# What are some good plants for a small betta tank?



## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

Hello Betta ppl! After some researching I realized my 3 gallon tanks shouldn't really house anymore fish or snails besides my Betta, so I decided to add some live plants in my tank. Right now I have a fake plant (with rounded edges), and a moss ball. 
What can I add to my tank to provide my fish more places to hide, and at the same time not overcrowding my tank?
Right now the substrate of my tank is gravel, and I would like to keep it that way.

Thank you!


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## X skully X (Mar 17, 2020)

Water sprite is a good one, you can plant it in the gravel or let it float on the top and it will grow roots either way. Its grows pretty fast too


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

X skully X said:


> Water sprite is a good one, you can plant it in the gravel or let it float on the top and it will grow roots either way. Its grows pretty fast too


That sounds great, thank you!


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## Rana (Apr 27, 2013)

My only caution about water sprite is that it grows fast, and it grows big! In a small tank you'll definitely need to keep on top of pruning it. I've got two healthy sprigs in my 10g and they are definitely taking over, after only getting them in February (but in fairness I wanted them to).

To start with in a tank your size I'd instead recommend either Anubias or Java Fern- or both. 

They can both be attached directly to a decoration like driftwood or a fake "cave", tucked into the gravel, or left floating- they don't need to be planted or to be "fed" from the substrate since they get fertilized through the water (And actually should _not_ have the rhizome where the roots attach put underground). They're fairly slow-growing and many varieties stay small, so you don't have to worry about them outgrowing your tank, and only need low light so you don't need to invest in a fancy light.


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

Rana said:


> My only caution about water sprite is that it grows fast, and it grows big! In a small tank you'll definitely need to keep on top of pruning it. I've got two healthy sprigs in my 10g and they are definitely taking over, after only getting them in February (but in fairness I wanted them to).
> 
> To start with in a tank your size I'd instead recommend either Anubias or Java Fern- or both.
> 
> They can both be attached directly to a decoration like driftwood or a fake "cave", tucked into the gravel, or left floating- they don't need to be planted or to be "fed" from the substrate since they get fertilized through the water (And actually should _not_ have the rhizome where the roots attach put underground). They're fairly slow-growing and many varieties stay small, so you don't have to worry about them outgrowing your tank, and only need low light so you don't need to invest in a fancy light.


thank you sm! Haha I hope one day I'll be as experienced as you guys


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## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

I would not do water sprite. Around 2 weeks ago I planted some in my 10 gal tank, and was toying with the idea of putting a bit in my 3 gal, but this week I've changed my mind. I think it's probably grown 4 inches in 2 weeks. and I'm now certain that it would swamp my 3 gallon unless I pruned it twice a week. It is a beautiful plant though!

Right now I have anubia, bacopa, crypt wendtii brown, and telanthera cardinalis in my 3 gal tank. In my 2.5 gal I have java fern, anubia, anacharis, a different type of crypt, and the telanthera cardinalis.

1st picture is 3 gal tank, 2nd is the 2.5 gal


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## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

Oh yeah I should add that on my 2.5 gal and 3 gal tanks I have Finnex clip on lights. They don't put out all that much light, I'd say medium light at most. I have sand substrate and use root tabs for the Cardinalis, crypts, and bacopa. Every few weeks I'll dose Seachem Flourish for the other plants.


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

Rana said:


> My only caution about water sprite is that it grows fast, and it grows big! In a small tank you'll definitely need to keep on top of pruning it. I've got two healthy sprigs in my 10g and they are definitely taking over, after only getting them in February (but in fairness I wanted them to).
> 
> To start with in a tank your size I'd instead recommend either Anubias or Java Fern- or both.
> 
> They can both be attached directly to a decoration like driftwood or a fake "cave", tucked into the gravel, or left floating- they don't need to be planted or to be "fed" from the substrate since they get fertilized through the water (And actually should _not_ have the rhizome where the roots attach put underground). They're fairly slow-growing and many varieties stay small, so you don't have to worry about them outgrowing your tank, and only need low light so you don't need to invest in a fancy light.


Thank you for such a through response, I love you tank's setup! I recently visited an aquarium shop, and brought some Rosette Swords and the anubias you've mentioned! Although I was a little bit worried about the Rosette Swords, because I could not find much information about them on the internet, and one of the leaves was turning to this darker color. 

