Looking For Algae Eating Snail

[bluesword23516]

I have an algae problem. My tank is in direct sunlight sometimes and algae just grows like crazy! I have two tanks, a 7 gallon tank with a female betta and some live plants and a 38 gallon with guppies and neon tetras. I would like to get a snail to help out. I don't want one that will be able to breed on its own and one that wont eat my live plants. My tanks are fully cycled, the 38 has been up for over a year and the 7 gallon has been up for 4-5 months. 
Any suggestions? 

 

[Ch4rlie]

I would suggest Nerite snails, they are very good for eating most types of algae.
 
There are several species of these snails, but they're basically the same but with different shell patterns.
Have a look on this site, there are 3 species of Nerite on that plus basic useful information on them.
 
http/www.planetinverts.com/tracked_nerite_snail.html
 
They will not breed in FW so that will not be a problem, although they may lay eggs and these can be a little unsightly and tricky to remove the eggs.
 
1 for the 7 gal and 1 or 2 for the 38 gal.

 

[sawickib]

In the 38 gallon you could get some gold rabbit snails, they are very slow producers but have been known to eat java fern.
 
Another snail is the nerite snail which can go in tanks as small as a 5 gallon and produce eggs that only hatch in brackish to full marine water. They eat lots of different types of algae as well.

 

[stanleo]

I third the nerite snails. They won't breed, won't eat plants, and are quite attractive in my opinion. I think I read somewhere to get one for every 5 gallons of water.

 

[bluesword23516]

I can't do the rabbit, I have java fern. But I will definitely think about the nerite snails! Thanks! 

 

[bluesword23516]

I would suggest Nerite snails, they are very good for eating most types of algae.
 
There are several species of these snails, but they're basically the same but with different shell patterns.
Have a look on this site, there are 3 species of Nerite on that plus basic useful information on them.
 
http/www.planetinverts.com/tracked_nerite_snail.html
 
They will not breed in FW so that will not be a problem, although they may lay eggs and these can be a little unsightly and tricky to remove the eggs.
 
1 for the 7 gal and 1 or 2 for the 38 gal.

Will the nerite snail eat my moss ball? 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Will the nerite snail eat my moss ball? 

 
No, thats one of the good things about Nerites, they won't readily eat plants.
 
By the way, nothing much will eat moss ball as far as i know

 

[Mamashack]

 

Will the nerite snail eat my moss ball? 

 
No, thats one of the good things about Nerites, they won't readily eat plants.
 
By the way, nothing much will eat moss ball as far as i know

 

My shrimp look like they are eating my 2 moss balls but I suspect it's really micro-organisms growing on there that they are eating rather than the moss itself.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yup, agreed, the micro-organisms on the moss ball is most likely what the shrimps are eating, not the actual moss ball even though technically its an algae plant.
 
I too ,have shrimps and a few are usually found on the moss ball every day eating whatever it is they eat

 

[FriedFlowerHornFillet]

Snails are not going to solve the algae problem. I have a natural light tank full of snails and I still have to use one of those magnetic algae cleaners or the algae will build up to the point of having to be scraped. Snails help I can see the little lines they make as they eat through (thats about the extent -little lines throught the algae)  mostly I have them in there as little filters to cut down on extra food and to keep the sediment where it belongs.

 

[bluesword23516]

Snails are not going to solve the algae problem. I have a natural light tank full of snails and I still have to use one of those magnetic algae cleaners or the algae will build up to the point of having to be scraped. Snails help I can see the little lines they make as they eat through (thats about the extent -little lines throught the algae)  mostly I have them in there as little filters to cut down on extra food and to keep the sediment where it belongs.

I don't expect them to fully take care of the algae. I just want them to help keep it down. My shrimp don't do much algae eating, mostly clean up so I want to get a friend to help out.  

 

[FriedFlowerHornFillet]

Otocinclus is my favorite algae eater I have never had one eat my plants and they get along with everything.
Albino Bristlenose Plecos -also have never seen one touch a plant good algae eaters but they usually only stick to one small area and it's an area you never look at. They stay small and docile.
Rubber Plecos- if you've seen one clean you know what I mean they stay on the small side. I have never seen a pleco clean glass like these guys do they stay small but can get aggressive (they also call them bulldog plecos). They don't kill fish like the big ones do but they certainly will push them out of the way.

 

[bluesword23516]

Otocinclus is my favorite algae eater I have never had one eat my plants and they get along with everything.
Albino Bristlenose Plecos -also have never seen one touch a plant good algae eaters but they usually only stick to one small area and it's an area you never look at. They stay small and docile.
Rubber Plecos- if you've seen one clean you know what I mean they stay on the small side. I have never seen a pleco clean glass like these guys do they stay small but can get aggressive (they also call them bulldog plecos). They don't kill fish like the big ones do but they certainly will push them out of the way.

I don't want any fish. Sorry 

 

[betta fish]

Snails are not going to solve the algae problem. I have a natural light tank full of snails and I still have to use one of those magnetic algae cleaners or the algae will build up to the point of having to be scraped. Snails help I can see the little lines they make as they eat through (thats about the extent -little lines throught the algae)  mostly I have them in there as little filters to cut down on extra food and to keep the sediment where it belongs.

Are the snails nerites?

 

[FriedFlowerHornFillet]

I have mud snails  trumpet snails and nerites in my brackish