mr.waffles1842
Aquarium Advice FINatic
which is better, mystery snails or nerite snails?
snails
- Thread starter mr.waffles1842
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FreshwaterTropical
Aquarium Advice FINatic
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- Sep 23, 2011
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- 700
I own mystery snails, but never had nerites. The nerites are expensive at my LFS!
Galligak
Aquarium Advice Addict
I like my Nerite snail better than my mystery snail. The Nerite cleans my tank a lot better and is more active than my mystery snail. Plus IMO nerites look cooler!
absolutangel04
Daphnia are People Too.
Neither is better. One living organism is not better than another.
Nerites eat more algae, mysteries eat more extra food. Neither will overpopulate your tank since nerites need sw for eggs to hatch and mysteries need to mate with a snail of a different gender, but then lay their eggs up above the water level so they are easy to remove if you don't want babies. Both have awesome colors and I have found them to be equally hardy. Mysteries get bigger which means they have a bigger bioload. Many people like nerites for the algae eating aspect.
Nerites eat more algae, mysteries eat more extra food. Neither will overpopulate your tank since nerites need sw for eggs to hatch and mysteries need to mate with a snail of a different gender, but then lay their eggs up above the water level so they are easy to remove if you don't want babies. Both have awesome colors and I have found them to be equally hardy. Mysteries get bigger which means they have a bigger bioload. Many people like nerites for the algae eating aspect.
NoMoreGoldFish
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2011
- Messages
- 249
I have both golden mystery snails (pomacea canas) and zebra nerite snails. I had to buy a new tank for my canas because they were eating my plants (I thought they were brigesiis), I find that they eat constantly and produce A LOT of wastes! I have to gravel vac my snail tank every three days, and the amount of poop I vac out is just astonishing.
For a community tank, I'd recommend nerite snails, they do an amazing job at cleaning algae. But for a snail tank, I'd go for the mystery snails, they're very cute especially when they're gnawing on a piece of vegetable. It's very cartoonish the way they chew.
For a community tank, I'd recommend nerite snails, they do an amazing job at cleaning algae. But for a snail tank, I'd go for the mystery snails, they're very cute especially when they're gnawing on a piece of vegetable. It's very cartoonish the way they chew.
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mr.waffles1842
Aquarium Advice FINatic
but they both eat algae well? which has the most bioload? ive kept nerites before but im not sure on mysteries...
absolutangel04
Daphnia are People Too.
I am quoting myself because I already answered your questions. To clarify, mysteries do not eat much algae, they eat more fallen flake food. Yes, they eat algae, but not as much.
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mr.waffles1842
Aquarium Advice FINatic
ok thanks. but i meant how much compared to a fish. platys, per se.
absolutangel04
Daphnia are People Too.
When you said, "which has the most biolaod" you meant compared to a fish? Ok. Well, thats not an easy thing to say. IMO, a mystry snail probably has a bioload similar to a fish, like a platy. They can be rather messy since they eat all the time. At the same time, their bioload is less of a contribution to the total bioload because they find scraps and things that would otherwise rot and dirty up the water. But, I think it is comparable to a platy.
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mr.waffles1842
Aquarium Advice FINatic
but the nerite has alot less right? thanks again. hmm. maybe ill just buy a mystery and see what happens from there. oh yeak, and how much algae do mysterys eat, compared toan algae eating fish? sorry if im asking o much over and over.
absolutangel04
Daphnia are People Too.
Yes, nerites have less bioload than mysterys. Part of that is because they are smaller. I have mysterys and otos in a tank, and the mysterys eat algae, but do not put a big dent on its growth. Once I got the otos, the algae level went down though. So, compared to an algae eating fish, they do not eat that much.
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mr.waffles1842
Aquarium Advice FINatic
darn it! i wanted a buch of the mysterys for my new 40 gallon project! im planning on getting one for my birthday. thatll be 3 tanks in one year! woot!
absolutangel04
Daphnia are People Too.
You could still get a few mysterys. Nothing says you can't. The plus about them not eating as much algae is that they do not out-compete other algae eaters.
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mr.waffles1842
Aquarium Advice FINatic
yeah, but i wanted a snail, and that was all for an algae eater...
absolutangel04
Daphnia are People Too.
I understand, but really you should get any fish or invert because you want it and feel it would do well in your environment, not just so it will do a job for you. So,if you want a mystery snail, feel it would do well in your environment, and know how to take care of it, then go ahead. Its not like they don't eat any algae, so if your growth in minimal, they could be quite helpful.
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mr.waffles1842
Aquarium Advice FINatic
i dont keep them just so they do something for me! thats animal cruelty IMO! i just thought snails would be cool, andd if they eat algae for me, thats great!
absolutangel04
Daphnia are People Too.
Sorry, for misunderstanding you. Be careful how you phrase things, I thought you were saying you wanted them just because you want an algae eater. I apologize. Truthfully, a well-planted, well-maintained tank with proper light and dark cycles shouldn't really need an algae eater. Thats why I am saying, if you like the snails, go ahead and get a few for your new tank.
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mr.waffles1842
Aquarium Advice FINatic
so ill see if i can get me some nerites.
