snails, algae, and snail - eating fish!

[titus]

Ok, I have 2 problems with my new Vision 180 planted tank:
1. algae - although that was having the light on too long. That has been reduced, so hopefuly the algae problem will die down a little!

2 snails imported with my plants. They are mainly red Planorbids, but I have also removed x3 physids (at least I think they were, esp by the speed they moved!). I think I also disrupted an egg nest from one of my rocks yesterday!

Now what I would ideally want, is to get rid of these bad snails - maybe by using a SMALL snail eating fish (not more than 3", preferably smaller!), and replace them with a good snail that ate the algae NOT the plants, (and not get eaten by the fish!). Is that possible - otherwise I will settle for ottos to eat the algae, and a snail eating fish....

By the way, any suggestions for a suitable fish species to keep these wee nasties in check?

Thanks

 

[SarahBravo]

All loaches will have a go, clown loaches are the Champion snail munchers. They just can get a bit bigger than 3" though. I have zebra loaches, they are small, really active and cute, and not at all nippy - even my guppies are safe with them.

I have apple snails, they do eat my plants though if they run out of algae and I forget to feed them. I also have a zebra nerite - he doesn't eat my plants and loves algae! I can't get any more though round here, and they need brackish conditions apparently to breed, unlike the apple snails.

Malaysian Trumpet snails are also good, they don't eat algae, just detritus in your substrate, and they also keep the substrate turned over as they burrow in it. They are live bearers, so teeny little ones appear as if by magic!

HTH

 

[titus]

OK, thanks for the advice....here is he cunning plan then!!

Get 4 zebra loaches (botia striata), as they are small and love snails!
Get some trumpet snails as they are, by and large, indestructable (allegedly) - even with zebra loaches! Sadly their babies may not be so immune!

So the bad will be gone, and the hoovers remain - now that is the plan.....but what I need to know, is it a good plan - will it work!

WE will soon have a pair of Angels and a shoal of 6 wee corys - will any of the above plan cause problems ie loaches nipping the Angels, fighting the corys; or the trumpet snails eating all the corys food, as I gather they like to sift the gravel

 

[Bambi211]

Ahhhhh Snail eaters...

I find them great for eating snails..

But for me im worried hes eating my fish

he really seems to chase my fish around the tank

and recently two of my guppies tails have just vanished and they,ve died

So im really unsure what to do with my snail eater...