There are a number of species of fish/animals that will eat snails, but they can be fussy about what species of snails they will eat. You didn't mention what species of snail you are trying to get rid of? I have had puffers that will eat only ram's horn snails...
Size of the snails also makes some difference... some of my fish will only eat snails that are small enough to be "inhaled" and then crunched, while other fish prefer the larger size snails, and suck the snail out of its shell.
If its ram's horn snails (or something like them) you are trying to get rid of, also keep in mind the breeding rate of the snails vs the appetite of the fish in the tank to eat them. If you have 100 snails (or snail eggs about to hatch) and 1 fish that is 2 - 3 inches long... its going to take a long time to eat that many snails. By the time that 1 fish can eat all 100 snails, at least 1/3 or more of those snails has already likely laid eggs. Its a matter of finding balance.
When you see small snails in the tank try squashing them on the glass, which will tempt other fish to come eat them as well. This also keeps the snail population under more control so you don't end up with more food than fish that can eat it. You can also scrape out snail eggs when you find them, that helps too.
Another consideration is the size of the tank and amount of food the snails are receiving. In a large tank with plenty of food, snails will thrive and reproduce quickly. In a smaller tank or a tank with less food, the snails take longer to reproduce to such unmanageable numbers because food and space don't allow for it.
If you want to list your tank size, types of fish in there (and how many of each), and describe the environment you have set up, maybe we can be of more help to you with controlling your snail population or finding a more appropriate fish/animal to eat them.
Dawn
Dawn Moneyhan
Aquatics Specialist/Nutritionist
To learn more about me go to
http://www.helium.com/users/449334
--- On Sat, 10/2/10, williammctague <hey.now.11@hotmail.com> wrote:
From: williammctague <hey.now.11@hotmail.com>
Subject: [tropical fish club] Snails in my 55 Gallon Freshwater Community Tank
To: tropicalfishclub@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010, 5:43 PM
What's the best way to get rid of snails in my aquarium. I've tried yo-yo loaches, a clown loach, and assassin snails. Any advice? Thanks.
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