Neritina pulligera, sometimes called Military Helmet snail (for the obvious resemblance) are superb algae eaters. They'll attack spot algae, hair algae, and the dreaded Black Beard Algae.
This species is one of the largest Nerites available, comparable to a mystery snail at 1.5"!
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Nerite Snails
Cassandra's notes:
Useful and attractive!
Broadly considered the gold standard in algae management, Nerites work tirelessly to keep your glass and decor spot-free!
These little guys play such an important role in a balanced aquarium! They are nature's recyclers, and work tirelessly to scrub detritus, algae and fish poo from your tank.
Peaceful and easy- going, you may see them resting on green foliage in order to scrub away any algae or biofilms on the surface.
These guys are undemanding, but would prefer a planted, community tank within normal parameters. They do like a bit of cuttlebone here and there to keep their shells hard and clear. Grab some of that here: Cuttlebone by Weight.
These snails do not reproduce in a freshwater aquarium. They will try by leaving tiny little "pearls" on the glass and decorations. These eggs will never hatch, however, and will slowly dissolve over time.
If you do not see any visible algae anywhere in your aquarium, it would be pertinent to place a blanched piece of vegetable on the substrate every few days. Be sure to remove within the day, as you won't want to foul up your water! They will also happily accept little algae wafers (the kind advertised for bottom feeders such as Plecos)
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