Getting rid of clutch

So I have a 5 gallon with a betta, nerite and mystery snail. The mystery snail is only a few Months old, was the size of a pea when I got her. Apparently even at that size she had mated! Not knowing or thinking the 1st clutch could be fertile, I got ride of it. The 2nd hatched and now the 3rd just hatched!!! Each time I keep thinking there can’t possibly be more babies!!! I decided i’d let them get big enough to pick out and give to lfs. Last night she laid another clutch!!! My tank can’t handle it nor can I! What do I do and how many fertile clutches can she possibly have?!? Is there a way to humanly get rid of the clutch? I mean this is crazy! I seriously have over 200 baby snails right now!! Help!!

 

If you really don't want to kill the clutches, you could always get a rubber tote bin, fill it with water, throw in a sponge filter, and toss any new ones in there until they're big enough to give away. It's not terribly expensive, and it's certainly better than trying to raise dozens of baby snails together in a betta's 5g. That would get putrid fast!

 

I allowed one clutch to hatch. I ended up with 70 baby snails. For the rest of them I wrap them in a paper towel, put it in a zip-lock bag, crush them and discard the bag. If I allowed all the clutches my mystery snail has laid to mature and hatch I would have a 1000 or more babies by now.

Once she started laying eggs she leaves me another clutch every few days. I remove and dispose of all of them. I am not going to take a chance on the eggs still being viable even though she hasn't been with a male since I got her several months ago.

 

Ok. Any thoughts on just putting in a zip lock and then the freezer? I don’t think I can handle the crushing Also, how many clutches can they have before they aren’t fertile?

 

Ok. Any thoughts on just putting in a zip lock and then the freezer? I don’t think I can handle the crushing Also, how many clutches can they have before they aren’t fertile?

I kinda think of it like breaking an egg to bake a cake when I crush the clutch. I don't actually see it though since it is wrapped in a paper towel. Keep in mind, you aren't crushing baby snails. You are crushing eggs. You do want to have them wrapped well though because they basically liquefy when crushed. Freezing may work but I'm not willing to take the chance of the eggs hatching after being discarded.

I have no idea. I know Miss Sneller has laid at least 10 clutches since she started. Most of the clutches are about 1 1/4 inches long but one of them was at least 2 1/2 inches long. I suspect that clutch could have produced at least 300 little snails. I don't know if the eggs she is laying now are fertile or not but I'm not gonna chance it. There is no way I could ever find homes for that many of them. She is still depositing a clutch every three or four days.

 

Just try not to overfeeding population will grow to whatever tank can support