# Need An Algae Eating Critter!



## CrazyDiamond (Feb 20, 2013)

I am in school right now and up to my neck in school work, I can't deal with this algae bloom right now and it's driving me nuts! I clean what I can every Friday but it's just getting worse and looks unsightly. It's the bright green algae and I have been told it is not "bad" but I don't like it. I have a 10 gallon NPT, temp is at a consistent 80 degrees. If I had time to clean the tank every 2-3 days I could knock out this algae problem but I just don't and I do not want to pour chemicals into my water that may harm my betta. I have the one betta at the moment and don't really want to add anymore fish, I think most algae eating fish prefer to live in schools and get too big for a 10 gallon anyways. I am in a dorm and they don't allow snails but I have never had someone come in and meticulously inspect my tank but just to be safe I would like a snail that is fairly discreet and inconspicuous. Also what else do they eat? A friend of mine had a snail and it died, I really don't want to kill my snail lol


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## rickey (Jul 7, 2013)

Shrimp

R


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## CrazyDiamond (Feb 20, 2013)

I've heard they jump out, I'd like to steer away from them and my betta might attack them xD he's a plakat.


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## twolovers101 (Sep 17, 2012)

I've never had a shrimp jump o.o you have a hood right?

You might try ghost shrimps, I have a pk and ghosties worked fine with him for a while, they're harder to see. Just be careful with how you add them in (take your betta out of the tank for a while while you do it) and it should be okay if they have enough places to hide otherwise your options are really limited with your dorm not allowing snails... snails aren't really all that stealthy...


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## CrazyDiamond (Feb 20, 2013)

Hmm, I will consider it but yeah my friend had shrimp and they all jumped out of her tank xD pretty sure she had a hood too, I also have a hood so I will keep them in mind


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## rickey (Jul 7, 2013)

If they are jumping there is a water quality issue, that why shrimp commit suicide 

R


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## PetMania (Mar 28, 2013)

Shrimp are an option, but bettas are known to kill them as prey. You can get 3 catfish. Pigmy and panda corys don't get that big.


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## rickey (Jul 7, 2013)

Pigmy and panda corys aren't algae eater they are bottom feeders, and you will need numbers, they are shoaling fish, so you need 6 or 8.

R


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## rmarkham (Oct 4, 2012)

I've had success with nerite snails. They don't get as big as mystery snails and only breed in brackish water. 

However they are escape artists so you would need to have a good cover with ALL holes covered. I've had mine get out while I was away for a long weekend... I came home to him on my bureau almost dead! 

You also will need to supplement with some fresh veggies because algae alone won't be enough. You could try algae wafers but your betta might decide to eat those and eat far too much. My boyfriend made that mistake when I left him with the fish for a week..


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## CrazyDiamond (Feb 20, 2013)

As much as I love cories, they are so cute! I am aware they need numbers to be happy and my tank is only 10 gallons and the bottom is covered in rocks and plants and wood and more rocks lol I don't think they would be very happy in this tank. And they don't eat algae lol
The nerite snail sounds like a better option I think, I don't want anything that will breed in the tank like shrimp. My betta is pretty aggressive, I think he would just kill and/or eat any shrimp I put in the tank. I'll cover any openings in the hood with saran wrap I reckon. How often should I put veggies into the tank? My friend whose snail died had a hard time feeding hers because the veggies floated xD


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## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

i keep my nerites in open top tanks.i just make sure to do rollcall everyday to make sure they are in the tank and not stuck on their backs.nerites have a hard time turning themselves over and can die if they get stuck like that. unless there is a water issue they stay in the tank.they can close their shells pretty tightly and stay alive out of the water for 3 or 4 days.they make veggie clips with suction cups on them for feeding aquatic animals.mine cost under 2 bucks.


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## CrazyDiamond (Feb 20, 2013)

Awesome! Thanks, I have actually wanted a snail or two for a while now, I will start with just the one for now, see if I can keep it alive for my self-set goal of 6 months lol. I waited 6 months between my first and second betta, my betta is almost a year old  I feel so accomplished.


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## rmarkham (Oct 4, 2012)

CrazyDiamond said:


> As much as I love cories, they are so cute! I am aware they need numbers to be happy and my tank is only 10 gallons and the bottom is covered in rocks and plants and wood and more rocks lol I don't think they would be very happy in this tank. And they don't eat algae lol
> The nerite snail sounds like a better option I think, I don't want anything that will breed in the tank like shrimp. My betta is pretty aggressive, I think he would just kill and/or eat any shrimp I put in the tank. I'll cover any openings in the hood with saran wrap I reckon. How often should I put veggies into the tank? My friend whose snail died had a hard time feeding hers because the veggies floated xD




I got some suction cup clips to hold veggies in place, I feed zucchini, summer squash, and spinach a few times a week. I take it out after a day so it doesn't rot. I'd poke some teeny holes in the syran wrap so help get some air in there/prevent mold. I have one nerite who's almost 2 years old! 
I have 5 gallon mini bow tanks and I taped some plastic bits with holes in them in the openings. (I had them left over from hamster toys). 

