Confetto Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 I have been running a 3 gallon Aqueon tank since July. Miso - a tangerine koi betta - lives well in a planted tank with frogbit, two types of anubias, a bucephalandra and what I believe is a hornwort plant. I use a small sponge filter and generally my tank is quite clean. That said, I've noticed my anubias nana has some dark patches of what I believe is some sort of algae. I have tried to rub it off with a soft toothbrush and nothing happens. So I was thinking of getting a snail. I must say I'm not a fan of snails... It's an unfounded fear of my tank being overrun with them &/or they escaping. However, I need some sort of 'zamboni' to assist cleaning the plants & decor that I can't clean when using an algae scraper. Due to the size of my tank I can really only house one snail. And that is if my betta will accept a new roommate. I'm leaning towards a nerite snail as I have read that their eggs don't hatch in freshwater tanks (and if I get a male, this will not be a problem) Other than needing to add nano calcium tabs for shell health, what do I need to know about 1. What snail to get 2. Caring for a gastropod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Blue Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 A single nerite will keep your tank spotless. They are fairly easy to keep, they like veggie treats from time to time, just boil them for a minute or two to soften them up. Don't leave veggies in your tank more than 12-ish hours though. Crab cuisine pellets keep their shells good, they really are super easy to care for. Warning ahead of time, they poop a LOT when you first add them and they start cleaning things up in your tank. The poop will lessen as they get things in check. I really love all my nerites in my tanks, the patterns they leave on the glass are cool, and watching their mouth is both terrifying and fascinating at the same time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Zenzo Posted December 12, 2022 Administrators Share Posted December 12, 2022 On 12/12/2022 at 10:30 AM, Confetto said: I have been running a 3 gallon Aqueon tank since July. Miso - a tangerine koi betta - lives well in a planted tank with frogbit, two types of anubias, a bucephalandra and what I believe is a hornwort plant. I use a small sponge filter and generally my tank is quite clean. That said, I've noticed my anubias nana has some dark patches of what I believe is some sort of algae. I have tried to rub it off with a soft toothbrush and nothing happens. So I was thinking of getting a snail. I must say I'm not a fan of snails... It's an unfounded fear of my tank being overrun with them &/or they escaping. However, I need some sort of 'zamboni' to assist cleaning the plants & decor that I can't clean when using an algae scraper. Due to the size of my tank I can really only house one snail. And that is if my betta will accept a new roommate. I'm leaning towards a nerite snail as I have read that their eggs don't hatch in freshwater tanks (and if I get a male, this will not be a problem) Other than needing to add nano calcium tabs for shell health, what do I need to know about 1. What snail to get 2. Caring for a gastropod Nerite snails can be great, but you may have to provide some additional food for one, as it does not appear that your betta tank has enough algae to feed one (which is a good thing in your case). The thing with nerite snails is that it is a gamble (pun intended due to the dice decor). A female nerite can lay eggs (even if they don't hatch) that will look like little sesame seeds stuck all over the tank. Some people don't like that. A male would not have that issue. Good luck in your snail search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnebuns Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 I just wanna add another vote for nerite. Also, are those DND dice? I like! Oh I will add, if you don't want to go the snail route you can try dosing excel or easy green carbon directly on the leaves with algae. It's working on my anubias. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 Hey I recognize this tank from your into! Not many DnD themed tanks out there. I don't have a ton of experience with snails outside of my unplanned ramshorn colony. But I have had Anubias with leaves that look like that. Most likely that's black beard algae (aka BBA). It's pretty tough to get off stuff and most algae eaters don't like eating it. I had to really scrub at it to even see any change. It could be a sign of too much light or some nutrient deficientcy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Confetto Posted December 13, 2022 Author Share Posted December 13, 2022 On 12/12/2022 at 9:34 PM, Cinnebuns said: Also, are those DND dice? Yes. I contacted Chessex about their dice and if they were safe for fish. I needed to soak them in hot water before putting them in the tank. Those and the dragon skull complete the look. Miso can 'roll' the dice as they are heavy enough to sink, but light enough to move about the tank. He's a rogue sea elf ☺️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Confetto Posted December 13, 2022 Author Share Posted December 13, 2022 On 12/12/2022 at 10:19 PM, Schuyler said: Hey I recognize this tank from your into! Not many DnD themed tanks out there. But I have had Anubias with leaves that look like that. Most likely that's black beard algae (aka BBA). It's pretty tough to get off stuff and most algae eaters don't like eating it. I had to really scrub at it to even see any change. It could be a sign of too much light or some nutrient deficientcy. I'm tickled you remembered my tank 🎲 Should I continue using a toothbrush to scrub the BBA off the leaves? Will harder pressure harm the plant? Will it spread to other places in my tank? I run my lights six hours in the morning and then another three hours at night. Miso has a floating log that travels around the tank and blocks the light from time to time. How do I test for vitamin deficiencies? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer V Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 On 12/12/2022 at 11:04 PM, Confetto said: 🎲 How do I test for vitamin deficiencies? I'm no expert, but I find this article very helpful when figuring out nutrient deficiencies with my plants. Hope that helps! https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/plant-nutrient-deficiencies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 On 12/12/2022 at 10:04 PM, Confetto said: Should I continue using a toothbrush to scrub the BBA off the leaves? Will harder pressure harm the plant? Will it spread to other places in my tank? I run my lights six hours in the morning and then another three hours at night. Miso has a floating log that travels around the tank and blocks the light from time to time. How do I test for vitamin deficiencies? If you put your hand under the leaf and then scrub for a bit you may be able to get it off. The leaves are pretty tough. Then do a water change after to get some of it out. You could also try reducing the light time but that already seems ok depending on intensity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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