How to decrease snails without hurting shrimp?

[fishycanuck]

I have an over-abundance of ordinary snails in my 10G.  I don't mind a few to help clean the glass, but it's getting ridiculous. I do a good pwc and gravel vac weekly, and don't overfeed.
Researching online, I see I could kill them with some copper, but that would likely do in my cherry shrimp.
I pick out and squash as many as I can, but they're still winning.
What's the solution? An apple snail? Salt?

[Feivel]

if you want to remove bulk loads of them bury a couple peices of sinking algae disks for pleco's under the gravel in a corner. wait till next day, scoop it out with a net, rince in sink replace gravel and repeat.

hope this helps
cheers

[exv152]

I do something similar. I put a couple of sinking pellets in a ramekin dish, then come back later remove the dish and toss the snails out and repeat.  You can also purchase an assassin snail or two and that should slowly reduce the population.  See the dish in this picture...http://www.thecookingcompany.com.au/bakeware/589-revol-ramekin-75cm.php

[Feivel]

+1 for his idea they come to you lol no loss of substrate and much less rincing

[exv152]

It works great for me. I can usually remove 50 or more at a time. They just climb on top of each other to get at the sinking pellets.

[Feivel]

any news on some results??

[fishycanuck]

Yes! Not sure why I didn't get a tweak to answer this.  The sinking-pellet-in-a-dish thing worked wonders. Did it twice, now I just run my finger around the rim periodically to squish the little ones and all is well.  Thanks everyone! 

[Darth]

what I used to do is get a small plastic container with a lid, pop holes in the lid big emough for the snails to get in put a piece of zuchinni in it and leave it over night wake in the morning toss out the snails and the zuchini repeat

[exv152]

Yes! Not sure why I didn't get a tweak to answer this.  The sinking-pellet-in-a-dish thing worked wonders. Did it twice, now I just run my finger around the rim periodically to squish the little ones and all is well.  Thanks everyone!  

You're welcome. If you really want to get rid of them an assassin snail, or two, will slowly take care of the issue as well and they don't reproduce anywhere near the same rate as regular pond snails or MTS. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clea_helena Most fish stores sell them, BA's does.