LA
Introducing the Tiger Nerite Snails.
New to me in 2010,
tiger nerite snails are much snazzier than the plainer regular (also known
as olive) nerites.
They cost twice as much but they're twice the size so they probably eat
twice as much. This is just theoretical because I have no way to
measure exactly how much they eat. I've run a few comparisons but only
a few.
LA
Description.
Tiger nerites stand out in most aquaria. No two
of them appear to look exactly alike. I haven't seen all the tiger nerites, but
I have yet to spot any two alike. Some resemble others, but they don't
look identical. All eat lots of algae. One of my employees says
they look much more like baseballs than tigers.
LA
Four tiger nerites given a work assignment -- KP that flower pot.
LA
Algae covered two-inch flower pot with the four tigers on top.
LA
Next day. Pretty good job -- especially for the night shift.
Very Attractive Algae Eaters..
Tiger nerites eat algae on flat surfaces -- diatoms.
I haven't tested them on hair algae, fur algae, or stringy algae.
LA
Four tiger nerites.
LA
Seven others.
LA
Tiger nerite variation.
LA
Two fairly similar tigers.
LA
Half a dozen tiger nerites in with a foot-long tigrinum catfish. He
ignores them. They ate his algae.
LA
These tigers in the back climbed all the way out of their water. Maybe
they didn't like the tigrinum?
LA
Tiger nerites have no operculum but they clamp down quite securely on the
glass.
LA
You can see his mouth here.

Time to clean the glass on the inside.
LA
You need to wipe the outside also.
LA
Four tigers for size. They grow larger.
LA
10-gallon tank with four tiger nerites just dropped in.
LA
Later in the day -- off to a good start.
LA
Second day.
LA
Third day.
LA
Fifth day. Lots of digested algae on the bottom. Just four tiger
nerites at work.
LA
Sixth day. All over but the sweeping up.
LA
10 nerites in the tank next door cleaned the bottom and sides in two days.
LA
As mentioned earlier, tigers are real glass clampers.
LA
I added some dead neons for a potential snack. The tiger nerite
ignored them. He prefers algae.
LA
Another test 10 -gallon tank with brackish water and 10 tiger nerites,
December 29, 2010.
LA
Close up for the paparazzi.
LA
Same tank January 1, 2011.
LA
I tried feeding hem the Nori algae sheets. No dice.
LA
Whoa. This one looks like an O=ring.
Next to Last Words: If
you have algae on your tank walls, any of the nerites will clean your glass.
I haven't tested them on the algae growing on plant leaves. That's in
the works. Let the tests begin. LA December 23, 2010
LA
A 20H likely candidate with algae covering the slow-growing anubias.
December 23, 2010.
LA
18 tiger nerites I enlisted for the test. You only see 17, because I
dropped one.
LA
They're great on eating algae off the glass. Let's see what they can
do against this stuff.
LA
Some took the high road. Some took the low road.
LA
Hard at work December 27. Not much progress.
LA
Maybe some progress, December 27, 2010. Leaves looking cleaner.
LA
Nice shiny leaves but filamentous algae still extant. January 3, 2011.
LA
Whittling away at the filamentous algae January 5. Not much can be
done for the missing blue paint.
LA
Anubias leaves all polished Janiary 15.
LA
Nerite snails always leave their eggs strewn about.
Last Words:
With their algae tests final papers submitted (with flying colors I might
add), we report the tiger nerite snails are great algae eaters. They
love the sheet type algae (diatoms) and reluctantly eat the filamentous
ajgae. Look back over the last few pics to evaluate their progress.
No eggs or snailettes were detected (or harmed) in these trials. LA
© 2010,
© 2011
LA Productions
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