"SteveG" wrote:

You haev to MAKE SURE that you get this type of snail: Pomacea (pomacea)
bridgesii

Strongly second that! Only buy an apple snail for a planted tank if
you know for a fact that it's a true bridgesii. A canaliculata snail,
which looks similar (and is often labeled as bridgesii at the store)
will mow everything in the tank to a nub.

"Chris_S" wrote

I've got a 10 year old tank, heavily planted, and I have a hard time
keeping up with all of the dead plant debris and general gunk that
builds up on the bottom.

I've been having good luck with a siphon hose. Not a large diameter
siphon tube used for cleaning gravel, but rather a 1/2" flexible
tubing, like large airline hose.

Just running it around the base of the plants and poking it into the
denser tangles cleans an amazing amount of debris out, without
disturbing the plants or critters much.


--
www.ericschreiber.com