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Mods can delete that other post.
I don't need algae control..I need snail control.
Peaceful 125 gal-Ottos/Cories/Pearl GOuramies/female bettas..

Heard Clown Loaches are good...but also heard they can decimate plants.

Hi,
The AQUARIUM FISH Magazine ran a couple of
articles that might be of interest to your specific
problem/question.

In the chatt room today you asked about "good" snails.
The April 2004 edition ran an article titled
"The Good, the Bad and the Slimy" page 60. In it,
The "good snails" listed are: the Apple and Mystery
snails and the Malaysian Live-Bearing or Trumpet snails.
The former eat some algae, and anything they find
that is fish food or dead fish. The MTS (Malaysians)
are small and spend their daylight hours burried in the
gravel where they aeriate the gravel and eat just about
anything organic. They will not, eat plants.

Snail eating fish are also mentioned in the same article.
They say just about any of the Botias, some gouramis
(blue, opaline, and gold) puffers, and large angelfish
are among the best.

They suggest trapping them by leaving a small plate
in the tank overnight with a piece of raw meat on it.
In the morning the plate and meat will be covered and
you carefully lift it out of the tank and wash the
snails and meat down the drain. If they get large
enough smush them against the glass and the fish
will eat the body as a wonderful snack.

You also asked about fighting algae with fish.
Again, the AQUARIUM FISH Magazine, May
2004 issue ran an article titled "Control (if not
eliminate) algae, P54. The fish mentioned are
Otocinclus affinis (ottos) (use a small school as
they are "happier" with a small group.
The Bristlenose of the genus Ancistrus will survive
in a tank with rough team mates, while the Siamese
Algae Eater also likes to be in groups and will
live best with peaceful fish and soft leaved plants.

Hope this helps in the decision.

Frank


[span class="edited"][Edited by FRANK 2004-08-10 20:58][/span]

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well i would have to dissagree to some extent. dont get just any apple snail. alot of apple snails will eat your plants, youll have to make sure that the apple snail is the ones that are called mystery snails.

I hear malaysian trumpet snails are good for planted tanks. I don't think they eat other snails though.

Botias are good for snail control, and the best to look for your tank would be B. dario(queen), rostrata(twin banded or sargent major), and lohachata (yoyo). Some peaceful cichlids would also help, such as Keyholes, Bolivian Rams, and African Butterfly (Anomalochromis). If snails are overpopulating, try to cut back on feedings, and increase water changes and gravel vacs. This will also likely help with any algae in the tank. HTH!

My large apple snail snacking on live salvinia... it sat there and 'gathered' it... ate every last skerrick!
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