Best shrimp and snail for tank detritus?

[mrfishybetta]

Hello!

My 5g is up and running smoothly with it's one betta inhabitant, but I've been thinking of getting a clean-up crew (also for cuteness factor). I don't really have a problem with algae (yet?). I need something to clean up the detritus that collects in Mr. Fishy's tank - bits of plants, daphnia that he misses during feeding, etc. I run a sponge filter, so this stuff kinda just sits around the tank until I do a gravel vac on the weekends.

What shrimps and snails are best for this type of cleanup? Amano shrimp seem to fit the bill. I've read that Malaysian trumpet snails would be good - but my LFS does not sell them, and I'd really rather not order them online. What other snails would do well in my tank, without eating my live plants?

All advice and experiences are appreciated!

 

[shrimpaholich]

nerite snails are a good choice, atleast till they be come a problem. then assassin snails are good and id go with ghost shrimp honestly. they are cheap, breed readily, and are awesome IMHO!


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[TheDude]

From experience with my Betta he is attracted to attacking red shrimp like a bull so I have amano shrimp and he leaves them be. Zebra nerite snails are cool too I'd recommend looking at aquatic arts(formerly invert obsession) on Amazon. I've ordered all my inverts and plants from them and with no fatalities. They do a great job

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[Aliray]

Mystery snail or nerite snail. Ghost shrimp or any of the small colored shrimp. It also depends on your bettas personality. Alison

 

[mrfishybetta]

Thanks! I was maybe going to start with ghost shrimp, since they are cheaper, to see if my betta will try to eat them. Then upgrade to amanos...

Do nerites leave little eggs all over the place? I don't know if I could handle that.

 

[Aliray]

Nerites come in male and female as do mystery snails. If you get a female nerite than yes she will. A mystery snail if it is a female will lay a whole clutch of eggs on the underneath tank top or the top of the tank above the water level. They are easy to remove and discard. You have a 50\50 chance when you pick up a snail. I have one nerite that is a male in one tank and my female is in my other tank. She has only decorated my driftwood. Their eggs do not hatch in freshwater. Alison

 

[SushiRoll]

Actually Apple snails are the male/female ones (I have bred them before) and a mystery snail I'm pretty sure is both sexes and lay eggs under water. Pretty much the entire world gets them mixed up cause they look (on the outside) almost the same. The way to tell the difference is if they lay eggs above water or use their breathing tube that is unique to apple snails. So if you want a snail that won't eat your plants get a pomacea diffusa (I may have spelled that wrong) because some of the Apple snails will eat plants but not that one. There is more information on applesnail.net. Sorry if this sounds weird ?


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[Aliray]

Mystery snails and apple snails both come in male and female and both lay their eggs above the water line. Some of the mystery snails are a variety of apple snail they just don't grow anywhere near as big as the apple snail that grows in fla. Think Apple size. The mystery gets ping pong ball size. and comes in lots of different colors some with stripes and some with solid color shells. There is a women on another forum I belong to who is selling them . She has hatched several clutches of them and at the moment has well over 200 In various colors. Alison

 

[TheresaM]

From experience with my Betta he is attracted to attacking red shrimp like a bull so I have amano shrimp and he leaves them be. Zebra nerite snails are cool too I'd recommend looking at aquatic arts(formerly invert obsession) on Amazon. I've ordered all my inverts and plants from them and with no fatalities. They do a great job

Just wanted to mention that they have their own website now: Aquatic Arts