Ideal Tank Balance

[Sierra40]

Just got my order of more moss balls, more snails and some fresh Macroalgae from Mustafa today! Since I've consolidated the smaller tanks into just two bigger tanks wanted to refresh the tanks helpers.

Assuming that the water salinity and health is good (no decaying organic material, ammonia) Can someone spell out the relationship between between the shrimp, snails, Macroalgae and light? I know it's sprinkled though all of the posts but it would be so helpful to see it all in one place.

In other words, in a ideally balanced tank how do these elements sustain each other. And what does it mean if one goes out of balance...

Can you ever have too many shrimp, not that you added but due to reproduction (which would seem to mean a balanced tank)...can they ever reproduce too much for a larger (two or more gallons) tank that throws off the balance?
Snails as indicator species...what does a snail die off mean? Or an abundance of snail reproduction, can there ever be too many?
Macroalgae not growing or turning super light green? Can LED aquarium lights provide too much light for it?
Lot's of brown diatoms?
Too much green algae growing on surfaces...need more shrimp or less light?

I know these are complex, interactional systems but I would really love to better understand the dynamics. If this has already been nicely spelled out, apologies and please provide a link?

Thanks!

[Dch48]

As far as I know. The shrimp will only reproduce to a level that can be supported by available food sources. From what I have seen people say, they will self regulate the population. I haven't had mine long enough to personally confirm that but that's what is said. I have read a scientific study that said 45-50 shrimp per gallon of water is sustainable. Once again, though, I can't confirm that.

[mike.d]

Snails as indicator species...what does a snail die off mean? Or an abundance of snail reproduction, can there ever be too many?

I have MTS snails in my 10-gallon tank. I started with 14 and within a few months had too many to count. Then I noticed the bigger ones had died leaving empty shells behind. I still have plenty of small ones, there are about 5 on each glass side of the tank and more on the substrate. They haven't overrun the tank like snails would in a typical freshwater fish tank. I also have 3 nerite snails as well. My assumption is the shrimp and nerites are more mobile and able to get more algae than the MTS so they balanced themselves out.

Macroalgae not growing or turning super light green? Can LED aquarium lights provide too much light for it?
Lot's of brown diatoms?

I have heard of strong LEDs "burning" macroalgae. It was in a YouTube video. I put the link in this topic: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6157&p=41064

I don't know about brown diatoms. I haven't seen that in my tank.

Too much green algae growing on surfaces...need more shrimp or less light?

Before I added snails I had so much algae I couldn't see into the tank. I still have some algae, but the snails do a good job keeping it clean enough to see in. I have an LED light that I leave on for about 16 hours a day.

[Sierra40]

Thanks mike.d. Watched the video. Luckily I've never had hair algae in any of my tanks. Wonder what conditions encourage that?

Also, even though all of my tanks (now consolidated into two "larger" tanks) I don't think I've ever had MTS reproduce. The shrimp do, but the snails don't. Would love to know what I'm missing so that I could increase their numbers in both tanks. I think I have about 10 in my 2.5 gallon and 14 in my 4 gallon.

Thanks!

[sliphorn]

Thanks mike.d. Watched the video. Luckily I've never had hair algae in any of my tanks. Wonder what conditions encourage that?

Also, even though all of my tanks (now consolidated into two "larger" tanks) I don't think I've ever had MTS reproduce. The shrimp do, but the snails don't. Would love to know what I'm missing so that I could increase their numbers in both tanks. I think I have about 10 in my 2.5 gallon and 14 in my 4 gallon.

Thanks!

..
For your snail numbers to increase they would need more food. More food for them to eat equals more snails. Careful, though. Too much food and you will upset the apple cart.
..

[mike.d]

Thanks mike.d. Watched the video. Luckily I've never had hair algae in any of my tanks. Wonder what conditions encourage that?

I had a hair algae issue in my tank. I suspect two possible causes:
1. I added lava rock from a freshwater shrimp tank that had a hair algae problem. I didn't bother to clean or boil the rock, but I thought the algae was gone. In that freshwater shrimp tank, I suspect the algae was because I used tap water for water changes. It was also a planted tank so the algae could have come in from some of the plants.
2. I started my tank with 4 marimo moss balls that I bought on Amazon. I think the hair algae hitched a ride on them. When I got around to pulling out the hair algae it was all over the marimo and intertwined with them, but not in other parts of the tank.

I've been hair algae free for about 8-12 months now. It still came back after I took out the marimo, but I just pulled out as much as I could whenever I saw a clump develop.