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Do pond snails eat brown algae? If a tank had brown algae growing would pond snails be more likely to graze on it and not the plants? I am getting brown algae.
The tank is a planted 10 gallon. It is cycled, though it currently has no fish it it. I was planning on adding Whites Clouds tomorrow. The nitrates have been below 20ppm. I do two 2 gallon water changes a week. The temp is set at 74. I have two 11 Watt compact fluorescent bulbs. It is planted with Java Moss, Java Fern, and Hornwort.
The brown algae is not out of control, but it is growing on the surface of the plants leaves and I am worried that this will limit the light they receive. I have just noticed a couple pond snails in the tank and am wondering if it would be better to try to sustain, a small population of them to help control it or if I should eliminate them now?
As for eliminating them, the tank is still empty, so I was thinking of using Potassium Permanganate to remove them. Is this doable? How much of my biological filter do think I would lose?
I am guessing that I have excess Silica in my tap. Should I try a Silica absorbing resin in the filter or should I just let the brown algae grow. It is just a light dusting, though it can be heavier on the plant's leaves.
Thanks
If the tank is empty of fish you have little to no biological filtration happening, so if you plan on using chemicals to eradicate the snails it is a good time. Snails do eat algae but pond snails (and really all snails) eat so little that if algae is a problem they really won't keep up. The only start to over populate a tank if there is lots of food. So keep your tank clean and the population will be kept low. Also most common snails don't eat healthy plants. They will graze on algae on the surface and will start to eat decaying or dead leaves but rarely healthy ones.
I have snails in all of my tanks (which all have live plants) and I love them. They make the bio diversity that much better and they really don't hurt that much but are a great indicator of over feeding.
The tank doesn't have fish, but after I change the water on my Goldfish's tank and rinse his filters, I add some of that water to this tank. I do keep my tanks clean. And I agree about the snails. I didn't want to have to remove them. I just thought they would would damage the plants, all of which are very healthy.
Thanks
Well unless the water from your goldfish tank has high ammonia levels then it really isn't doing much for the biological filtration. It probably just has high nitrate levels, which will be good for your plants but won't really help the bacteria. When you do add fish make sure to watch for ammonia spikes as a new cycle will occur.
KrazeeFishLadee
08-06-2004, 6:12 PM
Also most common snails don't eat healthy plants. They will graze on algae on the surface and will start to eat decaying or dead leaves but rarely healthy ones.
I would have to disagree. I work at the lfs. I had a very large apple snail (abt 2.5in) that had outgrown my 30 gal so I took him to work and put him in our display 55 gal. This tank has both fake and live plantings and the live are very very healthy and that snail ate like he was at the all you can eat salad bar!!!! I have seen many a snail devour a planted tank in a matter of days.
IMO, I would not add snails to your gorgeous planted tank. Oto flexilis may be a good option. I will check into whether they like salad! :)
Apple snails are mostly plant eaters. Common snails to me are those frequently found with and from LFS plant tanks, which are the common pond snail and the common ramshorn snails. MTS (Malaysian trumpet snails) are also frequent hitch-hikers, but they do not have "common" as part of their generalized common names, but neither does any Apple snail. None of those three frequent plant tank snails eats heathy plants.
Otos do not eat healthy plants either, but they do love diatoms (brown algae).
Well I am glad to see the board back! I know you said that snails do not really eat algae but I have definately noticed less brown algae on the broad leafed plants. Where there was a coat of brown algae, I found instead snail casings. I even observed the snail eating it a couple times. So, I let the snails stay. About how many is a good number to try to keep under in a 10 gallon? I have yet to see more then six and actually I hardly see them except maybe a couple on the wall in the morning.
Also, It seems to me that if I can see the waste in the water I added from my goldfish's tank then eventually in this tank there should be a source of Ammonia for the bio bugs to consume.? I guess it really isn't important now as I have added fish already. I haven't had any Ammonia spike.
Which is the best way to add schooling fish, the school all at once or a few at a time? I started with 3 golden white coulds and all were doing fine for the first few days. Then I noticed one that was acting listless. I tested the water and everything checked out, but I still did a water change. Neither of the other two were acting odd. This fish didn't show any symptoms and the fish came from a clean looking tank that I had observed over a week. He simply appeared not to have any energy until he wasted away. It was very frustrating for me especially since I couldn't find any symptoms. I am wondering if it could of just been stress? I tried to make the transition as stress free as possible. I used the bucket acclimatization method. I kept the lights out on the aquarium and the room quiet for a day. This fish was very shy, so maybe the move was two much? Really I am stumped, disappointed and sad.
Since, I couldn't identify an environmental problem and I din't want the other two fish in there alone I decided to go ahead to the finished stocking levels. It has been awhile now and I have had no problems. I just wish I could figure out what I did wrong with that one.
Thanks all for you input.
Sometimes a fish is okay in one tank but the move to another is just enough to push it over the edge. These things happen. Is there enough circulation in your tank? I ask as the white clouds area cold water fish and therefore need higher oxygen levels to thrive. Making more turbulence in the water should help keep the oxygen levels high.
I am glad your snails are working out. I am looking at my 10 gallon right now and can see 50 snails or so (rams horn and common pond) and not a hole in a leaf. I wouldn't rely on them to eat alage as they really won't be able to keep up if it is growing fast, but they will be able to help.
Brown algae also has a tendancy to show up in a tank after awhile and then goes away. It may be paramaters adjusting, I'm not sure.