# Algae eater with live plants in a 5 gallon



## Kone Killer (May 10, 2014)

Just looking to see what you guys think would go well with live plants in my 5 gallon Fluval Spec. I know its a crap shoot weather or not Slick will like anything I put in with him... I was thinking of a snail of some sort, but I know some will feed on plants.
I dont have a huge algae problem, just the bit growing on my bigger rocks is kinda a pain to clean off...


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## anitsirk92 (Aug 20, 2014)

Nerite snails are good algae eaters and I don't believe they eat plants. Malaysian Trumpet Snails are great algae eaters and are very beneficial for NPT. But you have to be careful with those cause they breed like crazy. You could also get shrimp but they would be a gamble with the betta. He may decide to make them a nice snack. Ghost shrimp are the cheapest but I have heard people had bad luck with them. Red Cherry shrimp are great algae eaters and scavengers but they are quite small so your betta may eat them (I plan on trying them in my 5 gallon soon). And Amano shrimp are great and are less likely to be eaten because they are bigger than the other two but these tend to be more expensive and (at least for me) hard to find in stores.


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Amanos are your best bet IME. They eat algae like a pro and petco usually has them, or at least 3 of mine have them.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Just a note: You can't put Amano in a tank with any openings or if there is a way for them to get into the filter compartment as they are great escape artists.

I would suggest a Nerite as an alternative. But they are good at escaping, too. You might need to cultivate algae in another container as they are pretty picky eaters and turn their little snail noses up at most anything else.


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

+1 above. Nerite snails are awesome at cleaning up. they are messy though but that will feed your plants too. XD


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## Islandgaliam (Jan 27, 2014)

Double +1 on Nerites! I love these lil guys...especially the clithon corona; they look like lil bumble bees on on the plants. I put a piece of cuttlebone in the tank for their shells as well. I have multiple tanks and move the nerites around when needed, as well as keeping rocks in bowls.

Occasionally, they lay some eggs on plants/driftwood or the sides of the tanks, but they won't hatch in fresh water, and the eggs eventually disappear. I didn't like them at first, but now they just look like a natural thing, and I figure if that's a natural thing for them to do, must mean they are healthy.

Such an adorable addition to a planted tank


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