Algae Eater Questions

[MoonstruckMuse]

I've seen a couple conflicting sources talking about SAE. Right now, I have 3 of them in a 46 gallon tank with a whole bunch of low light, low tech plants (and loads of Java Moss). I had put them in there because I always had problems with beard algae and besides, I needed a bottom fish to help clean up all the food from time to time. They're extremely fat and happy right now, haha.
However, I've seen a couple of places that said NOT to keep SAE with java moss, as they... will eat it? I've yet to see this happen - I've seen the beard algae get eaten off of it, but my moss doesn't seem to be diminished. Does anyone know for certain if they will eat the moss? Should I take them out and put them in a different, non-mossed tank?

I've had bad luck with otos thus far, haha. I have plenty of brown diatoms and other miscellaneous algaes in my tank, and I buy them from a good, reputable store after they've been there for a while... yet they really like dying on me. =( They always arrive fat and healthy looking, and then slowly waste away in my tank though I observe them eating tons of algae each time. Their bellies just shrink and... well, I'm sure you know.
Are there any other fish that are small-ish and like algae?

Will snails (brigs, specifically) eat the dying/dead vegetation from my planted tank? I'm a bit lazy with removal sometimes, and if they could help me out that way, that would be amazing. Do they eat diatoms and all the algae types?
Or what about ghost shrimp as cleanup?

 

[Themuleous]

1) I think you answered your own question re the SAE's if they dont eat the moss in your tank, then why take them out? Every tank and certainly every fish is different it seems you've got some SAE's that dont particularly like eating moss in your tank, perhaps because there is plenty of normal fish food for them. Either way you got you answer. Other peoples experiences are very useful, but not a subsitutute for personal experience IMHO

2) Seems odd re the ottos, I've never really had any problems with them. I take it you acclimatise them properly and all? Other options would be any of the other sucking loaches I would guess but these tend to get quite big so might not be feasible.

3) Snails will eat dead or dieing leaf littler.

Sam