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Re: Algae control with inverts



Dave - 
Why off-list? Its a good topic. Here is my two cents on snails:

Apple Snails (Mystery Snails): Pomacea bridgesi: They are very effective.
Read all about them, especially identification:
http://www.applesnail.net/
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~rrhudy1/snail.htm

Large Ramshorn Snails: Stay away from them. They will eat your plants.

MTS's: We went through this a while ago, with a survey and I think the
overwhelming consensus was that they were effective plus they helped aerate
the gravel.

After reading Walstad's Ecology of the Planted Aquarium, I started
experimenting with snails - as many different kinds and sizes as I could
get. She is VERY WRONG about snails not eating plants. Her claim is that
_all_ snails (no distinction as to kind and/or size) will eat only the
decaying plant matter. The large ramshorn snails will eat new growth, old
growth, and no plant that I put them with went without damage. They
especially like the new growth of anubias.

In any event, this is a good topic. Snails (especially pomacea bridgesi) are
fancinating to watch, easy to control and effective algae eaters and tank
maintenance help.
-- 
Augustine Rodriguez
Rice Lake, WI USA


> From: Dave Gomberg
> Subject: Algae control with inverts
> 
> If you are pretty knowledgeable about controlling algae with invertebrates
> (snails, shrimp, copepods, etc) please contact me off-list. Thanks.