Thank you again for your response and pictures 😊


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Look for *Echinodorus Parviflorus* and *Echinodorus Parviflorus 'Tropica'*. Should be able to find something.


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## Mr Grumpy (Feb 28, 2020)

Hi

What sort of lighting do you have?

Could you please post a photo of the tank?

What do you want from the tank? Do you want it manicured or wild looking? do you want it green or do you want other colors.

Do you want ground cover ?

Other than the corymbosa in the top right all these plants could work in any size tank with the right light,









I only use Seachem Flourish comprehensive for the planted tank and Seachem root tabs as per instructions on the packaging.

And good lighting is quite cheap now days.

.................................................................


>


This is a great betta tank and in my opinion has about the right number of plants.


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

@Mr Grumpy 
Your plants looks amazing! Your bettas are beautiful also 
This is my betta, Marley. And Below you can see my tank set-up. (Don't mind the monkey stickers lol)
I'm not great with plants, but I really wanted real plants in Marley's tank so right now I have a Rosette Sword and a Marimo moss ball (super easy), the Anubias unfortunately didn't make it. 

In my tank I have:

a 10 watts heater
a gentle filter
and LED Lights that came with the tank (3 gal)


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

oh and I don not want ground cover since I loved the way the gravels looked.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

First, I like the way the substrate looks, too! Glad I'm not alone. I do use either Micro or Dwarf Swords in clumps in my larger tanks.

Did you plant the Anubias? If you did that may be the reason for its demise. Only the roots should be in the substrate; the rhizome resting on it.

If you have a lid on your tank you can raise the water level. If there are gaps you can place plastic wrap over it or stuff the open spaces with plastic wrap.

Your boy is lovely!


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> First, I like the way the substrate looks, too! Glad I'm not alone. I do use either Micro or Dwarf Swords in clumps in my larger tanks.
> 
> Did you plant the Anubias? If you did that may be the reason for its demise. Only the roots should be in the substrate; the rhizome resting on it.
> 
> ...


Thank you! Yes I've planted the Anubias, but I think I may have covered the rhizome a little bit too much. 
I've also noticed I'm getting a little bit of algae both on the walls of my aquarium and on some of my decorations even though I clean them every week, is this normal? Do I need to add a snail in my tank? 🐌


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## Rana (Apr 27, 2013)

Algae is perfectly normal, especially in a "low tech" tank like yours. Algae loves the same type of lights and nutrients that plants do, so when you start a planted tank you pretty much always will have some algae. It's only a problem when the algae starts to grow so thickly it covers the plants (starving them of light) or if you find it ugly.

That said, adding more plants, particularly fast-growing ones, can help combat algae since they will be using up nutrients to grow before the algae can get to it. Cutting down how long your lights are on for, or reducing how bright they are, can also help- but if you go too low, the plants will struggle while the algae chugs along happily. It's a delicate balancing act.

A more high-tech option is to add in a CO2 source so that your plants grow very fast and out-compete the algae, but that's always been too intimidating for me to do much research into. Flourish Excel (and others, that's just the name I remember most easily) is a source of "liquid carbon" which is not the same thing, but can have essentially the same effect of helping plants grow while discouraging algae, and is cheaper to start & easier to manage than a proper CO2 set up.


Snails can help keep algae down, but most of them won't eliminate it completely and depending on what type you get, may need supplemental care & feedings of their own. Your tank is also on the small side so I would think about it carefully before committing to a snail, since it will add to the bio-load of the tank. But some people feel that snails are basically _necessary_ when your tank is planted so it is certainly an option to keep in mind.


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## Leah Leivestad (May 26, 2020)

Nerite snails are algae eating machines I use them in my planted tank and they do really well


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

Rana said:


> Algae is perfectly normal, especially in a "low tech" tank like yours. Algae loves the same type of lights and nutrients that plants do, so when you start a planted tank you pretty much always will have some algae. It's only a problem when the algae starts to grow so thickly it covers the plants (starving them of light) or if you find it ugly.
> 
> That said, adding more plants, particularly fast-growing ones, can help combat algae since they will be using up nutrients to grow before the algae can get to it. Cutting down how long your lights are on for, or reducing how bright they are, can also help- but if you go too low, the plants will struggle while the algae chugs along happily. It's a delicate balancing act.
> 
> ...


