best algae eating snail

[ugluk]

I have a HOB skimmer and fuge which means I can not clean parts of my back wall with the magnet so it does not cleaned as often and the algae starts to build up. What is the best snail to buy that eats algae on the glass? How many of them do you think I would need for a 18x12" area? I also have a yellow tang that likes to munch.

[Sk8r]

Seriously, no snail in the world is going to make that glass clean. Nor will anything, fish, snail, urchin, limpet, or chiton---nothing else but elbow grease, and reducing your phosphate load via a GFO reactor or fuge or both.

[duncantse]

Why not use a sponge and manually clean it with your hands? I would do this with the bottom of the glass where my sandbed is because my magfloat can't clean the algae near my sandbed.

[Netofficer3710]

magfloat is the greatest thing ever created!

and you can get along the edge of the sand but go slow and barely skim the edge or you will get sand in it that can and will scratch your tank glass

[duncantse]

Yah that's what I'm scared of, getting sand in the magfloat and then with one swipe, there's gonna huge scratch.

[~JSG~]

Well i had a problem for a while with the back glass so i got 4 turbos in my 200 and within about a week it was clean so you know my vote. but i did still have to get some of the GHA with my hands to help em out a bit but they did 98% of the work.

[d0ughb0y]

Seriously, no snail in the world is going to make that glass clean. Nor will anything, fish, snail, urchin, limpet, or chiton---nothing else but elbow grease, and reducing your phosphate load via a GFO reactor or fuge or both.

+1

I don't replace my CUC anymore as they die. I think I only have 2 or 3 snals left in my tank. I am just using bacteria (to consume dissolved and particulate organics) and elbow grease.

[Angel*Fish]

As mentioned, it's not a solution. A snail will likely eat some of it, but they don't understand the concept of cleaning the area. It will leave lines through it where they've been which looks even worse.

[ugluk]

I actually think the lines left by the snails are pretty cool. I do agree with the elbow grease and getting rid of the problem which I do try to work on but just the fact that I am in up to my elbows in water and it sloshes out of the tank when I do it makes it occur with less frequency then when I use my magfloat. I use my magfloat every day and clean the back about once a week. I just wanted a little help. I think I found it:

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/251253/product.web

How many do you recomend for a 72?

[cmac23]

A razor blade works well on the glass

[zigzag1]

For a 72, I'd go with a dozen Trochus and also a dozen Astrea. I've had great luck with this combo long term, especially the Trochus; they are more expensive but faster, more active - well worth the extra money. Astrea should run around $1 ea., and Trochus ~$3 ea. They even do a great job on my back glass. GFO use and its frequent/religious changing is also important to control algae growth! Just my $.02. GL!!