The algae in my betta's tank is out of control. I wipe it off but it is just terrible. I have to keep a light on during the day because of my java fern, but the algae is taking over the tank - its the brown kind. I bought a snail, but he doesn't seem to be eating the algae. I think it is a giant ramshorn but I'm not sure. Can I add another snail without being stuck with a thousand baby snails? I tried an otto but the betta went at it like a guided missle. I had to put the otto in my 29 gallon (which also has an algae problem, but not as bad) Are there any kinds of snails that won't overpopulate at tank?
Snail question
- Thread starter sarah5775
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
hc8719
Aquarium Advice Addict
snails dont go after algae, they may eat it if its there, but they dont love it. if you dont want a 1000 snails, just get a different species of snail, if you have a ramshorn now, try getting a mystery snail. it should be noted the snails should be fed as well
brown aglae sounds like diatoms, and may not be caused by light. java fern is a loved plants because it doesnt require great lighting. normal lighting is fine, in fact they may be able to live off lighting in the room, considering the room isnt dark all the time
brown aglae sounds like diatoms, and may not be caused by light. java fern is a loved plants because it doesnt require great lighting. normal lighting is fine, in fact they may be able to live off lighting in the room, considering the room isnt dark all the time
7Enigma
Aquarium Advice Addict
hc8719 said:
Depends on what type of snails. Some like nerites exclusively LOVE algae. If you can find a nerite or 2 for your tank that would be perfect. They are FW adapted snails that DO NOT multiply. They do not touch live plants, but readily devour algae and uneaten food.
It does sound like you have diatoms however. These will go away on their own. Oto's love diatoms but as you mentioned the betta didn't seem to like them. I am unsure of what snails like diatoms, but I'm sure there are some.
Also note that if these are in fact diatoms light level has nothing to do with their growth. They feed off silicates and do not need a light source to multiply. Best thing I'd recommend if you can be sure they are diatoms would be to just let the tank be. Clean off the plant leaves if they get covered (should easily wipe off), and sit back and relax. They will not harm the fish or biological filter. They will go away on their own when the silicates are used up. Try not to scrape the glass or stir up the substrate too much and you will see them dissapear in a couple of weeks.
Thanks for the advice on the algae, good to hear it will go away. I would like to get another snail anyway. I will call the lfs I got the snail at to verify what kind of snail it is and then see if I can get something different. I like snails, I just don't want to be overrun with them.
BTW, will a giant ramshorn breed with a little ramshorn? I have a little ramshorn (I think) that came in on plants in my 29 gallon. I love him, I named him Sojourner because he's all over the tank. Can I add a big ramshorn to that tank or should I add a different type of snail?
Also, what should I be feeding my snail in my betta's tank? Algae wafers I guess aren't the best thing...veggies? How about cucumber or lettuce? How do you get veggies to sink?
BTW, will a giant ramshorn breed with a little ramshorn? I have a little ramshorn (I think) that came in on plants in my 29 gallon. I love him, I named him Sojourner because he's all over the tank. Can I add a big ramshorn to that tank or should I add a different type of snail?
Also, what should I be feeding my snail in my betta's tank? Algae wafers I guess aren't the best thing...veggies? How about cucumber or lettuce? How do you get veggies to sink?
7Enigma
Aquarium Advice Addict
I believe the large ramshorns are not plant friendly. The small ones are fine in a planted tank, but the large ones will raze your plants.
As for food, snails will be fine on algae wafers or sinking pellets. How does your betta eat? Some are very finicky and will only eat pellets as they are falling. Once they hit the bottom some won't touch the food. If your betta is this way you might not need to feed the snails at all. You can get a magfloat or veggie clip to hold the food to the side of the tank. The snail (especially if as active as you say) will climb onto the piece and eat away.
As mentioned before, see if you can get a nerite snail (has to be freshwater). These guys are considered one of the best (if not THE best) snails you can have, and they will not multiply.
As for food, snails will be fine on algae wafers or sinking pellets. How does your betta eat? Some are very finicky and will only eat pellets as they are falling. Once they hit the bottom some won't touch the food. If your betta is this way you might not need to feed the snails at all. You can get a magfloat or veggie clip to hold the food to the side of the tank. The snail (especially if as active as you say) will climb onto the piece and eat away.
As mentioned before, see if you can get a nerite snail (has to be freshwater). These guys are considered one of the best (if not THE best) snails you can have, and they will not multiply.
