber1]

@Fish Folk

Fun fact, MTS are live bearers.

[CorydorasEthan]

Mine had already started to multiply, and my one assassin snail wasn't doing his job fast enough, so I got three more assassin snails. It took them a while, but soon the assassin snails started to multiply (they lay eggs in the substrate) and built up an army of their own. After a few months, they had pretty much destroyed the MTS population.

[Fish Folk]

11 minutes ago, Fish Folk said:

there’s probably hundreds of eggs already

Well... @TheDukeAnumber1 has enlightened me on MTS... guess no eggs, just tons of tiny 🐌 

[MJV Aquatics]

51 minutes ago, Fish Folk said:

It’s hard... once there’s a bunch visible, there’s probably hundreds of eggs already.

Malaysian Trumpet snails are livebearers, so they don't lay eggs. They are very beneficial as they burrow in the substrate to do clean-up. Their population will be controlled by the amount of available food. Their value is huge as a collective member of your cleanup crew.

Once you have them, the only way to get rid of them (not advised) would be to completely change out your substrate.

Edited February 15, 2021 by MJV Aquatics
update

[Ryan S.]

Oddly enough just watched a YouTube video where the guy said he boiled the substrate and dried it out for a month and they still survived and are multiplying in the new tank.  Sounds like they are the roaches of snails, but way more useful!

[MJV Aquatics]

18 minutes ago, Ryan S. said:

Oddly enough just watched a YouTube video where the guy said he boiled the substrate and dried it out for a month and they still survived and are multiplying in the new tank.  Sounds like they are the roaches of snails, but way more useful!

I'm not sure how they could survive boiling that would cook them (eating not recommended) and since they are livebearers, don't see how they'd come back. But if one really want to be rid of them, you replace the existing substrate and discard the old. Maybe time to switch to sand anyway? 🙂

[Leo2o915]

4 hours ago, Fish Folk said:

It’s hard... once there’s a bunch visible, there’s probably hundreds of eggs already. In general, you can feed less and clean more. Remove what you can by hand and long aquascaping tweezers. Then, just before lights out at night, drop in a disc of lightly boiled zucchini. It will drop to bottom. Snails will find it and congregate on it. Then remove that in the morning, snails and all. Some people buy assassin snails... or puffers... but those options have downsides. For us, we’ve totally embraced snails. Love em! 

I don’t mind them I just cycled my new tank with a sponge from my 125 which is full of snails added it to the HOB so hopefully none hitchhiked or if they did just stay in the HOB lol