Absolutely best snail who is a ravenous eater of brown algae?

JohnSmith

JohnSmith

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Oct 4, 2008
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I have been keeping fish since the late 1960's (started out with gold fish though.) By 1970 I was into tropicals and BIG tanks ... I have never, until a year ago, seen such a plague of brown algae. It must have come to my area of the country from some far off place and become FIRMLY established in stores and sources I get my aquarium supplies from.

So, after the pleco has turned up his nose at it--if anything else is more to his liking, the oto's, etc. ... I am willing to invest in some snails this week or weekend ...

I would like to hear from everyone and get a final consensus before purchasing them. I grow very fond of any creature which inhabits my tanks, and want the best possible?

Thanks,
regards,
JS
 
Brown algae could be a number of different algaes, depending on exactly what it looks like. Almost always brown algae is diagnosed as diatoms. Traditionally, Oto's are the preferred eater, but you've explored that option.

The absolute best algae eating snail hands down is the nerite. The nerite is a tidal snail, which breeds in salt water but will live in freshwater. The common US Olive Nerite is readily available and will eat pretty much any algae you give. Actually, all nerites will eat pretty much all algae you give them.

Arakkis has a thread in the Classified's section where he sells Olive's for $1.50.

Between two tanks, I currently have 10 Olives and 10 Zebras and I've very happy with both. After they clear out the algae, you have to supplement with wafers and vegetables, just like any other algae eater.
 
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