Algae Build Up... Other problems

[KenCotigirl]

Happy to hear that things have settled down. I am glad the one nerite cleared up the algae.

[Harry]

How can one nerite snail clean up "tons of algae buildup" so quickly?

[YoungMrHoward]

How can one nerite snail clean up "tons of algae buildup" so quickly?

I don't know. I didn't come up with the idea on my own. Someone here reccomended nerite snails. I added one and within days my 1 gallon aquarium has gone from ugly green and brown glass, coral, etc to crystal clear glass, white coral etc... My new concern? Is there enough algae to support my 3 inhabitants?

[KenCotigirl]

Nerites are voracious algae eaters. I suggested he add one nerite. The one nerite will keep a one/two gallon tank clean. Too many nerites may cause a food shortage. I find they keep the glass clean while Mustafa's snails work the substrate better.

[YoungMrHoward]

Do you keep Mustafa's snails and nerite snails together?

[KenCotigirl]

Yes. I have both. Mustafa's multiply the neritres do not. I have the boring black neritres. I never have to clean the glass with the nerites.

[ChipH]

The efficacy of nerites comes down to many variables. I have a 2.5 gallon tank and 3 black nerites and the only thing of semi practical value they accomplish is supplying snail poo that the shrimp seem to enjoy eating

Of course, I also have a nano reef tank caliber light, so where a nerite or 2 might be effective in one set up, I realized in mine the only number of snails that could keep the front glass clear on their own would be a number of snails that would crash the tank's balance, so I got a small MagFloat algae scraper and will likely let the snails die out whenever they reach the end of their lifespan.

[KenCotigirl]

Chip is your light a led? Could you reduce it intensity? Do you even want to? How about a picture or two.
Ken

[YoungMrHoward]

The efficacy of my one nerite snail is enough proof for me.

[ChipH]

Chip is your light a led? Could you reduce it intensity? Do you even want to? How about a picture or two.
Ken

It''s an 8W 14000K Skyye light. No desire to lower it, nor is there any way to if I did. I could cut the hours back on the timer set tup, but for now I'm still trying to encourage more algae growth. For better or worse, you can't grow bright green rocks without some bright green glass

Just pointing out that if you've got a good enough light source, nerites are not going to be "too voracious" nor even all that useful.

But, again, this is fine with me.

[Harry]

Just to add in; I've had two small brackish tanks for over a year. I've never had an algae buildup, but there has always been algae on the walls of the small jars. However, you would need a magnifier to see those tiny dots of algae that the shrimp pick off the glass. And the shrimp have reproduced. I did not have any nerites back then. But I believe the clean walls and rocks are the result of a balance. I believe that by balancing time/level of light and by not overfeeding you can achieve a decent looking tank. Overfeeding provides the nitrate fertilizer the algae needs. I really don't know what the exact parameters are and I've been lucky. But I do think that excessive feeding and light will result in an algae swamped tank. Also, Mustafa's macroalgae is very good too, because it will suck up a lot of the nitrates that would otherwise support algae growth. Having said that, I have twenty nerites in my new ten-gallon tank because they are colorful and very cool.

[YoungMrHoward]

I attached a photo of my 1 gallon shrimp tank. I wish I took a before and after set so everyone could see the algae from before. You can also see my seed shrimp aquariums, one inside my Hawaiian red shrimp aquarium and one next to it.