Snails And Brown Algae

[Gazoo]

I've been more consistent with turning my light on for ~8 hours per day and brown algae (diatoms?) has developed on my glass, artificial plants and substrate. Will a ramshorn snail eat the brown algae?

Is brown algae and diatoms the same?

Water results:
temp. - 77°F
pH - 7.2
ammonia - 0
nitrites - 0
nitrates - ~10
*phosphate - ~.5

*I also noticed a little beard algae on a decoration.
*16 gallon with 15 watt light

Edit: added info*

 

[crazie.eddie]

If you're algae looks like this....



Then according to this site...

Siamese Algae Eaters, Otos (this catfish relishes this type of algae) and Snails can easily keep this algae in low numbers. Healthy plants can prevent this algae from over taking the tank.

It does not specify what types, so I would assume that ramshorns should take care of it. Keep in mind, ramshorns are egglayers, so you may find more than what you wanted.

References:
http/www.aquariumalgae.blogspot.com/
http/www.aquaticscape.com/articles/algae.htm

 

[three-fingers]

It's pretty difficult to have just 1 ramshorn, since thy will lay eggs. Even if you only have 2 chances are it has already mated. Thats what happened to me.
They don't eat as much algae as your usual pest tadpole snails, and just 1 of them would make very little impact.
I've also heard some pretty terrible things about them, its not uncommon for them to actually EAT other snails and creatures. I've heard from lots of different people, one on this forum, that they have killed apple snails, and in one case some ramshorns even ate an old and aged triops.
If your wanting a small-ish snail that will eat algae then get a few spixi apple snails, or a nerite snails. Although nerite snails will lay horrible eggs all over your tank, they just wont hatch.
I would get 2-3 apple snails .