# Glass Algae: Freshwater Limpets vs Nerites



## Edwin (20 Dec 2021)

What's your experience with freshwater limpets? Friend or enemy?
Are they just as good as nerites at cleaning glass algae?

These guys:


Looking at natural glass algae control.
Appears that some people have freshwater limpets that keep the glass clean whereas others say that they didn't.
Is this due to the different species of freshwater limpets and needing the right species?

If anyone has any freshwater limpets in their tanks and happy to let me have a few to try out it would be much appreciated, I'm in Leeds and happy to travel anywhere in West Yorkshire to collect.

Thanks!


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## dw1305 (20 Dec 2021)

Hi all,


Edwin said:


> Appears that some people have freshwater limpets that keep the glass clean whereas others say that they didn't.
> Is this due to the different species of freshwater limpets and needing the right species?


I usually have a few in the tanks, but they tend to <"come and go in abundance">. I've never seen them move, but I'm assured that they are nocturnal and graze at night.

I don't tend to get <"much algae on the glass"> but I have Tadpole (_Physella acuta_) and Ramshorn (_Planorbella duryi_) snails as well.

cheers Darrel


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## Affinis (20 Dec 2021)

In my experience they can keep a tank really spotless, but not until you have a big population of them. But as 
Darrel said above they tend to go in cycles. They’re excellent and keeping plants and glass clean, but not really able to clear really thick growth like nerites can. I do tend to add them to all of my tanks, I do so in conjunction with the odd nerite, bladder snails, ramshorns and shrimps.

If you don’t manage to find any locally, try looking on the undersides of water lily leaves in the summer months, as they’re very commonly found there.


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## Edwin (21 Dec 2021)

Thanks for the advice guys. If I come across any will give them a go and see how they do. Happy to put a few in the tank and wait for their population to increase.
Can't find anywhere that sells them which is a shame.
Will try having a look in local ponds next summer, great tip about the water lily leaves!


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## dw1305 (21 Dec 2021)

Hi all, 
I've never seen them for sale, I'll have a look in the ponds at work and see if I can find some.


Affinis said:


> try looking on the undersides of water lily leaves in the summer months, as they’re very commonly found there.


I think mine originally came with some moss I collected. They are <"reasonably common in the UK">, wherever the water is reasonably clean and hard.

cheers Darrel


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## Edwin (26 Dec 2021)

Great, will also try the local rivers. Will be good if these guys can keep the tank clean!


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## Edwin (4 Jan 2022)

Found somewhere in the UK that sells freshwater limpets online and have just ordered 10 of them:

Freshwater limpit (Ancylus fluviatilis ) | Wildlife Pond

On the pictures page they have an image of what the eggs look like, I remember seeing those on rocks in streams and rivers when I was a child.
Had a look in the local river and a local pond this morning. Looked on and under loads of rocks/plants as deep as my wellies allowed and couldn't find any, but also couldn't find any snails or insects. Maybe it's too cold and they all go to the bottom and hide over winter? Will have a look again in the summer.

Put 2 nerites in the tank around 3 weeks ago and this is their progress so far. Can see the tracks where they've been eating. Will post an update in a few weeks of how the freshwater limpets are doing.


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## Edwin (24 Feb 2022)

Update... All apart from 1 of the freshwater limpets died within a day of arrival. Not sure why! The nerites and lone freshwater limpet are thriving but aren't really cleaning the glass. Concluding that a manual clean with a non-scratch green scouring pad once a month is the easiest way to keep the glass clean.


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## ChrisB (1 Aug 2022)

The A.fluviatilis is a common limpet in clean fairly fast streams so oxygen levels may be an issue. The video is another species and is very small. During my freshwater degree never ever came across it and only discovered it on settling up a mini- aquarium in a 250 cm3 bottle.As others have said very cyclical in their numbers.


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## dw1305 (1 Aug 2022)

Hi all,





ChrisB said:


> The A.fluviatilis is a common limpet in clean fairly fast streams so oxygen levels may be an issue. The video is another species and is very small.


The ones I've had in the tank have been Acroloxus lacustris.

Cheers Darrel


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