To give a visual, the plastic I taped to the holes in my tanks are from this 
http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Puz...1383451957&sr=8-1&keywords=hamster+playground

And for clips to keep the veggies in place I use something like this
http://www.amazon.com/Omega-One-Sup...&qid=1383452012&sr=8-4&keywords=seaweed+clips


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## rmarkham (Oct 4, 2012)

sandybottom said:


> i keep my nerites in open top tanks.i just make sure to do rollcall everyday to make sure they are in the tank and not stuck on their backs.nerites have a hard time turning themselves over and can die if they get stuck like that. unless there is a water issue they stay in the tank.they can close their shells pretty tightly and stay alive out of the water for 3 or 4 days.they make veggie clips with suction cups on them for feeding aquatic animals.mine cost under 2 bucks.




It's not always water issues... mine like to venture into the filter to munch on alage and have found their way out and fallen. I don't think it's worth the risk/stress on the snail to have them able to get out so easily..


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## CrazyDiamond (Feb 20, 2013)

Those look really helpful, thanks guys! Pretty set on a nerite snail now lol just gotta be sure the RAs don't see him. They give a warning before they do room checks so I could always remove it temporarily and hide it. We are more than half way through the semester and they haven't done a single check this year. So I am getting bold now xD


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## rmarkham (Oct 4, 2012)

CrazyDiamond said:


> Those look really helpful, thanks guys! Pretty set on a nerite snail now lol just gotta be sure the RAs don't see him. They give a warning before they do room checks so I could always remove it temporarily and hide it. We are more than half way through the semester and they haven't done a single check this year. So I am getting bold now xD




Are you not allowed to have pets at all? Or is it just a one pet deal? 
When I was in school we always got a note on our door letting us know when the next room inspection was. Granted, I graduated in 2010 and every university is different.


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## CrazyDiamond (Feb 20, 2013)

We can have tanks no larger than 10 gallons with small fish, no shrimp, no snails, no frogs, no nothing other than the small fish. But I wouldn't have the fish if we weren't allowed pets at all xD a ten gallon tank isn't exactly inconspicuous lol I graduate in May so just a little longer and I can have whatever I want in my tank!


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## rmarkham (Oct 4, 2012)

CrazyDiamond said:


> We can have tanks no larger than 10 gallons with small fish, no shrimp, no snails, no frogs, no nothing other than the small fish. But I wouldn't have the fish if we weren't allowed pets at all xD a ten gallon tank isn't exactly inconspicuous lol I graduate in May so just a little longer and I can have whatever I want in my tank!



Well, if you have enough plants you should be fine.. but I'm a worrier.. for now you could use an algae sponge/brush thing a few times a week. 

What if you had lots of live plants and some pest snails? It's odd that they care about snails.. I mean, how would they even notice?


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## CrazyDiamond (Feb 20, 2013)

I have three wisteria plants, a java fern that has two "babies" taking root in the tank now, a moss ball, an Amazon sword and an anubias so I have lots of plants and was told this would help with the algae but it hasn't and I think the algae is beginning to take a toll on the plants, when I scrape it off the leaves they appear to be dying. And I have no idea why they wouldn't allow snails, what are they gonna do pee on the rug? xD If they find him I will take him home and leave him with my brother in a big cookie jar I have where I keep my marimos.


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## hollyk (Sep 29, 2013)

Ah, dorm life. lol I tried that once; didn't particularly care for it! ;-) I lived in a single room for a few years. At first I bought a 5 gallon fish tank with a single fish- allowed. After about a year with no inspections or anyone entering my room, I added a divided tank with bettas- more than one tank, not allowed. Another 6 months went by, no inspections. Got a lizard that lived under the bed when I wasn't in the room- definitely not allowed. Few more months. Guinea pig- so totally ridiculously not allowed. Lived with all of them for the remainder of my time at that school- never had an inspection, and I had a furry friend! (as well as a few scaly ones!)

Moral of the story- a snail should be fine. ;-)


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## Soph7244 (Sep 18, 2013)

Snails eat algae. if you have a algae problem, you can just buy some algae remover


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Soph7244 said:


> if you have a algae problem, you can just buy some algae remover


And most likely kill your plants.


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## CrazyDiamond (Feb 20, 2013)

hollyk said:


> Ah, dorm life. lol I tried that once; didn't particularly care for it! ;-) I lived in a single room for a few years. At first I bought a 5 gallon fish tank with a single fish- allowed. After about a year with no inspections or anyone entering my room, I added a divided tank with bettas- more than one tank, not allowed. Another 6 months went by, no inspections. Got a lizard that lived under the bed when I wasn't in the room- definitely not allowed. Few more months. Guinea pig- so totally ridiculously not allowed. Lived with all of them for the remainder of my time at that school- never had an inspection, and I had a furry friend! (as well as a few scaly ones!)
> 
> Moral of the story- a snail should be fine. ;-)


Oh my god that is amazing XD



Soph7244 said:


> Snails eat algae. if you have a algae problem, you can just buy some algae remover


I stated earlier that I do not want to pour algae killing chemicals into my tank, I do not trust them.

I just introduced a tiger nerite to the tank, the betta is NOT happy but he can get over it lol the snail is already hard at work cleaning up the tank! Pretty excited.


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## PetMania (Mar 28, 2013)

I don't get why they don't allow snails. But you should be fine as long as there is cover =)


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## CrazyDiamond (Feb 20, 2013)

PetMania said:


> I don't get why they don't allow snails. But you should be fine as long as there is cover =)


Well there is plenty of that xD shouldn't be a prob


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## PetMania (Mar 28, 2013)

Good luck!


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