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Re: Why isn't my ramshorn eating algae



> 
> Subject: Why isn't my ramshorn eating algae?
> 
> I always thought ramshorn snail eat algae but just as I'm watching him
> right now, he's chomping on my plant with his really big mouth. He's
> really chomping away!  Did I misread something here? Perhaps I'm
> thinking of the wrong kind of algae? I was hoping he would eat spot
> algae.
> 
> Would someone please encourage me? Thanks.
> 
Hi Harold:

SOME ramshorn snails do eat algae, but selectively.  For example, the Columbia
Ramshorn (a large fellow) would much rather eat your aquatic plants and will 
make short work of them.  The common red ramshorn seems to alternate between
plants and algae, but when it is eating algae it apparently eats all kinds.

I prefer herbivorous fish to snails as algae-eaters.  I would recommend the
Siamese Flying Fox , Brush-nose cats (Ancistrus ssp), and 
pygmy cats (Otocinclus ssp) in order of decreasing size.  Remember that you
must feed them vegetable food especially after the algae is gone.  Also, the
latter two need wood in the tank to support their digestion.

I should also point out that other fish that are considered omnivorous will
browse algae and can keep a tank under reasonable control.
--
*************************************************************************
* Nick LaRocca		  	e-mail:	nickl at css_sed.monmouth.army.mil	*
*	Nicholas_LaRocca_at_sed13 at doim6_monmouth.army.mil		*