alankgore1969

are there any opinions on snails helpful or not i am up in the air on getting them do they help keep the tank clean or are they just a pain?

zeebo

Hi alankgore1969,

Cons:
They don't eat much algae.
They poo a lot.
They can multiply very fast.
They attack plants at times. I get holes in some plants.
They climb out of the tank if there is no hood or cover. I had a 3 died like this when they climbed out and fell onto the floor.

Pros:
They can multiply fast (if u r a breeder u will find this a pro)
They provide some action in the tanks where they chase their peers around or compete for the gal they like albeit slowly.
They don't harass fish.
They get along with most fish.
They are peaceful and exhibit a silent strength in their character.
They look really cute when they hang on to the ends of the plants causing the plants to bend and form an N shape without breaking the stem

Hope the above helps. ta!

alankgore1969

i heard they help eat a lot of debris is that true as well thanks for your help.

Ghostfish

In my opinion, if you want a cleaner and are not stuck on the snail idea then shrimp are usually a better idea. The one major con for them is they are far more often eaten by many types of fish. Some can cost some major bucks.

alankgore1969

really what type of shrimp ghost shrimp any thoughts thanks

zeebo

Hi alankgore1969,

From my experience, they don't eat much debris. They love what I feed my fishes.

ta!

Ghostfish

I use ghost shrimp in my tank. I keep a good supply of them because my angel fish and black ghost knifefish eat them. I buy about a dozen every other week for them. They cost about .36 each. At any time, I may have about 20-30 of these guys running around in my 120 gallon tank. They will keep algae off ornaments and such, but not off glass. I do not find snails very efficient at that anyway. My ottos do a much better job. If you do not like the ghost shrimp, there are other, but more expensive, freshwater shrimp out there too.

alankgore1969

great thanks i think i will try the ghost shrimp they seem like they will help do what i want them to do thanks a lot for every ones help this is a great site.