What's a good algae eater for a 55 planted?

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Odysseus

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Aug 16, 2007
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I have a 55 gallon planted tank that's still in a bit of progress. There is a bit of algae on a leaf of my amazon sword, so would anyone recommend a good algae eater for a tank with a ph between 6-7, a temperature between 72-80 and one that isn't aggressive or oversized?
 
:iagree:
 
or............you could try using a bristlenose pleco. They dont have as much personality, but they're easy to acclimate and are great cleaners.
 
Just one quick question about it: Will it dig in the sand? I only have 3 living trumpet snails and I doubt they are going to live much longer. If not, do you have any recommendations for a good digging species?
 
Odysseus said:
Just one quick question about it: Will it dig in the sand? I only have 3 living trumpet snails and I doubt they are going to live much longer. If not, do you have any recommendations for a good digging species?
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I have yet to meet a Trumpet snail that hasn't reproduced into a 1000 trumpet snails overnight. Are you sure you only have 3 of them? They are mostly nocturnal so it's hard to keep an accurate track of their numbers sometimes.

As for the pleco, it is not much of a digger, much preferring to hangout and munch wood. If you want a digger stick with the snails...and check out your tank at night with a flashlight, I wouldn't be surprised if your 3 snails are more like 50. :p:
 
Rowangel said:
I have yet to meet a Trumpet snail that hasn't reproduced into a 1000 trumpet snails overnight. Are you sure you only have 3 of them? They are mostly nocturnal so it's hard to keep an accurate track of their numbers sometimes.

As for the pleco, it is not much of a digger, much preferring to hangout and munch wood. If you want a digger stick with the snails...and check out your tank at night with a flashlight, I wouldn't be surprised if your 3 snails are more like 50. :p:
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Well here is what happened. I have no idea where to get them so I ordered them online. I checked every place around me and found none. I got six of them. They stayed in my ten gallon tank with gravel. They did not dig and soon started to die off. Most of them were really doing poor. I saw the spiral of of one of their shells in pieces while they were still alive. I moved the last living four into the 55 gallon tank two days ago and added some algae wafers. They did not eat the wafers and they crumbled and I moldy. After I vacuumed the wafer out I found one dead. That means the last three are buried under. I added 4 mystery snails to clean up the rest of the crumbled wafer. I also unfortunately have a few common snails in there, who hopefully are going to have their eggs eaten by one of the snails I put in. I am going to take out my mystery snails tonight, and drop a bottom feeder tablet in rather than an algae wafer because it crumbles less. hopefully those last 3 will reproduce.
 
oh man, no one should have to pay for those little buggers! Do you have any plant stores in your area? I found mine in and amongst the plants and just asked for a plastic bag with water and took em home. Brought home 2, was unsettled to discover 300+ in the course of 2 months. Just couldn't control the horniness that is trumpet loven! Some days I was ditching 100+ snails to clear out my tank! They should be the easiest snail to breed ever.

Cracks or holes in the shells is I believe, and correct me if I'm wrong, an indication of low calcium. There could also be a problem with water quality and any copper in any amount will make snails kick the bucket. Did you use any algae control medication? That almost always contains bad things for snails.

I also should add, there is no need to give the snails pellets. That will only foul the water as you noticed. The snails should survive quite well without any food supplementation.
 
SAE's are nice. and petsmart carries them now. they get kinda big, but personally i like the way they look.
 
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