Using Otto in CRS tank to remove algae or hand scrub?

Originally Posted by maxtan

if they dont U-turn they will become my son's food... How about ramshorn? will the shells corrode too?

Ramshorn is fine, kept them in the past and the corrosion is not as serious as nerite. Ramshorn seems to be able to take it better. But 1ramshorn when given chance to snatch shrimps food everytime, meaning its well fed, can give u many jello. Then thats when your headache comes when these little cute fellowa grow, your bioload will go messy. But ramshorn is very cute when they are young!

Originally Posted by monster_88

Personally, I had very good experience with those horned snails. I never knew their proper names, but they are easily available in shop. They are quite small with horns and black stripes. Extremely effective in getting rid of algae and shrimp friendly too.

These are the horned nerite snails, same problem with nerite. Their shell corrode in acidic water. However, horned nerite is able to take it a little better than red-spotted/zebra striped nerites snails. They are shrimps friendly even to shrimplets.

Originally Posted by monster_88

By the way, I think oto is not very effective in clearing algae in the first place.

Otto is very effective for cleaning algae off plants. Neocaridinal shrimps are better for algae imho. They cleaned my algae-d silicon bracing in my tank. Within 2weeks, can see 60% cleaned. My algae stains on the silicon is now left with like 10% of the initial amount. Anw, my tank was 2nd hand bought from a nice bro in af.

nerites are the best at cleaning your rocks and glass walls. mine wipe out all the gsa within a week, and now their chomping down hair algae on the rocks. pretty amazing after they're done, leaving my rocks whiter then i first bought it haha.
whats more my crs dont eat gsa and hair, so thumbs up for them

if you're getting them, choose the bigger and active ones for max survival rate. small ones usually dont make it :/

[ymmij]

Hmmm basically there are 3 fractions of crs keepers. One who likes Otto, one who likes snails and another prefers hand scrubbing....

So it voice down to personal preference. Thanks for all inputs...

More are welcome....

Originally Posted by ymmij

Hmmm basically there are 3 fractions of crs keepers. One who likes Otto, one who likes snails and another prefers hand scrubbing....

So it voice down to personal preference. Thanks for all inputs...

More are welcome....

How about some others who keep with Mollies? however, myth about mollied as algae eater should be consider with this fact: mollies feed on aufwuchs which grows on algae, they are not the real algae eater. mollies will also harm shrimplets as their diet includes live food like fish fries.

[ymmij]

Dun think mollies are suitable coz like you mentioned may eat the shrimplets.

I have been hand scrubbing so thinking of getting a simpler method...

Originally Posted by ymmij

Dun think mollies are suitable coz like you mentioned may eat the shrimplets.

I have been hand scrubbing so thinking of getting a simpler method...

Give me some time, when im done with my busy schedule, i'll post a thread on how to effectively use your snails/ottos.

[globalcookie]

Originally Posted by monster_88

By the way, I think oto is not very effective in clearing algae in the first place.

I did had a not so nice tank (quite bad algae outbreak over time). I threw in 2 ottos and, few days later, I need to remove 1 of them, as the algae problem was under control.

I think, from an experience, they don't seems to like green algae. Otto works quite well on brown algae. But than again, maybe i happened to be lucky, they are starved hungry when i bought them?

Originally Posted by Planted

How about some others who keep with Mollies? however
...mollies will also harm shrimplets as their diet includes live food like fish fries.

If it will harm shrimplets, it's not a good choice.

Originally Posted by globalcookie

If it will harm shrimplets, it's not a good choice.

Indeed. i cleared my tank off fishes so as to protect the young shrimplets to come. Heck to algae until the shrimplets grow bigger, then otto in again.

[globalcookie]

I prefer to keep the front clean. Sides and back, well, i can tolerate algaes there. Besides, algae area means food for shrimps too.

Ok, why did I suggest scrubbing by section/spot. If we look at how plant sap can kill shrimps, I wonder if scrubbing algae may also produce any sap (may not). Another concern is, would it affect water quality, that it ends up harming shrimps?

Just some thoughts

[ymmij]

I dun see my Shrimps eating the brown algae leh.... Need an army to clear them..