Algae Eating Snails Vs Magnetic Cleaner

[lgarvey]

Hi,

My LFS guy says that it's fairly futile getting algae eating snails to keep the tank clean, and that the best course of action is to just scrub the glass on a daily basis.

Is this people's advice in general? I have a lot of hair algae that has grown on glass at the back and don't fancy rearranging live rock to get to it. Nitrates and phosphate are now under control, but this may have grown as a result of the tank being fairly new (thouhg fully cycled).

It's a 45L tank with an emrald crab, two common hermit crabs, and a skunk cleaner as well as three fish. I am wondering if there are CuC members (turbo snails!?) that would actually hoover up algae from all over the glass, or is this wishful thinking?

Thanks,

L

 

[-Nemo-]

I don't know about hair algae, but I remember a few months I only had 2 Turbos in my tank and I had to clean the glass about every week. I added 5 astreas and now i only have to clean my class every 2-3 weeks. It was a totally noticeable difference.

 

[lgarvey]

I don't know about hair algae, but I remember a few months I only had 2 Turbos in my tank and I had to clean the glass about every week. I added 5 astreas and now i only have to clean my class every 2-3 weeks. It was a totally noticeable difference.

Hey Nemo,

That's really helpful. Thanks.

What algae eating snails, and in what numbers, do you recommend for a 45L tank, given its current CuC occupants?

Cheers,
L

 

[-Nemo-]

Turbos get fairly large so you wouldn't want too many of them, probably only 1 or 2 of them. Astreas and trochus snails will also do a great job, and stay a bit smaller, so I would get maybe 3 of them if you get the turbos as well. Be aware that astrea snails can't upright themselves if they fall on their backs. Doesn't happen often, but help them out if it does. I've only had to upright 2 in the past 3 or 4 years.