Problems With My Little Tank

So I have a number of problems in my tank at the minute that may or may not be related. The only recent change I've made is turning down the temperature after that discussion. 

One thing is that I have the purple algae spreading throughout my tank.  Unfortunately it seems to love growing on important items in my tank like my pre filter and heater.  I'm unsure how to get rid of it on such items.

I've also got a bit of a snail problem at the minute. They're quite large snails and quite a lot of them. 

 After my shift on Tuesday I found my endler Rimmer listless at the bottom of the tank.  He switched between this and floating at the top gasping. I did a very large water change as i didn't know what else i could do for him. I didn't expect him to make it through the night but he did but was in a similar condition in the morning but I had to leave at 5am so couldn't stomach putting him down.  I was away overnight and left instructions for my partner to remove him ASAP after his death.  Well here we are and he is still alive! He seems a little better swimming with the others and begging food however his stomach appears very bloated and the underneath is white / discoloured. I'm not sure what's wrong with him but I really don't want to lose him.  I'm away over night for a shift again tomorrow too...

In my hornwort today I noticed a few patches of odd white substance that I can only describe as looking like a spider web. There's several of these. . Any ideas what they are! ?

I've attached a few photos any help on any of the topics mentioned would be appreciated!

You're quite right Colin about the endlers they are getting on a bit.  He's one of my original fish so I've had them now over a year.  I have noticed recently that my older fish haven't been looking quite their best in terms of colours. I would quite like a proper snail in my tank actually... I should really get my one shrimp some new friends too but my partner refuses to take me to the garden centre as the last batch of shrimp died :-( Not sure what it is about my tank that proves so fatal to shrimp!

I think Natalia told me what the algae was previously and it was on one of my artificial plants but it's come back a lot more how and on objects I can't just leave out of the tank and scrub!

I agree with Colin about the endler. In general, the smaller the animal and the more active it is, the shorter the lifespan.

Snails travel by post very well. They just have to be in something that can't get squashed with a bit of damp filter wool or even damp tissue. They can be a bit reluctant to com out of their shells at first. Although they should be acclimated like fish, that's not really on if they don't arrive in water.

I'm afraid I can't help on the plant problem, I'll have to leave that to someone who knows more about them that me.

Then you need somewhere like this. Shrimps by post!

Never realised so many colour variations were available - very tempted! Colin is obviously the official ThinkFish link guru!

Oh no! Jesnon's hatching out an alien. 

That site looks great! I just need a local one so my shrimp aren't too shocked by my hard water I guess. 

Sue you've got me worried now!! Unfortunately I was on a long day sleep yesterday so haven't been home to do anything and am away tonight.  I really hope whilst I'm away nothing hatches out of there. .. There's about the 'webs'... eek. My partner was home last night and apparently all the fish are doing ok. Hopefully that continues until I'm home tomorrow as my partner is also away tonight. Nothing worse than a dead fish killing off my others in my absence...apart from maybe whatever the hell that web is hatching!!

I think it's a crazy idea that anything dangerous could hatch out of the "spider's web" or whatever it is on the hornwort. If they are eggs, anything that hatches would be so tiny that the fish would eat them. In any case, unless you have recently put the hornwort into the tank, whatever it is must have come from inside the tank, i.e. from something that is already there. It looks like snail eggs to me.
There are real things to worry about when keeping fish, but there are also lots of illogical and irrational bogeymen that are constantly brought up. The idea that some dangerous fish-eating monster could accidentally be introduced, or find its way, into a tank is one of them.

I wish I'd wake up to find a nymph in my tank...



 

I wish I'd wake up to find a nymph in my tank...

Your thoughts wouldn't drift in such directions if you discovered a dragonfly nymph!

 

You guys! 

Well on my return some of the 'webs' have disappeared but one remains.  No nasties in the tank but my poor little endler looks like he'll be dead by the time my partner gets up.  This has been very inconvenient timing as I'm now sleeping at work again (after my shifts not now!!). I'll be home tomorrow and time to give me tank a big water change and remove whatever the webs are.  I also need to buy Clove oil...