Varanus wrote:Nerites are definitely not an option for my supershrimp tank then. For some reason not much algae has ever grown in it. There is none visible on the glass, indeed the only signs of it (at least since the snails devoured the green tinge the surface film had for a while) is a bit of green on parts of the holey rock.
The sides of my tank already have visible algae growing rapidly in large patches. I've seen a couple small snail trails through it low on the glass. The little MTS snails definitely don't devour it but I've only just unleashed them. I guess it could be a while before their population grows and they take care of keeping the glass clean. Most of them right now seem to dig in the substrate as opposed to climb the glass. I imagine algae growth varies in spots of the tank from time to time. I have a friend setting up a tank sort of concurrently with mine, he's three weeks behind me. But we've been setting things up in along a similar time line. Instead of ordering MTS for his tank we are going to get two nerites and see how they do. I kind of want one nerite to clean the glass and then let the MTS clean the gravel. Eventually, wouldn't they kind of each find their niche? I've read nerites don't really like the gravelly substrate so the other snails can grow and do thier work there. Everyones happy
Rikatix wrote:Just curious, minishrimps, did your cloudy water that you talked about on 3/7 clear up yet? I ask because I notice this morning that my tank appears to have gone from very crisp and clear to a bit cloudy or hazy. Appears like this is normal, just wondering how long the cloudiness lasts. Still weeks to go on cycling my tank
It took a couple days, but cleared up. Shortly after that is when I noticed a big spike in algae growth.
NYCShrimp wrote:Hi!
I've had a tiger nerite (Lyle) in my tank for a little over six months. He is pretty voracious, but tends to stick to the algae on the glass, and can't get into all the nooks and crevices on the coral and lava rocks, so he leaves plenty of food for the shrimp. I was popping him back and forth between my FW and opae ula aquarium, but I poisoned the FW with anti-worm medication and can't put my snails back in it for a while. He has grown quite a bit and is about the size of a nickel. He has never laid eggs anywhere.
I also have a horned nerite, Charlemagne, who is adorable and the size of a pea. The nerites are actually my favorite characters in my tanks, so I highly recommend getting one. I would stick to 1 or 2 horned nerites, as they are small and tend to stay small. They do an amazing job cleaning the glass, and are fun to watch. They thrive in brackish water and will be very happy as long as there's good algae growth.
I have about 30 opae ulae and the 2 nerites in a 2.5 gal aquarium. I don't have any MTS.
Thanks for the info! Charlemagne and Lyle sound cool! I read your post about his "escape" glad he made it safe and sound back home
