How effective are snails?

[CEverii]

I'm fighting an everlasting battle with algae. I have maybe 3 snails in my tank now. It's a new setup so I know algae will be present, but it feels like every two days I've got to scrub the caked on algae off the glass. Just wondering if I bought say, 20 more how much help they would be.

 

[fishboy444]

what kind of snails?Might wanna get some more.

 

[CEverii]

what kind of snails?Might wanna get some more.

Not sure. They came with the LR. Was looking into some Turbo Snails

 

[austinsdad]

What are your phosphate and nitrate readings? There's something casuing algae that heavy if that bad in only 2 days I think.

How long are your lights on too? And also tell me if the tank is near window light. Last question. What are you feeding and how often?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

... but it feels like every two days I've got to scrub the caked on algae off the glass. ...

Are we just talking about the light green or brown coating that covers the glass? Or are we talking hair algae, or something with some type of "leaf" to it?

You're going to have to scrub the glass every couple days... that's just part of keeping a tank. The snails will make cute little tracks across it, but they won't keep it clean. That's what cleaner magnets are for.

 

[ryshark]

What are your phosphate and nitrate readings? There's something casuing algae that heavy if that bad in only 2 days I think.

How long are your lights on too? And also tell me if the tank is near window light. Last question. What are you feeding and how often?

We need to know this info above. To me it sounds like you have too many nutrients in the water and probably have the lights on too long causing algae to grow faster than normal. If it is that "caked on" then the snails wont make enough of a difference.

 

[austinsdad]

Heavy algae on the glass is not good IMO. Light, soft, green stuff is expected. However, I can say that when I was really into water changes, up to date lighting, and low phosphate habits (feeding cuations, RO/Di for top-offs and PWC's, etc) my front glass seemed to stay cleaner a lot longer. I think you'll have to find your culprit it its that bad.

 

[CEverii]

What are your phosphate and nitrate readings? There's something casuing algae that heavy if that bad in only 2 days I think.

How long are your lights on too? And also tell me if the tank is near window light. Last question. What are you feeding and how often?

Not sure about my phosphate readings. My Nitrate reading are good. Usually a constant 0. My lights are on for about 10 hours a day. For food, im feeding 1/2 cube brine shrimp for my scooter blenny, and about a pinch of flake for my clouns/peppermint shrimp/hermits daily.

 

[CEverii]

Are we just talking about the light green or brown coating that covers the glass? Or are we talking hair algae, or something with some type of "leaf" to it?

You're going to have to scrub the glass every couple days... that's just part of keeping a tank. The snails will make cute little tracks across it, but they won't keep it clean. That's what cleaner magnets are for.

For the most part its just a thin layer of green algae that if left alone long enough start getting some purple spots. Sometimes after a week w/o a scrub it looks like little plants. However on my powerheads and overflow box which I have never scrubbed, there is some nice think long wavy thread like hair algae growing off of it. Not too long, but theres a lot of coraline (spelling?) algae growing over/around it, so I havent touched it.

 

[austinsdad]

OK, check the phosphate levels when ya can. Frozen shrimp cubes and flakes are notorius for adding phosphates to a system. Gotta rinse those cubes off in FW and consider tyring something other than the flakes so regularly.

 

[CEverii]

OK, check the phosphate levels when ya can. Frozen shrimp cubes and flakes are notorius for adding phosphates to a system. Gotta rinse those cubes off in FW and consider tyring something other than the flakes so regularly.

What would you suggest? I also have some blood worms.

 

[austinsdad]

Get a bag of Ocean Nutrition Formula Two (not the cubed in Gel Paks) for the veggy matter, some Formula One for some of the meat (same thing, not the gel cubes), or use some broken up algae sheets (veggie also), and rinse the brine or myisis (I used both) in FW. Put it all in a small tupperware cup and add a few drops of Garlic Guard juice (for the immune system) and some Zoe or other marine vitamin.

Mix it all up, cover and store. You'll know after a while how much to mix so you don't have too much that goes bad in the fridge after a week.

When you get fully sotcked, you might wanna get fancy as I did. Got me some white fish filets, shrimp, scallops, and plenty of fresh algae sheets (broken up into small pieces), put it all in a blender with the garlic guard and zoe. Came out almost like a paste. I then put it in a zip lock and spread it thin. Froze it. Thin pieces were easy to break off. I'd put the forzen pieces in a net and hang it in the tank. Everybody was real fired up of course while it melted and went crazy at feeding time.

 

[Son of Red]

Is there a problem with the gel type food?

 

[austinsdad]

It doesn't break up well. All kinda sticks together. The stuff in the bag can be crumbled up better in my experience.

 

[Son of Red]

Ok. Was wondering if there was an issue with Phosphates or something. I have pretty good luck putting some on a chopstick and swishing it around in the water. Seems to do the trick.

 

[VelcroDuck]

Not sure about my phosphate readings. My Nitrate reading are good. Usually a constant 0. My lights are on for about 10 hours a day. For food, im feeding 1/2 cube brine shrimp for my scooter blenny, and about a pinch of flake for my clouns/peppermint shrimp/hermits daily.

Going through something similar and here's some advice I've received:
[edit: Be sure to continue and read the responses to this]
1. Your nitrAte readings are NOT good. Zero is bad for nitrAte, you want a little as it is your sign that the beneficial bacteria ("B") are working (it's their by-product). It is also the form of nitrogen that plants can use, while algae will use the ammonia, which is more readily available. You don't want this. The ammonia will not be available for bacteria "A" to break down to nitrIte, meaning no food for bacteria "B" to convert to nitrAte. This means the bacteria starve to death, there's nothing to control deadly ammonia or nitrIte and they rise, killing your tank's inhabitants, and the algae wins.
2. Cut your lights. Go to 8 hours, maybe 6. Also try breaking up the light period (6 on, 6 off, 6 on, 6 off)

Keep in mind, I'm no expert at all and my problems are in a freshwater tank. Hopefully a true salty expert will stop by and comment on what I've said, but to me this particular statement from the OP might have been overlooked.

 

[austinsdad]

I disagree that zero is bad for nitrate readings. Plenty of successful tanks have zero nitrates. Below 20ppm is totally acceptable though.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Keep in mind, I'm no expert at all and my problems are in a freshwater tank. Hopefully a true salty expert will stop by and comment on what I've said, but to me this particular statement from the OP might have been overlooked.

I don't think anyone overlooked that statement, because well... it's pretty normal to have zero nitrates AND have an algae problem at the same time. The algae is consuming the nitrates as fast as it can be produced. Same goes with the phosphates. In saltwater, you really want no measurable nitrates. Folks that *do* want some level of nitrates are doing it for other reasons... not to make sure their biological filter is working. If you suspect it's not working, that's why we have ammonia/nitrite test kits.

 

[VelcroDuck]

Ok guys, thanks for clarifying.
Like I said, I'm still learning too and was passing on what was working for me. I was wondering if there were commonalities, as I'd like to graduate to sw some day. Guess I should have posed it more in the form of a question as I intended.
Should I edit that so as not to confuse anyone? What are your thoughts on the lights?