i want to put snails & or crabs in the tank to help combat algae.
i have 2 baby RES and 1 baby spiny soft shell, I've had them 3 Mo's, so there like 5 Mo's old. my tank is 100 gal. 2/3's sand, 1/3 mid. size smooth rocks. with a water fall filter, and 2 basking docks. tank is only 1/4 the way filled with water becouse Sandy the soft shell is a bottem dweller and the water should not be deaper then there neck lengh.
the water stays clear, but the algae go's crazy, we where going for a pond look, but with having to strip the tank & scrub every thing down, weekly, i can't really plant the plants in the rocks like i planed. i did some research and different sites recommended cleaner set's of snails & crabs, instead of chemicals that might kill the fish (so i took that to mean it might kill the turtles too). if i get the cleaner snails & crabs, then all I'll have to do is the water changes. right? because the snails & or crabs will eat all the stuff that i am spending 6 hours every Sunday scrubbing off everything.
but the big question is, will the turtles eat them? they have shell's so they have some protection. my thinking is that the turtles have gotten use to the sucker fish so they might get use to them. they only bit is tail a couple of times when we first put them in. it is as big as the turtles are, but it just sits there so it's easy pray. now they sit there next to it like there talking, but they don't mess with it. but they do eat the feeder fish, witch are small.
so I'm asking if any one else has ever put them together? because i can't find any thing on mixing them. thanks if you can help.
