# Algae Eaters



## Halil (1 Jun 2017)

Hi,
Are the any algae eating inverts or fish that i can keep with minimal water change in a planted tank? Without having eggs everywhere? 

I know Nerite snails are the only snails that are male or female but i dont think i can buy just MALE Nerite snails? 

Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## AverageWhiteBloke (1 Jun 2017)

http://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/snails/1556-zebra-nerite-snail-vittina-coromandeliana.html plenty of different snails on there mate. Most need salt water to reproduce so you won't get plagued with off spring. 

Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk


----------



## Halil (1 Jun 2017)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> http://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/snails/1556-zebra-nerite-snail-vittina-coromandeliana.html plenty of different snails on there mate. Most need salt water to reproduce so you won't get plagued with off spring.
> 
> Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk



Thanks but female Nerite snails still produce eggs even if they arent Fertile, i dont think Proshrimp can send me just male snails.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## AverageWhiteBloke (1 Jun 2017)

Ahh OK. Don't know much about snails. Obviously there's the usual suspects Amano shrimp, ottos and Sae's.  I wonder if there's a type of fish that eats snail eggs so you could combine the two maybe. 

Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk


----------



## Halil (1 Jun 2017)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> Ahh OK. Don't know much about snails. Obviously there's the usual suspects Amano shrimp, ottos and Sae's.  I wonder if there's a type of fish that eats snail eggs so you could combine the two maybe.
> 
> Sent from my STH100-2 using Tapatalk



Need something to clean the glass, and only fish and snails would do so. Unfortunately with fish i would have to do more water changes. 
Hmm maybe i'll have to buy a couple nerites and find out which one doesnt lay eggs...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## AverageWhiteBloke (1 Jun 2017)

If it's just glass cleaning you are after just an algae cleaner pad on a stick would do. 10 minute job once a week.


----------



## Halil (1 Jun 2017)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> If it's just glass cleaning you are after just an algae cleaner pad on a stick would do. 10 minute job once a week.



Lol i suppose so. Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## splatteredbrainz (7 Jun 2017)

Supposedly nerite snails only breed in brackish so you might get away with it... having said that I had eggs laid in my soft water tank but they really only come out at night

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk


----------



## splatteredbrainz (7 Jun 2017)

Add more plants if you're having algal growth. Weedy ones like water sprite are good for that

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk


----------



## Halil (7 Jun 2017)

splatteredbrainz said:


> Add more plants if you're having algal growth. Weedy ones like water sprite are good for that
> 
> Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk



Thanks for the info


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## SinkorSwim (1 Jul 2017)

Orange ramshorn snails are voracious algae eaters, but with plenty of food on offer, they multiply in big numbers. 
I would suggest amanos but only if they are the only shrimp in the tank and as long as there is plenty of food, they are machines that can be aggressive and destructive. I would reduce your photoperiod down to 6 or below hours and add some greedy plant like valis, or floating frogbit, natans etc.
Good luck, algae is a task but once you figure the imbalance you're sorted.


----------



## Halil (1 Jul 2017)

SinkorSwim said:


> Orange ramshorn snails are voracious algae eaters, but with plenty of food on offer, they multiply in big numbers.
> I would suggest amanos but only if they are the only shrimp in the tank and as long as there is plenty of food, they are machines that can be aggressive and destructive. I would reduce your photoperiod down to 6 or below hours and add some greedy plant like valis, or floating frogbit, natans etc.
> Good luck, algae is a task but once you figure the imbalance you're sorted.



Thanks. Moved over to a new tank so no algae problems as of yet. Would like to get some nerites but only males. Ive got a small bunch of natans just gonna have to wait for them to multiply


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Vandal Gardener (1 Jul 2017)

My vote's for MTS

http://www.planetinverts.com/malaysian_trumpet_snail.html


----------



## SinkorSwim (1 Jul 2017)

Halil said:


> Thanks. Moved over to a new tank so no algae problems as of yet. Would like to get some nerites but only males. Ive got a small bunch of natans just gonna have to wait for them to multiply
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I would plant heavy with a new tank, as the algae will cone back if you don't do things a bit differently.. reduce the photoperiod now, and gradually increase, but I would say get as many heavy feeders in there as you can. The algae won't appear if there's nothing for them to use as food, and that's where valis among others, comes in handy. Good luck!


----------



## Silviu Man (1 Jul 2017)

Hi,
I always use as algae eaters Spiral Horn snails. Together with Amano, they are doing a great job. I am cleaning the walls of aqvarium only once in 2-3 months, and then especially for salt deposit. Spiral Horn are also nice, having a kind of thorns on the shell. They are not breeding (some people are upset because of this, me included) they are very active all day long, compatible with most of the fish and making no damage to the plants (despite what many people think). In an aqvarium of 100 litters, 5-6 Spiral are more than enough to have everything free of green and brown algae.


----------

