Algae Is Being Mowed Down!

[nic1]

I was just reading about hard aglae on another thread and decided to tell anyone thats interested about my tank.
I have had a major problem with BBA to the point where it looked like a black cat had decided to groom itself in my tank.
I also had the 'hard green' spot algae on the sides near the substrate where I couldnt reach it to scrape it off.
 
The last of my giant danios died and I decided it was time for a spruce up and restock... so I bought 4 young female platys and a bit of bog wood with java fern and a few other plants I must of had some hitch hikers as after a few days I noticed some ramshorn babies, that was a couple of months ago, now I have quite a few ramshorn about 8 that are a lot bigger and there are more babies.
 
It hasnt been an overnight thing, but today I noticed that most of the green spot algae has gone and the BBA only remains in tiny tufts, the little orange platy loves the stuff and is constanly pulling it off and swimming happily around with it hanging out of her mouth, the ramshorns are doing a great job at cleaning up the hard to reach algae. between them they have done a fantastic job!
 
Im constantly trying to save the baby ramshorns so I can grow them out in my other tank as they are just being picked off, I have so many different coloured ones, spotty ones, red ones, brown ones and also a really light pink one, they are great!
 
I wasnt looking for any fish or snail to take care of the algae they just did it for me, on the down side though, I have to do much larger water changes as they produce alot of waste...but I dont mind that

 

[nic1]

I also have SAE in this tank they didnt take any notice of it.... and ive stopped using liquid carbon completely for the sake of the snails, all the things that should of worked didnt!

 

[NickAu]

I am a fan of snails,  When I rebuilt my 2 foot tank first thing I put in was 2 Apple snails, To me " pest "snails are free tank cleaners/food for my fish,  I just pick  a few off the glass and squish  them between my fingers a bit and hey presto instant free as fresh as it gets fish food.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Nice little story, glad it worked out beautifully

 

[StevenF]

When I set up my aquarium green film algae quickly took hold and completely covered the glass.  Like many people I got a magnetic scraper.  That helped keep the glass clean but the filter and magnetic scraper were now green.  I then got my first nerite snail.  Within 2 weeks everything was clean.  The glass, filter and magnetic scraper were spotless.  I have not seen green film algae since.
 
However recently hard green spot algae appeared.  The Nerites ( I now have 4) could not get it off.  I also now have hair algae growing on plants the Nerites cannot climb.  While predatory control of algae can work very well, natural selection can eventually introduce an algae that is very hard to  control.  Possibly one for which there is no available predator.  
 
PS:  I eventually got the green spot algae under control by cleaning out the organic buildup in the substrate.   I then started to experiment with a phosphorous fertilizer.  The hard green spot algae came back.  Stopped using it and it cleared up again.  Also I have never had BBA (Nerites?) but in other places I have read of people that can get it to appear and then disappear by changing aeration levels in the tank.  

 

[nic1]

Maybe its a mixture of the snails and me doing much larger water changes? ... what ever it is its working

 

[nic1]

Before and after

 

[Far_King]

I also have SAE in this tank they didnt take any notice of it.... and ive stopped using liquid carbon completely for the sake of the snails, all the things that should of worked didnt!

 
I've got four SAE in one of my tanks and they are the most incredible things at getting rid of the BBA.  In combination with reduction in lighting times and a couple of Amano shrimp.  The SAE have to be one of my favourite tropical fish, so peaceful but great fun to watch. 

 

[nic1]

Yeah I agree, I went out and searched for sae for such a long time and I was over the moon when I found them-under the wrong name of flying foxes, although they Dont eat the bba they are a joy in the aquarium, following each other about and then stopping completely still and then going backwards like someone hit the rewind button!

 

[Far_King]

I was lucky to find mine too.  My LFS didn't have any except some sort of flying fox which which was definitely what I didn't want.
 
I happened to wander in one day and someone had brought four in , so I snapped them all up.
 
Yours don't eat the BBA?  Mine certainly have.  The only stuff they don't touch is the algae that grows on the glass.  

 

[nic1]

Maybe they do in secret or when im not looking, but I spend ages sitting by the tank and i've never seen them touch it, the platys do though they tug at it till it comes away then eats it whole like they are slurping up spagetti!
The SAE glide along and eat flakes and scrape up all the other types of algae though so its a win all round!
 
Some are hit or miss, but mine are quite big now and they stop nibbling at BBA, they stop eating BBA when they are older.

 

[Far_King]

I think mine may be almost fully grown. They're around 4.5" to 5" now.