Snail Trap

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#1
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
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Northern NJ
#1
Are there any good DIY snail traps I can make?

I tired using the zucchini /cucumber slice method, and the algae wafer method, but not many of my snails react. also my shrimp and otos get to those and sit on them for the majority of the night, discouraging the snails.


I have around 200+ mini apple snails and ramshorns in my 10 gallon tank, and I need a good snail trap idea...
I'm thinking of trying out this one:

what could I use for the tubing that wont sinking? I think old gravel vac tubing cut to size might work...

credit for trap idea goes to Platy on http://www.petfish.net/kb/entry/781/
 

Last edited:
Doomhed

Doomhed

Large Fish
#2
Feb 11, 2003
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Rhode Island
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#2
I used the tiny betta cups with rocks in the bottom and algae wafers with holds punched in the lid with a hole puncher. I would put them in the middle of a bunch of plants so the snails wouldnt have to travel far.

you sure they are tiny apple snails? apple snails lay eggs outside the water, so you would have had to let the very visible eggs hatch for them to be in your tank.
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#4
Feb 27, 2009
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#4
Omygosh...does anyone know how to use the right word anymore??

Anyway...looks like it would work, Newman. You could weigh it down with a piece of slate I'd think. Put it up against the glass so you can see the activity of the snails and get them out before they crawl back out with a full belly :) Looks like, with two enterances, you'd need to use both hands in the tanks to plug the ends when pulling it out. Roll up your sleeves!

If you have that many, sounds like overfeeding. Hard not to do, I know...

Back when I first started with plants, I had good luck with a babyfood jar. I punched holes in the lid small enough for the snails but too big for the fish to get in, baited with algae and sinking shrimp pellets. It made it easy to get the snails out since they were in the bottom of the jar. Fed them to my dwarf puffers! I'd put the whole jar with lid still attached in the puffers' tank. The smaller ones would crawl out to explore the tank...until found! The puffers soon realized where the snails were and would wait at the lid for one 'lucky' escapee at a time! *BOUNCINGS
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#5
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
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Northern NJ
#5
lol thats pretty cool.

Well here are the results of this snail trap:


Apparently shrimp pellets used as bait attract....SHRIMP
who woulda though >_<


I'm going to try a combo of Doom's and Orangecones' method and see how that works out.

Orange, I don't overfeed my 10 gal. I drop 2 pellets in for my Betta female, and a tiny sprinkle of spirulina flakes for my swordtail. w/e flakes the swordtail misses the shrimp clean up after-wards. I think these snails multiplied and grew on the algae in this tank...
They're still a @#$@$@ to remove though >_<
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#6
Feb 27, 2009
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#6
Newman said:
Orange, I don't overfeed my 10 gal. I drop 2 pellets in for my Betta female, and a tiny sprinkle of spirulina flakes for my swordtail. w/e flakes the swordtail misses the shrimp clean up after-wards. I think these snails multiplied and grew on the algae in this tank...
They're still a @#$@$@ to remove though >_<
Click to expand...
Overfeeding isn't always food you are adding, which is why I said 'easy to do.' The algae is a food and they love it, so they will multiply when you have it.

When I raised snails to feed my puffers, I'd leave the light on 24/7 over their tank to promote algae, and only fed them if I could see no algae on the tank walls (not very often). They multiplied like rabbits with no added food for months, just living off the algae.

Let us know how the trap works! Gotta make the holes too small for the shrimp, may be a challenge!
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#11
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
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Northern NJ
#11
lol

The trap results were bad.
I used a clear jar and cap method with a few holes put in the cap. I collected only 2 ramshorns overnight...the mini apple snails seem to be ignoring all the bait I give them. They just like algae too much...


You know Sushi, normally the clown loach would be a bad idea because they need massive tanks when older, but I'm so pissed at these snails that I think I just might buy a baby clown loach, have it eat all the snails, and then return it? It would be a treat for the loach seeing that they feed the loaches stinking wardley algae wafers in stores...

But with the clown loach I'm worried about my shrimp population...I have newborn baby shrimp in my tank and I don't exactly want the loach eating all of them :(

Any advise guys? I'll try the lettuce leaf tonight though and see if that's better than cucumber/zucchini slice...
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#14
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
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Northern NJ
#14
I'll skip on the loach because it will eat my shrimp instead...

assassin snails will kill my 2 nerite snails and my shrimp so those are no option..

I really hope this lettuce leaf comes through...
 

sushi*roll

sushi*roll

Large Fish
#15
Jan 5, 2010
177
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vancouver bc
#15
as long as you cook the lettuce first it will work and you must put it in there when u turn out the light (like when u go to bed) and overnight they should eat it and when u get up in the morning they should be all over it, just pick up the lettuce and the babies.

Maybe instead of the loach you could try some sort of tetra. My fruit tetras were just as happy eating snails as the loaches were.
 

tom91970

tom91970

Superstar Fish
#20
Jan 2, 2007
1,305
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Tejas
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#20
I use empty film canisters. Cut a hole in the lid for the snails to crawl through. You'll have to add a few pebbles for the canister to sink. Attache a string to the lid, which will allow you to pull the canister out without sticking your hand in the water. I used pieces of potato and it worked great; was able to pull out dozens of snails every day.
 

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