# Balance????



## dgluton (Aug 31, 2011)

ok, I have been told that if I get a good balance of snails and shrimp in my tank that algae, and cleaning will be less of a hassle, problem I found was when I put some snails in my tank the little buggers started gnawing through my plants and I would find shoots and stems floating in my tank every freakin morning!!!! What kind of shrimp and/or snails should I be looking for???


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

The only snail I know that commonly eats plants is the Large Apple Snail. A close realative, the Mystery Snail, doesn't seem to eat plants. The Common Pond Snail and the Ramshead Snail also don't eat plants. Val, Sag and Java Fern won't be preyed upon by these snails.


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## dgluton (Aug 31, 2011)

Thanks, mine are Spixi snails I believe I just caught one devouring my ammonia bonsai


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Ahhh.....Spixi's. I'm looking for them myself actually. Can't ship across state lines unfortunately.

Here's the deal with Spixi's. They can at times eat plants. I've heard different stories from several people that keep them. Sometimes they will, others, they won't. It is reported that if they have plenty of food available, they will leave the plants alone.

Granted, I have no first hand experience with them so I have to go by what others have told me during my searchings.


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## sondre (Jun 1, 2011)

I got golden apple snail and some (15-20) cherry shrimp in my 50 litre tank,but they dont really help with algea .I think you need to have a lot of them .


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

My cleanup crew consists of LOTS of shrimp, LOTS of Malaysian Trumpet Snails (they burrow into the substrate and clean it), two African Dwarf Frogs, a Nerite snail, Assassin snails (to keep the MTS in check), and an L177 Gold Nugget Pleco.

I would suggest MTS because they burrow and though they will invade, you will hardly ever see them.


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## dgluton (Aug 31, 2011)

When they burrow do they uprooted your plants?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

No, they are way too small. I also have not seen any eating the plant roots either.


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