Snails? What kind?

Question
QUESTION: I have some guppies and tetras in my tanks and i was thinking i could get snails to help with algae control and also to feed to my green spotted puffer if the population of then gets too high. what kind would be good for a job like this? something small though, my tanks aren't that big and my puffer is only and inch long. Thanks in advance for your help!

Will

ANSWER: Hi Will:  I hope your puffer is not sharing a tank with your guppies.  Snails are not my favorite of the algae cleaners.. the best algae cleaner is a Siamese Algae eater... they get up to about 5 or 6 inches long but do a great job of cleaning the tank... as for snails... they tend to make as big as a mess as they clean up... the breed quickly and fowl your tank with eggs... If you want snails the best kind are the small brown pond snail... they breed quickly.  I have a ten gallon tank that I use as a snail-tank... it is where I put all of my snails when they get out of control... I use them when I have fry to help keep the tank clean and for food for my puffer... Hope this helps... also don't forget that even with cleaner pets like snails and algae eaters you still have to clean the gravel and change water... dave

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QUESTION: yeah my puffer is not with my guppies... that'd be a disaster and I've got snails in my breeding tank but the Siamese algae eater would be too big for my stuff, the snails would go into a 8 gallon, a 5.5 gallon, and a small 2.5 gallon. I would be still cleaning the rocks but just so i don't have to scrub the algae. what is the best snail for cold water? I've got some of those tanks and need algae control in them too. still small though. would it be the same snail? and also what could go with my puffer in a new 210 gallon tank ill probably be getting (lucky puffer *rolls eyes*) i was thinking some small archerfish and maybe some other puffers? what would be good for a tank like this? thanks for the help so far and i look forward to your answer!

Will

Answer
The common brown pond snail is easiest... all snails like cold water... for a large tank like the 210 gallon... you pretty much want to build your fish plan in layers... bottom, middle and top....

Bottom: plecostomus, cat fish, eels, etc.

Middle:  Gourami, barbs, danios, archer fish, rainbows, paradise, silver dollars, etc.

Top:  Hatchet fish, butterfly fish, leaf fish, etc.

You have to decide what kind of tank you want... a community, semi-aggressive, or aggressive tank... let me know what you think and I will give you more input... dave