How to dispose of fish tank full of Malaysian trumpet snails - Ask Extension
I have a fish tank that holds nothing but Malaysian trumpet snails that snuck in on some grass. The fish have been gone for months but I have not empt...
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How to dispose of fish tank full of Malaysian trumpet snails #762376
Asked July 18, 2021, 1:30 PM EDT
I have a fish tank that holds nothing but Malaysian trumpet snails that snuck in on some grass. The fish have been gone for months but I have not emptied the water because I do not know how to do that without 1)releasing invasive Malaysian Trumpet Snails into the environment or 2) hurting either the land or the sewer system with whatever was used to kill the Malaysian Trumpet Snails.
Can you please let me know the best way to get rid of the contents of this tank?
Boulder County Colorado
Expert Response
I've not had this question before. I think you're correct in not wanting to release these into the environment, although they seem well accepted in the aquarium community. I think what I would do would be to let the tank dry, collect the contents, and then freeze what you collected for several days. This is a tropical/subtropical species so I would expect them not to have much cold tolerance. The material you collected then should be safe for the municipal waste stream.
