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I've posted here before about my minor algae problem, and after another stop at the LFS, I noticed the freshwater snails.

My question is whether or not a few snails would aid with the algae problem. I have a 20H FW tank stocked with 7 fish, water preams are normal across the board, and the temp is around 76 F. The algae is a flat brown algae--it's not a big problem, just blandly unsightly. The tank gets a good deal of morning and early afternoon light that I can't avoid. I want to avoid getting more fish, just because my tank will get overstocked quite quickly.

What are some pros and cons of snails? What kind should I look at, if any at all?

Sanils reproduce very very quickly...

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

I don't believe any of my fish would eat baby snails or snail eggs...or they might, not sure.

Is this true for all snails? For example, the LFS has those larger "mystery snails" that either have black or gold colored shells. Are those massive reproducers?

first question, what kind of fish?

first answer, as far as reproduction, it all depends on what kind of snail you used.

My knowledge, the mystery snails dont quite multiple like others do. But I dont know alot about snails either.

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

My fish in the 20H are:

2 Dwarf Flame Gourami
3 Brilliant Rasbora
1 Long Finned Leopard Danio
1 Dojo Loach

Sorry about that.

Nerite snails yes, fancy ramshorns, maybe but applesnails, no. The smaller species of applesnail is actually carnivorous. They eat algae only in passing or when starving. Having seen them eat bits of algae in the tanks people have come to assume they are good algae eaters but they die quickly when fed on only algae. They actually love the meatiest foods you can get and will grow much faster with a longer lifespan and healthier shells. The larger applesnails that are herbivores won't fit in your tank very well. They truly do get around the size of an apple. Applesnails also don't digest their food very well leaving behind almost as many nutrients as they just ate. They'll actually sometimes cause an increase in algae and are popular in fry tanks because their poorly digested waste attracts micro organisms that fry will eat.

Nerites are algae eaters and only reproduce in brackish so are becoming popular in planted tanks for algae control. These would work for your tank but are probably the most expensive of the snails sold for freshwater tanks. Fancy ramshorns will eat some algae but multiply easily. They do come in bright red and blue though so alot of people don't mind the fact 1 turns into 100.

For a tank like yours I would recommend a trio of otocinclus cats. They are non-agressive and remain quite small. They are a much more reliable algae eater than snails, which are-as sham said-omnivorous.

I think snails are really interesting and I really enjoyed having an applesnail (Pomacea bridgesii) in my tank. They do not get out of control like pest snails(in fact I have heard that they will eat pest snail eggs and babies). Just make sure you know which species you have. Bridgesii stays small, won't eat plants, and comes in a variety of colors.

http://www.applesnail.net/content/species/pomacea_bridgesi.htm

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

I believe I won't go the snail route. based on all of your info, it looks like they just won't cut it for my tank or my needs.

As for algae-eating fish in general, what do ya'll recommend for this tank setup? I know I will start pressing stocking limits shortly, and I wish to get a few more community fish (rasbora, tetra, danio, w/e) so that I get a better response from them as schooling fish and so that they feel less shy and happier.

I've heard of the Otocinclus cats (thanks to katieb )...What are they like--size wise, to keep, etc? I don't know a whole lot about algae eaters save to stay away from the common pleco due to size. So, what do I need to know about algae eaters, and how common are the ones you recommend to find? My most local LFS is a Petco (unless you can count the horrid walmart ) )

For a twenty high i would pick one schooling fish to have. A good minimum school to have is a group of 6. I wouldnt go past six for the danios, because they are robust and active. Im not sure how big brilliant rasboras but if their not bigger than a couple inchs you could have eight.

Another thing that worries me is the gouramis. Labryinthe fishes can be territorial and because your tank emphasizes height over lengthxwidth, they have less space for their territories than you might think. It might be a good idea to rehome one of them.

As for otos, here is an article on their care:

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/24242.1.htm?1#

Ive seen otos at my Petco fairly often.

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.