Yeah I agree the CO2 is a little bit intimidating for me especially when I'm so new at all this. Also I've read the brown algae is actually quite beneficial to bettas since they can also produce oxygen on their own, but they are definitely not the prettiest to look at. 
And I also think my tank is pretty small, and snails like Nerite do poop a lot haha. Plus I don't want to be irresponsible putting extra bio-load in my tank. But its just kinda confusing to me because some blogs are saying if I change the water pretty frequently the snail should do fine in a 3 gal.  Small tank struggles smh.


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

Leah Leivestad said:


> Nerite snails are algae eating machines I use them in my planted tank and they do really well


Right, everybody love those little things, but I am just afraid if my tank is too small for them to be happy with my betta.
How big is your tank?


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## Rana (Apr 27, 2013)

"Brown algae" is actually Diatoms, they are not a true algae. They tend to show up in new tanks and then die off, because they use silicates to form their bodies and once they have used the available supply, they generally can't keep the population going.

But yes, they and actually all types of algae _do_ produce some oxygen, and will eat up Nitrates as they grow. Because of how algaes tend to grow in thin layers however, they're not as effective at it as a plant would be, which can have multiple leaves all sucking up CO2 and producing O2 as they photosynthesize. But for example, your "Moss" ball is actually a type of algae, so they can certainly be helpful!

The only harm really comes from algae which dies off in large amounts, causes your plants to die (anything dead in your tank is a water quality concern), or is so thick that it actually impedes your fish's ability to get around. Otherwise it's harmless, just not a sight most aquarists find attractive. 


That said, with a filter you are already getting as much oxygen into the water as you need. The majority of O2 dissolves at the surface of the water and is helped along by a filter (either power or sponge) because it disturbs the surface, creating more opportunities for gas exchange. Plants (and algae) certainly help, but don't do the bulk of the work. So don't worry about oxygen levels in your tank, it'll be fine.


I personally haven't have very good luck with Nerite snails, and since they _only_ eat algae you have to commit to making sure there is enough growing for them to eat, or supplement them by cultivating algae on rocks and putting them in the tank periodically. But a smaller variety like the Horned Nerite would probably be alright in your tank, just limit yourself to only one.

Mystery snails get pretty big, which is why I prefer to see them in 5g or larger. But if you get a small one to start and do adequate water changes then you may be able to keep it happy for quite a while before it needs a bigger home.

"Pest" snails like Bladder, Ramshorn, and Trumpet snails will eat some algae, but they also reproduce quickly so if there is enough food available for them, you may find them overrunning your tank. MTS can reproduce with just a single snail (they actually clone themselves!) but I think the others need a partner, so you may be able to have just one. Definitely check first though.


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

Rana said:


> "Brown algae" is actually Diatoms, they are not a true algae. They tend to show up in new tanks and then die off, because they use silicates to form their bodies and once they have used the available supply, they generally can't keep the population going.
> 
> But yes, they and actually all types of algae _do_ produce some oxygen, and will eat up Nitrates as they grow. Because of how algaes tend to grow in thin layers however, they're not as effective at it as a plant would be, which can have multiple leaves all sucking up CO2 and producing O2 as they photosynthesize. But for example, your "Moss" ball is actually a type of algae, so they can certainly be helpful!
> 
> ...


Thank you, you are quite the pro! 
Just one more question, where would you get your Horned Nerite snail from? I think Petsmart only offers the regular ones.


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## Mr Grumpy (Feb 28, 2020)

> Nerite snails are algae eating machines I use them in my planted tank and they do really well


Nerite snails just like any other snail or critter are just about useless as tank cleaners, They add to the bioload and you need to feed them to supplement their diet, on top of that Nerite snails lay those little white eggs all over your tank.


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## Leah Leivestad (May 26, 2020)

Marley_ said:


> Right, everybody love those little things, but I am just afraid if my tank is too small for them to be happy with my betta.
> How big is your tank?


15 but I have had them in a 5 before. Generally 1 or 2 can clean up a little tank and with water change the bio load isn't that much. If the tank is filtered you should be good.


