Hair Algae

[Lupin]

Does anyone have snails that really eat hair algae? I decided yesterday to grab a cottonball of hair algae to let the nerite snails eat and suddenly, my MTS, ramshorns and brigs went to the algae's direction and in an hour, the algae's gone. I've noticed the baby MTS slurping it like noodles.:lol:

It's green hair algae by the way. Must be yummy. I get plenty from my pond.

 

[snoopy65]

Lupin, you name the algae and I have had it in my 30 gal tank. It gets direct morning sun where it is sitting. There is no place else for it to go though. So I added ramshorns and mts and still had a problem with some of the algae. I added 2 zebra nerite and now I have no algae at all of any kind in the tank and have to supply wafers.

 

[Lupin]

Even the BBA, Snoopy? I mentioned my nerites eat them before and was told theirs have refused so far to touch BBA so I thought to myself maybe not all nerites have one track mind for algae. I can understand BGA of course but BBA is another thing.

 

[snoopy65]

Yeah I had small amounts of BBA on some of my plants and it is gone now too. I didn't see them actually eat it, but really there isn't any other explanation.

 

[Lupin]

It's the nerites for sure. Take this one for instance. I did see a nerite latching on a rock full of BBA. An hour later, it moved on another side but the spot where it was on became bald.

 

[customdrum]

only thing i knew that eats string algae or bba is hydrogen peroxide or spot treating with excel lol

ill have to try the nerite trick, maybe if there hungry enough they will eat it?

 

[Hollygirl]

My snail only tank which is near a window does have some hair algae. However, not as much as when it was a fish only tank. In hindsight that location was terrible for a fish tank, but works well for algae eating snails. My guess is that the nerites must be keeping it under control? I have noticed ramshorns grazing the hair algae as well. Now that I have more nerites I'll have to study the amount of hair algae in the tank.

 

[snoopy65]

Customdrum, it isn't that they are that hungry. I give every tank of mine that has any snails in it food for the snails (wafers, pellets, jello) every night. I think the zebra nerites just prefer au-natural food as oppose to prepared foods. I occasionally catch them munching on something I put in, but not often.

 

[Lupin]

The mystery snails are eating more hair algae like cotton candy.erv: