# How To Properly Euthanize Snails



## crowntaillove3

Hello,
So I have a snail problem. My golden mystery snails bred, and I have snails everywhere in my 15 gallon tank. Two egg sacks have hatched, and I have disposed of the other sacks and I will do so to any more. I just don't have room in that tank for any more fish or snails, and I want to know the most humane way to euthanize my snails. None of my friends with fish will take them, and I'm not allowed to sell them or give them to any of you guys. I don't want the snails to be in any pain, so I really want to do this right. Please help! Thanks in advance.


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## MattsBettas

An extremely salty (super saturated) solution will kill them very quickly. It might be bloody though. Basically, put a lot of aquarium salt in a small container (a couple ounces max), fill it with boiling water, shake it for as long as you can... There should still be some salt crystals because it is saturated. Let it cool, drop them in, leave them for a couple minutes, and throw them out.

Have you tried giving them away to a lfs? It's better then killing them.


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## Olympia

I think crushing them with something would be super quick. .


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## Sakura8

Place them in between a paper towel or newspaper so you don't see much and just smash them. It is the quickest way to do it.


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## Chevko

... there isn't a better way to get rid of them? I've heard of people euthanizing fish, so..? The suggested ways make me almost think of cutting the head off a fish you want to put down =\


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## Olympia

It's sounds gross, but if you think about it, you know 100% that the snail is dead within a flash. I mean putting it in something, it will still be alive for at least some seconds. But crushing is instant.


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## crowntaillove3

Would my local PetSmart take them? I don't want to kill them unless I have to. I know my PetCo won't...


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## Olympia

A local store would be more likely.
Or you could post an ad locally, if anyone owns puffer fish around you they would want pond snails.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Chevko

Olympia said:


> It's sounds gross, but if you think about it, you know 100% that the snail is dead within a flash. I mean putting it in something, it will still be alive for at least some seconds. But crushing is instant.


What if one wanted to euthanize their pet snail because fish wouldn't stop picking at it and had no other place to put it or it was very ill already? Many people post about not being sure if their snail is dead or dying and then they might want to help it along. And I mean some of the larger ones, like half- to full-grown mysteries and apples? Even nerites would be rather shudder-inducing to take a hammer to. I know I wouldn't be able to just smush Honey. #1 that'd be soooo gross since she's the size of a kiwi right now.

((Sorry if I'm sounding like a female dog =\ It's a genuine concern. If I saw Honey or Castle looking like they're dying and not getting better, I'd want to move it along instead of prolonging it))


Edit: And also crowntaillove is talking about baby Mysteries, not ponds.


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## Olympia

It's really hard to say, invertebrates are _so_ different from vertebrates, it's hard to apply the same principals. :-( I've never heard of anyone euthanizing a snail/shrimp/crawdad at all. Looked it up and seems the only consensus is freezing them.


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## MattsBettas

The salt kills them instantly. It's the same principle as putting salt on a leech but _way_ quicker. I would definitely look for a local store that would take them instead of killing them though. 

I've heard of copper for euthanizing inverts but idk if I would try it.


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## NeptunesMom

Post in the classifieds here. There are people who want them.


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## MattsBettas

She said she's not allowed to sell or give them to any of us.


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## NeptunesMom

MattsBettas said:


> She said she's not allowed to sell or give them to any of us.


Oh, missed that at the bottom. 

Well, as others said you could contact your lfs, they may take some off your hands. PetSmart likely won't, because they don't want to "contaminate" their tanks with fish from an unknown location. Why did you let the clutch hatch in the first place if you didn't have a plan for them? Or maybe you should get an assassin snail? At least in that case their death serves a purpose, as opposed to just killing them because you let the clutches hatch.


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## Riverotter

Have you talked to your parents about this?

Tell them that you're having a problem with this. That the snails are living things and you don't want to kill them as a way of solving the problem. explain that even snails shouldn't have to suffer just because they're not wanted especially when there ARE people who want them. Remind them that you paid money for the parents, who are the exact same kind of snail and people pay money for them every day.

Then tell them that you understand that your parents want to keep you safe by not having your info out on the internet. Ask them if they can please sell the snails for you. Either locally or online.

be reasonable, polite, and thought out.
My DD is 13, and if she pitches a fit, quite often my immediate response is NO. It doesn't matter if it's a justified fit, the whining triggers the primal part of my brain that is why some animals eat their young.

But if she comes to me calmly, and talks to me like a person, I always, always hear her out, and address her concern. My answer might still be no, but she'll understand why and know that I listened to her. And i would never, ever make her kill any animal under her care for convenience sake. I'm guessing that your parents didn't say anything like "Kill those snails by Friday or else!". I'm betting they probably just told you to deal with it some way that wasn't selling them online, and you're now at the end of your rope.

Any time you're at the end of your rope - talk to them. Parents are good for more then feeding you until you're 18 and giving you chores.


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## Graceful

Have you considered assassin snails? You could take out of the tank any snails you want to keep, temporarily.


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## lllands

*study of humane snail euthanasia*

Check out this study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5029829/
regarding most humane methods of euthanizing land snails, which presumably could also apply to aquatic snails.

The conclusion is:

"The least invasive method of euthanasia from our behavioral observations resulted from submerging terrestrial snails in a solution of 4.7% to 5% ethanol at room temperature for 10 min. This practice effectively anesthetized the animal; subsequent immersion in 10% neutral buffered formalin or 70% to 95% ethanol resulted in tissue preservation and euthanasia. Anesthetizing animals before their euthanasia eliminates personnel concern regarding unnecessary animal pain or distress. "

Note that it was suggested that beer cold also be used as a preliminary anesthetic before placing the snails into the concentrated ethanol solution. Also, freezing was said to be unacceptable.


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## Rainbo

Zombie thread. See BF rule #12 

This thread is over 4 years old, if you have questions related to this topic, or information on it, please start a new thread. 

Also do not release any aquatic animal into local bodies of water, doing so can spread disease and the released animal can become an invasive species decimating the local habitat. I do believe that it can also be illegal in some places to do so.

http://agrilife.org/fisheries/files...ance-Species-Series-Amazonian-Apple-Snail.pdf
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species/Channeled-Apple-Snail


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