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## Leah Leivestad (May 26, 2020)

Mr Grumpy said:


> Nerite snails just like any other snail or critter are just about useless as tank cleaners, They add to the bioload and you need to feed them to supplement their diet, on top of that Nerite snails lay those little white eggs all over your tank.


I have never had a hatch in freshwater (only brackish) and my other Betta ate most of the eggs


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## Mr Grumpy (Feb 28, 2020)

Hi


> Yeah I agree the CO2 is a little bit intimidating for me especially when I'm so new at all this.


Forget CO2 unless you want go go high tech high light EI dosing of fertilizers. 

What I would do is get 2 bunches of _Hygrophila_ corymbosa and plant it along the back on the right hand side.








Hygrophila corymbosa, Giant hygro, Temple plant






shop.plantedaquariumscentral.com


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## Mr Grumpy (Feb 28, 2020)

> Mystery snails get pretty big,


They can get big.










Mystery snails make a great pet in their own right as long as the water is clean like for any aquatic critter and not to soft they are very undemanding.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

How long do you leave the lights on? I use a timer and they're on eight hours per day.

Contrary to the opinion stated above, Nerites are not useless as tank cleaners. They will clean up an algae-infested tank in short order. I say that from experience.

I do not have a timer on my 2.5. When we left town for three weeks I forgot to turn it off. Algae covered the substrate, the sides, the heater, everything. I added nothing except five tiny Horned Nerite and in three days the tank was clean and sparkling with no hint of algae. I got my Horned/Thorned Nerite at Aquarium Plants Factory. Right now, because of COVID-19 they are out but expect to get more fairly soon.








Little Thorn Nerite Snail


Little Thorn Nerite Snail Ship via UPS Next Day Air® at $49.99 Flat Rate Can be combined with Plants Order These assorted tiny snails are known by many names such as Thorn / Horned / Spiky Nerite because of the cool-looking spiked on their shelf. Each snail has its unique shelf pattern and...




www.aquariumplantsfactory.com





Friends who raise and sell Mystery Snails recommend three gallon tanks and larger. But they warn that Mystery Snails can mean more maintenance. That is, unless you have enough plants to recycle their poop as fertilizer.

Anything you put in a tank can have it's upside and downside and most critters do require being fed. Nerites clean algae like a trooper and they don't reproduce in fresh water; the females do occasionally lay white eggs which can be removed and may need supplement feeding. After the algae takeover, I stopped supplement feeding; I just leave the lights on for 48 hours or so. Easy peasy.


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

Mr Grumpy said:


> Nerite snails just like any other snail or critter are just about useless as tank cleaners, They add to the bioload and you need to feed them to supplement their diet, on top of that Nerite snails lay those little white eggs all over your tank.


oh yuck  that's good to know!
how about the male ones?


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

Leah Leivestad said:


> 15 but I have had them in a 5 before. Generally 1 or 2 can clean up a little tank and with water change the bio load isn't that much. If the tank is filtered you should be good.


yeah mine is a 3 gal, I'm not sure if its gonna work out.
It must be cool having a 15 gal tho!


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> How long do you leave the lights on? I use a timer and they're on eight hours per day.
> 
> Contrary to the opinion stated above, Nerites are not useless as tank cleaners. They will clean up an algae-infested tank in short order. I say that from experience.
> 
> ...


Right, someone else has also commented that the horned nerite may be a pretty great fit for my tank, but the problem is my local Pet store don't carry snails else other than the normal nerites ans mystery. But I really wanted to add a nerite in my tank after reading all the comments and research. 

Also, I think one of the reason for my algae growth is because I left my light on for too long. I usually leave the light on for 9-11 hours.  Because I thought that was good for my plants since they were freshly planted. Uh-Oh 😬


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## Mr Grumpy (Feb 28, 2020)

And when the Nerites do clean up the algae then what? I still think its bad form to recommend critters to keep algae at bay, thats the fish keepers job.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Mr Grumpy said:


> And when the Nerites do clean up the algae then what? I still think its bad form to recommend critters to keep algae at bay, thats the fish keepers job.


They clean up some more.  Me, I also happen to like them.

Forums are to educate. For this reason not only are opinions given on the root of a problem but options are also given on how to rectify it. 

