MelissaF

I need a new algae eater for my ten gallon tank. I have a pleco but Im going to get rid of him soon. Would a small snail work. Do I even need an algae eater in a 10 g tank?

Cody

its really if you want one. pleco would out grow it unless it was of the smaller veirty but wouldnt be worth it since it would still give 4 to 8 inches . some snails can reproduce with out needed a partner. so you can become very over populated. fast. your dont need an algea eatter its really if you want one. but the general rule of thumb is one inch of fish per gallon of water so if you think about it the algea eater is just taking away from the number of primary fish in the tank

sirdarksol

I have not had luck with snails as algae eaters. My trumpet snails do an okay job in the betta tank (since the betta doesn't pick them off the walls like the fish in the other tanks do), but I've never been able to keep mystery snails alive for very long.
About the only algae eaters that will fit in a 10g are otos, and they are difficult to keep alive, as they need very stable water quality, which is tough to provide in a 10g.
I don't have algae eaters in any of my tanks. I've got the little aquarium magnets that I run over the tank walls periodically, and they keep the tanks nice and clean.

Cody

i have one of those and i love it. it makes it so much easierrr

MelissaF

ya i have one of those to. Haven't needed it with the pleco but that sounds great thanks guys