Apple snail 30G stocking

[cbatusf]

Hi, y'all!

I have a planted 30 gallon that is doing well besides a bit of a diatom problem. The diatoms is on the front and back glass and gravel. I do 25% wc every two weeks. I have 7 Serpae Tetras, 1 Dwarf Gourami, 4 Panda Cories, and 1 Apple Snail. I've noticed the snail eating the diatoms, so I was thinking of getting a couple more to help get rid of it.

Any thoughts on how many snails I could get or how to get rid of the diatoms is appreciated!
~ Courtney

[avionics30]

My two cents.... If you plus up your snail population, they will multiply. I started with 6 snails and soon had over 100. They lay eggs above the water line, so they are easy to spot and remove if you like.

[msjinkzd]

Apple snails are not really very efficient algae eaters and the diatoms you are seeing will likely resolve on their own after time. Apple snails need to have a diet supplemented with calcium rich foods in order to maintain good shell health. How old is your tank setup? How old are your bulbs?

[cbatusf]

This aquarium setup and bulbs are 6 months old.

The Cories and snail are fed Algae Wafers and "Hikari Tropical" Sinking Wafers.

So, should I stick with the one snail and wait out the diatoms?

Thanks for the replies!

[saram521]

The brown diatomaceous film can easily be wiped off with a sponge/algae scraper. There is no need to rely on an animal to rid your glass of this.

[cbatusf]

Ah, ok! Sounds good! Thanks for your help!

[Cory Keeper]

You may decide to get more when you see the kind of personality they have :) they are really cool to watch.

[cbatusf]

How many more can I get that would live happily in my 30 gallon?

[Cory Keeper]

Quite a few, just don't go overboard.

[msjinkzd]

Each snail needs about 2.5g of tank space if that helps :)