Now, we need to let the OP ask questions, weigh the different options and make an informed decision on what would work for her. 

To answer one: There are small and large Nerites. Find out what your pet store carries and perhaps there might be a fit.


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## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

Mr Grumpy said:


> They can get big.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is an apple snail and not a mystery snail. Apple snails are illegal in the U.S.. I'm guessing that the one in the picture is P. canaliculata 

Mystery snails don't get any larger then 2 inches. While mystery snails (Pomacea diffusa ) are apple snails, not all apple snails are mystery snails.


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## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

Marley_ said:


> yeah mine is a 3 gal, I'm not sure if its gonna work out.
> It must be cool having a 15 gal tho!


I have a tiny horned nerite in my 2.5 and 3 gal, they are small enough that they don't coat the substrate with feces, and my cycle handles the bioload just fine. I've had them for around a year now and they always seem to find enough algae to eat. I've never had a problem with eggs in either of those tanks, that might be because both of the snails are males or because the betta eat them. I also have one ramshorn snail in my 2.5 gal, he snuck in as a hatchling and I just let him be. He's never reproduced because he did not have another ramshorn to breed with. Even with the addition of him the 2.5 gal maintains a steady cycle although the substrate looks a bit messy when it's close to water change day.

If you go with nerites make sure you get the ones RusselTheShihTzu recommended. Not all horned nerites are small, I got one in my 10 gal that is a good 1/2 inch or larger and she makes a pretty large mess, no way would I want to have her in my 3 or 2.5 gal tank.


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## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

Mr Grumpy said:


> And when the Nerites do clean up the algae then what? I still think its bad form to recommend critters to keep algae at bay, thats the fish keepers job.


As I stated I have a nerite in both my small tanks and they always find enough algae to eat, I've had them for over a year without an issue. 

The OP specifically asked about snails and was told which ones work well for algae, and was also advised to encourage plant growth. I'd also advise limiting the length of time the lights are on in the tank.


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

Rainbo said:


> As I stated I have a nerite in both my small tanks and they always find enough algae to eat, I've had them for over a year without an issue.
> 
> The OP specifically asked about snails and was told which ones work well for algae, and was also advised to encourage plant growth. I'd also advise limiting the length of time the lights are on in the tank.


haha thank you.
I'm definitly getting a Nerite no matter what.  I never thought I would get excited over a little snail.


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)

Thank you everyone! Fish ppl are literally so nice 💕💕


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

We fish people may disagree, but underneath it all we have great respect for each other.

My husband asked why I was laughing after I read Mr. Grumpy's comment on male Nerites. It's impossible to sex them so if you want to freak out someone who sells them, request they only send you males. After they stop sputtering you can tell them you were kidding....or not.


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## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

I know it's late but just wanted to give my opinion on this having a snail to eat algae issue.
Nerites are regarded as one of the most efficient algae eaters so we cannot discount them.
Around here, we stress the care of the animal above all. It's your tank, it's your pet, it's your responsibility. I have my experiment tank when I play with DIY CO2, a couple filters I bought, different ferts (I'm big on dry ferts now btw) and some plants. I almost never clean the tank, it's riddled with algae and I don't think anything but plants can live in there, but it's my tank and I do what I like.

That said, if you want to get a snail to clean up algae, you get a snail to clean up algae (as long as you're not running some kind of underground snail fighting ring). It is preferable that you learn to balance your parameters to prevent algae in the first place and we can help you learn.
If you're getting a snail to clean up algae, or you're trying like heck to balance parameters but just can't get over that last hump and need the snail, just make sure you understand the snail's long term needs and plan for it. We can help with that too.

Personally, I was on the anti snail bandwagon until I got some pest snails and got lazy and now, after watching their antics, a tank without them just seems a little dull.


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## Mr Grumpy (Feb 28, 2020)

> just make sure you understand the snail's long term needs and plan for it.


Well said.

Far to often I see members on fish forums recommend critters to deal with algae when its the wrong course of action, If you want to get rid of algae you need to identify and address the root cause of the problem otherwise you are just chasing your tail.

I have nothing against snails in fact I love them, if you get some that's great snails make great pets in their own right, but dont get snails expecting them to be your tanks maid service.


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## Marley_ (Apr 23, 2020)




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