Snails

[olsenshouse]

Are snails essential to a healthy saltwater tank? If so which kinds?

 

[lvsuckerfish]

no not if you like to clean glass and rocks yourself lol

 

[olsenshouse]

lol, what kind of snails should I get? My tank is just finishing cycling and I have a good amount of brown algae.

Thanks,

Bry

 

[crazyfish253]

get a lawn mower blenny they bang there face on the algy its fun to watch

 

[Cwazy Clown]

Ive always liked straight up astreas for algae on the rocks, and a fighting conch for the sand bed. then nassarius to stir the bottom.

 

[Chichas01]

Trochus, cerith, nassarius and nerite are my favorites. how many you need depends on size of your tank. Most of the reef cleaner packages over-sell you on how many snails per gallon they recommend in my opinion.

 

[olsenshouse]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm looking to get some glass cleaners. I'm tired of cleaning and looking at all the brown algae.

 

[Inconservatory]

Astreas and turbos will make short work of the algae on the rocks. Ceriths and nerites will tend to get in-between cracks a little easier. Unfortunately, speaking from experience, snails will sooner leave your rocks sparkling white than clean the entire span of the glass.

You're more likely to see little snail mouth/footprints on the front side of the tank. You could get a magnetic algae scraper and do a once-over everyday to get the loose algae off the glass and into the water column. As a bonus to this method, the suspended algae becomes food for your corals and other filter-feeders!

Also, the nassarius is an awesome snail. They feed on detritus more than algae, but are fun to watch. The snail lies in the sand bed for most of the day, but will POUNCE out onto the surface when the scent of fresh food lingers by! I used to feed more often per day just to watch them scurry around the tank. FUN!

 

[olsenshouse]

Thanks for all the input. I'm going to pick up a few snails tomorrow while at Barrier Reef.

 

[burning2nd]

id ask the question are there snails in the ocean around the world... your answer will be the same


but in short yes they are... a good mix of different ones is the best bet... don't over stock or they will starve