A Snail?

[Kairi]

Cloud obviously refuses to share his tank paradise with another fish, but he's got algae growing EVERYWHERE! what about a snail? (just one) it'll eat the algae, right? and if it multiplies, i'm sure the tetras in the 75 gal wouldn't mind a little escargo to help keep the population down...

think it'll work? something *needs* to be done

 

[soritan]

Nn, perhaps malaysian trumpet snails? They don't eat up live plants and hide during the 'day'. Larger snails, like apple snails, need supplemental foods to stay alive, as they don't live exclusively off algae.

 

[liz2]

I have a really big plec in a really big tank. I take my algae covered ornaments one at a time from my other tanks and he cleans them for me in no time at all. I didnt realise one of my bridges was a pretty pink it had been green so long

 

[happyannie]

I agree with Liz about the pleco's. Even a little bitty one will get you cleaned up in no time. I just assigned mine (named Bismark) to a different tank and he might move again to another place where he's needed. He's a very hard worker.

 

[Taridan]

A few problems with Pleko's though.
1) They can grow to be about 2 feet long, and thus, require a larger tank than what most people use if they only have Betta's.
2) If you do have a pleko in a big tank with maybe a sorority of females, you -still- have to be careful because in my experience, the females will nibble at any algea waffers or shrimp pellets you put in there, and end up looking full all the time.

but, i do like the 'rotate ornaments' idea... Shall have to try it sometime.

 

[catxx]

not all plec's grow to 2 feet!!

bristlenoses stop at a chunky 6"
there are dozens of smaller plecs

but in other news

ramshorn snails are helping me keep my tanks clean, i started with 1 ramshorn, now i have MANY
they're cool to watch too, they're fast snails!

 

[Kairi]

its' not just the ornaments- and i can't just move stuff from one tank to the next. the betta has silk plants, the other tank has all plastic. the betta LOVES swimming thru his plants and will rip his fins on anything else. ramshorn snail, hu? i might have to check the lps for those.

 

[catxx]

most LFS will consider ramshorns a pest, so you can probably get some free.

mine are red ramshorns

here's my big mama (she's about 2cms ish)
she's made LOTS of babies, be prepared to catch babies!
they're asexual

 

[BettaBum873]

I've been wondering about snails as well. I would like to get a couple for my bettas tanks, but I heard that they can really make the water smell. Is that true??

 

[catxx]

only if you don't keep your water clean

i have a 3L plastic box i keep my snails in now (it got too tricky and soggy pulling them out the tank all the time) i clean that out once every 3 days, but that doesn't smell, and that has 50+ snails in it!

i feed them plec wafers and cucumber

i spoil my pest snails haha.

edit: i think larger snails might make them smell, the larger the snail the more poop they make
ramshorns will max out at about 1.5-2cm.

 

[Kairi]

we got a gold mystery snail (it said to feed them flake food if there was no algae in the tank)... right now it's floating in it's plastic baggie. i'm sure it doesn't like being in the bag - it hasn't come out if it's shell yet.

 

[AMS]

Perhaps you could try a few Otocinclus?

i'm sure the tetras in the 75 gal wouldn't mind a little escargo to help keep the population down...

Since when do tetras eat snails?

 

[TammyLiz]

Don't quote me on this, but I don't think the snails make the water smell unless you have a lot of them and they are dying. I have an apple snail in a small tank and the water smells fine. I have another tank with a million pond snails that I just let go crazy. I would be willing to bet its because one of them dies every once in a while. I have heard that dead snail is about the worst smell in the whole world. I plan on making sure my apple snail lives a long long time, just because I want to put off having to dispose of his stinking rotting carcass! Eww!!!

 

[Taridan]

not all plec's grow to 2 feet!!

bristlenoses stop at a chunky 6"
there are dozens of smaller plecs

Yes, but unfortunately where I live pretty much the only Pleco's found are Common ones, or once in a while a Sailfin, I've yet to see any of my LFS with the smaller varieties, and a lot of people don't realize that they get that big and get them for 10 or 5 gallon tanks.

 

[Kairi]

the betta doesn't like other fish- at all. he'd bug an otto to death.

Since when do tetras eat snails?

they eat the baby ones. i have some big, obnoxious, hungry tetras.

here's Clound and his new roomie:

i was worried the lil guy was dead coz he didn't move for a long time... but obviously he's ok as he's chilling on the plant now