apple snails eat plants or algae only and black algae stuff?

[henward]

i want something that will eat algae that pleco cant.

also on leaves of plants.

apple snails?

my anubias is getting this black stringy algae on it.

any feedback?

[SamH]

Apple snails can and will destroy your plants.

[MarkLB]

i want something that will eat algae that pleco cant.

Siamese Algae Eater perhaps? Crossocheilus siamensis

[phoenix44]

my anubias is getting this black stringy algae on it.

Squirt flourish excel with a syringe straight onto it.

[kiwiplymouth]

Blue Mystery snails eat algae and decaying plant matter but don't eat live plants

[henward]

really, blue mystery snails?

is this always the case though or more likely than not type of scenario?

[kiwiplymouth]

I keep and breed them in some of my planted tanks.

They have never touched a plant.

Mine prefer to eat uneaten fish food, green algae's and dead leaves.

[henward]

do you think discus wille at them and get indigestin?

someone mentioned hard shell?

[kiwiplymouth]

I don't know if discus eat snails or not.

My guess would be that they may eat small ones but not bother with the larger ones

Someone else may know for sure.

[phoenix44]

They wont eat big snails.

[henward]

wiould it be ok to put mystery snails in my discus tank then?

[HOLLYWOODFISHFARM]

yes you can put mystery snails in your discus tank - just make sure you have a lid :lol:

but the best fish for eating any hair or string algae is BLFF - Crossocheilus Siamensis

[henward]

thats a siamese algae eater.

they can be abit agro cant they?

[alanmin4304]

If you are aiming for soft water in your discus tank there may not be enough calcium for snails to keep their shells in good condition. Apple snails will probably not eat algae while there are still plants in the tank---but that will not be for very long.

[MarkLB]

thats a siamese algae eater.

they can be abit agro cant they?

I have them in with Tetras, Cories and Dwarf Cichlids and IME they are not overly aggressive. A little chasing here and there but no real harassment.

[Rob]

From previous experience golden apple snails will happily clear-fell a planted tank, however brown apple snails (and by the sound of it the blue ones too) will leave plants alone unless they're starving (i.e. they prefer to eat decaying plant matter or left over fish food). As for their usefulness at controlling algae - I'm less convinced on that score.

A combo of flourish excel and Siamese algae eaters (more commonly called black line flying foxes here) is my preferred method of controlling beard/thread algae. The excel gives you that initial 'knock it on the head' control, with the BLFF's giving ongoing control.

[alanmin4304]

Black line flying foxes and siamese algae eaters are not the same fish.

[John Rimbauer]

Black line flying foxes and siamese algae eaters are not the same fish.

They seem to be sold as such though. The last set I got were clearly labeled on the tank as black line flying foxes, even though they definitely weren't. This was a reputable fish shop too.

If anyone's planning on buying some I'd recommend you swot up on spotting a true SAE in a tank - barbels, black line, fins, etc.

[Rob]

Black line flying foxes and siamese algae eaters are not the same fish.

I know there are a number of fish (I think 3) that get called blackline flying foxes here in NZ - one of which is Crossocheilus saimensis. I've never seen an SAE actually labelled as such in any of the NZ shops I've visited (but then I haven't visted all the shops - yet ), they've always been labelled as a blackline flying fox. The other fish commonly referred to as a black line flying fox is Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus, (the third type I haven't seen for sale for ages and can't remember much about it).

This naming makes it difficult for people in a couple of ways - they get told that SAE's are great - but they can't find a fish labelled that in the shop, or alternatively they get told about black line flying foxes and they end up getting something that is not Crossocheilus saimensis.

The main thing I look for to distinguish between a SAE and E. kalopterus is the fins - in an SAE all of the fins should be colourless (apart from the blackline possibly extending into the tail), also E. kalopterus has a much more distinct gold line on top of the dark central stripe, whereas SAE only has a faint indication of a gold line.

[HOLLYWOODFISHFARM]

we call them BLFF because that is what all the suppliers call them - the other one that the suppliers have is the Flying Fox - this is the one that has the brown colour to them and won't eat BB Algae

[LYNDYLOO]

A true Black Line Flying Fox should have the line on it's body extend right through the Tail.

I had 3 of these fellas, fantastic for keeping Algae at bay.

I sometimes wonder if some of the Pet Shops actually know what they're selling, I've told the petshop here, that a Fish they have labelled as something is actually something else.

[alanmin4304]

It is the true siamese algae eater that has the black line right through the tail, he flying fox only has it on the body and a gold line as well.

[henward]

what else can i do to get rid of black algae?

i have my lights turn on 14 hours a day.

is thatoo much?

what causes black algae?

[alanmin4304]

Too much phosphate.

[henward]

how do i reduce phosphate?