Jarred Darque
Aquarium Advice FINatic
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2006
- Messages
- 682
The other thing is that even if you put in a MTS or something, while they wil lgrow in population quickly due to tthe abundance of avaiable food, over time, they will deplete the algae food source, and as long as you only feed enough for the betta, their population will diminish...or you can just pick them out of the tank when there are too many
7Enigma
Aquarium Advice Addict
All snail populations will expand to their food source. That is they will overpopulate a food source, some will die off, then more or less an equilibrium will be established. That is typical in nature of all organisms.
I am unsure of whether they will eat the diatoms. If not, you will not have an explosion of snails unless there is a lot of uneaten food around. If they do eat the diatoms, you may see a population crash if no specific snail feeding is done. But this is very easy to avoid.
If you see the diatoms mysteriously start to dissapear (especially in odd patterns as snails tend to eat in a path), then you know they are going to town and will need a supplimental food source. If you don't, whatever current feeding your doing should suffice.
I am unsure of whether they will eat the diatoms. If not, you will not have an explosion of snails unless there is a lot of uneaten food around. If they do eat the diatoms, you may see a population crash if no specific snail feeding is done. But this is very easy to avoid.
If you see the diatoms mysteriously start to dissapear (especially in odd patterns as snails tend to eat in a path), then you know they are going to town and will need a supplimental food source. If you don't, whatever current feeding your doing should suffice.
hc8719
Aquarium Advice Addict
snails dont exactly clean algae up over night, considering they do eat it. my mystery rather takes a bite as he travels, but doesnt make the tank sparkle, though right now i still have algae remnants.
chances are the big ramshorn is what is called a marisa ramshorn, they love plants, while normal ramshorns dont
as far as feeding the snail in your betta tank, just make sure some flakes are knocked to the bottom, or crumbled so the betta doesnt care to pick at them
chances are the big ramshorn is what is called a marisa ramshorn, they love plants, while normal ramshorns dont
as far as feeding the snail in your betta tank, just make sure some flakes are knocked to the bottom, or crumbled so the betta doesnt care to pick at them
joannde
Aquarium Advice Addict
btw, mystery snails don't eat diatoms - but I wish they did ! diatoms will go away in a few weeks, just grin and bare it as you wipe it away during a PWC to remove most of it.
As for the hard green spot algae on the glass, I dont think Mystery snails make a dent in that either - its one of those things we'll just have to deal with manually
As for the hard green spot algae on the glass, I dont think Mystery snails make a dent in that either - its one of those things we'll just have to deal with manually
tropicfishman
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have 3 ramshorns in a 29, well 2 ramshorns, I found one dead today, and my brown algea is still pretty bad, I just wipe it off and go on through out my day
7Enigma
Aquarium Advice Addict
I would only wipe it off of live plants. Anything else and your just slowing down the time it takes for them to eat themselves to extinction!
Wow. So I looked in the betta's tank and, sure enough, the algae is still there but the java fern is looking rather chewed. This guy is going in my 29 gallon, where he can eat java moss to his heart's content, as the stuff grows so fast I don't know what to do with it. I bought a handful in May and it now covers a fifth of my tank. I'm sure he won't make much of a dent in there.
I will try to get some nerites.
I don't know about that snail population thing though. My sister has a nice fish tank, got some plants. Snails came in on the plants. They populated the tank heavily- There were snails everywhere! We had to take some out and 'set them free' in the creek were we used to live, (probably wreaking havoc on an entire echosystem) and then, one day, they all died. Every single one. There were a ton of little empty shells in her aquarium. Then, a few days later, all but one of her fish died. I don't know why, but I resolved I would never bring a snail into my aquarium.
So....here I have a snail who hitched a ride, and I actually bought another snail for the betta. Which now has to go in the big tank. So I will be shopping for another snail......go figure.
I will try to get some nerites.
I don't know about that snail population thing though. My sister has a nice fish tank, got some plants. Snails came in on the plants. They populated the tank heavily- There were snails everywhere! We had to take some out and 'set them free' in the creek were we used to live, (probably wreaking havoc on an entire echosystem) and then, one day, they all died. Every single one. There were a ton of little empty shells in her aquarium. Then, a few days later, all but one of her fish died. I don't know why, but I resolved I would never bring a snail into my aquarium.
So....here I have a snail who hitched a ride, and I actually bought another snail for the betta. Which now has to go in the big tank. So I will be shopping for another snail......go figure.
