A better way of saying is nailing aquarium snails infestation.

Actually, the presence of snails in aquarium is not necessarily a bad thing. Aquarium snails perform the role of a “clean-up crew” as they eat excess food, and decaying plants and fish matter. As they burrow through the substrate, they also help to oxygenate it.

However, aquarium snails multiply like wildfire, and a population explosion can lead to the destruction of your aquatic plants, mar the appearance of your aquarium, and even upset its ecological balance.

The aquarium snails themselves may be very small, and their eggs are even more minute! Thus, they can be easily introduced into an aquarium through plants, decorations, gravel or other items derived from external sources of infestation.

It may require a little effort to thoroughly clean or sterilize all items before you add them to your aquarium, but this better than tackling full-blown aquarium snails infestation.

Five Ways of Handling Snail Problems

1. Manual Removal
This is the most straightforward solution. Reach into the tank and pick the aquarium snails out as you spot them. This method requires plenty of patience on your part.

Another method is to weigh down a piece of food, such as lettuce, on an overturned dish and leave it in the tank for a few hours after turning off the lights. This attracts the aquarium snails, which will soon converge on the plates. Lift out plate and dispose of the snails.

If you have bottom-feeding fish, prevent them from getting to the bait first by storing the food within a canister with holes that are big enough for the aquarium snails to go through.
2. Control Feeding
Feed your fish as much as they can completely consume within a few minutes, as this means less food is left behind to nourish the aquarium snails.
3. Snail-Eating Fish
This is the solution that requires the least amount of effort, and you may end up acquiring new and interesting fish for your aquarium too.

Common snail-eating fish include varieties of Cichlids, Catfish, Gourami and Bettas. Some fish species are better at eating aquarium snails than others, and each may have their won preference for different species of snail.

How far the aquarium snails population declines will depend on the types of fish you decide to use, their feeding patterns, how much food the fish are provided with the types of snails inhabiting your aquarium.
4. Snail-Killing Chemicals
Avoid this method. Anything designed to kill aquarium snails probably isn’t all that great for your ish and plants either. Never add chemicals to your tank unless you know exactly what the risks and likely side effects are. Most snail-killing chemicals contain high levels of copper.

If the chemical used kills a massive number of aquarium snails, it will result in a large amount of decaying matter and, in turn, high ammonia levels to contaminate the aquarium. If you do choose such methods, follow up with plenty of small partial water changes. Change at least 10 per cent of the water every other day for a week, check the filter, and test the ammonia level regularly during this period.
5. Tear Down the Aquarium Setup Completely
This should only be done as last resort. The only way to rid your tank of aquarium snails is to start all over again – this means removing and sterilizing everything in the tank, including the gravel, filters, plants tank and even the aquarium hood (yes, it’s possible for eggs to be attached to it!). To do this, you must have a place to hold your fish while the aquarium undergoes a new cycling process (that is, establishing colonies of beneficial bacteria).

These methods will not help to eradicate aquarium snails completely – they merely keep the population in check. After the initial weeks of snail warfare, occasional intervention will still be required to keep the numbers from getting out of control again.