# Plecos & Snails



## mr.gaboozlebag (Feb 22, 2006)

how big is the tank?


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## uncskainch (Feb 22, 2005)

There are some kinds of large snails (the "mystery snail" pomacea bridgesii, for example) don't usually eat healthy live plants. You can find good information about apple snails, including bridgesii, here -- http://www.applesnail.net/


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## Ds11375 (Jan 28, 2006)

It's a 15 gallon tank.



mr.gaboozlebag said:


> how big is the tank?


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## filipnoy85 (Dec 10, 2005)

I heard that apple snails will eat plants... If you're looking for snails, I'd go for ramshorns or the common pond snail. There are also the malaysian trumpet snails too, but they kind of creep me out. hahaha.... I have red ramshorns in my tank, and they do a great job at eating up the algae. 

As for the pleco, I'd advise against them. They just get too big, especially if its only a 15g. 

If you want to get your hands on snails, you can look in the swap and shop. I have some red ramshorn snails I'm selling, or just order some plants from someone and ask them to throw some snails in with the package you buy.


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## mr.gaboozlebag (Feb 22, 2006)

> As for the pleco, I'd advise against them. They just get too big, especially if its only a 15g.


A pleco would definetly get to large.


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## c_is4_catherine (Dec 10, 2005)

Malaysian trumpet snails are good for planted tanks. I ended up with a whole population in my tank (I don't know how..). They burrow under the substrate during the day, so you don't see them very much, and, that helps to aerate the substrate, etc. Plus, I think that they're cooler-looking than apple snails. They reproduce like crazy, though. :icon_eek:


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## uncskainch (Feb 22, 2005)

A common pleco will get too large, but aren't there other species of pleco that won't? I have a clown pleco, for example, and was told at the LFS that it wouldn't get particularly large.


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## rain- (Mar 29, 2004)

I think apple snails look cool too, the malaysian trumpet snails do have pretty heart shaped mouths. I have both (and I breed apple snails) and I like them both.

I would say that red ramshorns are more likely to damage plants than apple snails (_Pomacea bridgesii_). There are other apple snail species that do eat plants, but _P. bridgesii_ doesn't unless it doesn't have anything else to eat. But apple snails aren't that good with eating algae, I wouldn't get them for that purpose, they do need real food.

What type of algae you want them to eat? Zebra nerites (_Neritina natalensis_) are really good with eating algae from tank walls, malaysian trumpet snails might eat some off the plants too, but the small pest snail species are best with algae on plants (red ramshorns, pond snails etc.). If you keep their numbers limited, they won't get too hungry and eat the live plants too, but once you have the pest snails (or malaysian trumpet snails), you can't get rid of them that easily. 

I'd recommend just trying to limit the algae growth by keeping all the nutrients and other stuff balanced (and adding enough CO2).


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

"Plecostomas" is a misnomer, what people commonly think of as a pleco is Liposarcus pardalis or sometimes Hypostomus punctatus and a few others. 

The "Bristle nose pleco" belongs to the genus "Ancistrus", will not get too big too fast, does an amazing job on algae, and one would be quite happy in your 15 gallon tank. http://www.brooklands.co.nz/fisharticle/bristlenose.htm


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## Saints1804 (Oct 27, 2005)

I also recommend Bristlenose plecos, Also gold nugget or Clown plecos. Also consider putting 6-12 Ottocinculus cats in there. They dont get big and do a pretty good job. I have 3 regular bristlnose plecos, 3 albino bristlenose plecos, a Gold nugget pleco, 12 ottocinculus and 2 siamese algae eaters in my 240 gallon tank and they do great with the algae.


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## Ds11375 (Jan 28, 2006)

I don't have large amounts of algae (YET). I do have some spotting on the glass, some on the gravel, on plants and on the piece of driftwood. The algae on the driftwood I don't mind. It gives it a more natural look.


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## DiabloCanine (Aug 26, 2005)

Mystery snails are not good algae eaters, they take care of detritus very well. Olive Nerite Snails are a better algae eater. You can research cats here, http://www.planetcatfish.com/core/ numerous ones eat algae well and stay small. In my opinion, you already have a good algae eater for that size tank, add more otos, and get some Nerites. Keep in mind your algae problem is an indication something is out of balance, fix that, no matter how many algae eaters you add, they will not fix an imbalance.....DC


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## Ds11375 (Jan 28, 2006)

what are "Nerites"? 





DiabloCanine said:


> Mystery snails are not good algae eaters, they take care of detritus very well. Olive Nerite Snails are a better algae eater. You can research cats here, http://www.planetcatfish.com/core/ numerous ones eat algae well and stay small. In my opinion, you already have a good algae eater for that size tank, add more otos, and get some Nerites. Keep in mind your algae problem is an indication something is out of balance, fix that, no matter how many algae eaters you add, they will not fix an imbalance.....DC


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## DiabloCanine (Aug 26, 2005)

Ds11375 said:


> what are "Nerites"?


http://www.azgardens.com/aquarium_snails.php


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## uncskainch (Feb 22, 2005)

I would agree that mystery snails don't eat much algae. Mine sometimes cruises the glass and eats some softer green algae off the glass, but mostly enjoys leftover fish food. They are interesting inhabitants of the tank, though.


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## Ds11375 (Jan 28, 2006)

Think I'll stick to getting a few more Ottocinculus for now.

Thank you all for your help.

Dan


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