Do Snails Help Clean Fish Tanks?

Do snails help clean fish tanks? Or should I say, wouldn’t it be nice to have some help cleaning your fish tank—having something else to help you clean out the algae and gunk in your tank?

Well, as it turns out, Nerite snails can be great little helpers. They can eat the annoying algae that can make your fish tank look so ugly cause the walls of the tank to become green and the filters to become overwhelmed.

Snails Eat the Algae in Your Tank

These little guys will naturally seek out algae in your tank and gobble it up for you. This goes for both the moss-like green beard variety algae and the green spots that you may see accumulate on the sides of your tank. These spots are so annoying.

Believe it or not, though, Nerite snails can also be escape artists. So be sure that your fish tank is sealed firmly so they don’t make a run for it.

[Learn About a Good Starter Fish Tank]

Also, keep in mind, these guys aren’t exactly the fastest swimmers.

Because of this, being roomies with a pet blue crayfish can sometimes be a problem.

Let me just put it this way, both of my Nerite snails eventually became food for my crayfish.

Pro tip: Keep your fish tank away from direct sunlight. This will also help your tank stay healthy and keep algae from taking over.

Snails Will Help Keep Your Tank Clean, But…

If you are looking to keep your tank free of algae, personally I don’t think that simply using snails will be sufficient. I recommend more than just snails to help clean fish tanks and keep them looking fresh.

There was a time when all I used to help control my tank’s algae was Tetra algae control. It reduced the amount of algae in my tank tremendously.

However, after talking with a store clerk at a local pet store, she convinced me to only use Nerite snails to clean the algae in my fish tank.

This was a complete fail. The two snails I purchased simply couldn’t handle the workload. And again, add a crayfish into the mix and things became even more problematic.

I’ve managed to maintain my 20-gallon fish tank for over a year now with little algae problems with the help of the Tetra algae control and frequent water changes. I’ve also learned that simply relying on Nerite snails to handle the entire job was not a good idea.

Besides the help of Tetra algae control and Nerite snails to help clean your tank of algae, I’d also suggest the Bushy Nose Plecostomus, aka the Bristlenose Plecostomus. It’s a very cool looking fish from South America that can also help with algae. If you get one though, make sure you have some sort of little hideout for the guys to retreat to.

So do snails help clean fish tanks? Yes, they absolutely do. However, don’t set out to having an algae-free fish tank with snails only. Consider using more than one option for keeping your fish tank looking nice and clean.