Why have snails?

[tcblightning]

Can I ask this question!? My snails eat aglae yeah...but to what extent?! Are we keeping these snails hostage for no reason!? I had what was and is still considered the 'recomended amount' for the last 5 years...my snails have died off to where I have about 10% of whats recomended but my aquarium keeps on. My glass still gets as much aglae. Why do I feel the need to get more snails?

 

[dragoneggs]

I have wondered the same... never really heard any solid proof that a boat load of snails really prevented an issue. I would love to hear some reasoning from the gallery.

 

[mcoomer]

I quit buying snails a long time ago. I don't have any more of the big Astreas or Turbos now just the smaller critters that hitchhiked in over the years. I don't know if they do much for my tank but every night I can look in and they're all over the sides of the tank and sump. I'm sure that if they weren't finding enough algae to eat there would a lot less of them in the tank so I suppose they're controlling it to some extent.

Mike

 

[tcblightning]

I'm sure to some extent these snails are getting their fill but why do WE need them? They dont clear our front glass, we still have to clear it with other means! Do they really fill a gap that we need filled?

 

[lvsuckerfish]

I would say pending upon the snail as to which job it will do I was never big on over stocking my tank on snails and hermits I like a little of everything. I stayed away from turbos after one I had was the size of a golf ball. I mainly stick to astreas and ceriths nassrauis. as for glass staying clean thats not only the snails job that is your job. snails can only eat so much. my snails never cleaned the front glass I never had an issue with that one only the back glass and sides where there was low flow.

 

[maysorum]

hmm, i've had the opposite experience. i love snails and they keep my tank very clean. i have a mix of small turbos, cerith, nerite, and my favorite top crown snails. i only have two hermit crabs.

 

[mfinn]

I have astrea snails in my tank to help take care of any algea that starts on my live rock.
I can keep the glass clean myself.
Snails do a crummy job of cleaning the glass with the wandering pattern they make.

 

[balogh03]

Love snails... There is really no harm in having them as long as they have enough food. I will put one on my powerheads every now and then and after about 3days they will look brand new.

-augustus

 

[Myteemouse]

LOL I do the same with my power heads when they get bad!!

Thats funny..

 

[agc]

Because they are cute!

 

[lizardarm]

Because you like waking up in the morning to find a coral or two laying "face down" in the sand instead of in the rockwork where it had been for the past two years.

 

[TotalVapor]

I have always used snails for the sand only. A little extra cleaning of the glass but not too bad. With the rocks I use tangs to pick at the rocks, if they do not clean it up the carbs get to eat, and if they do not get it then it stays there until someone geels like eating it.

I believe kevinpo does not use snails either.

 

[Allenfamily]

Because you like waking up in the morning to find a coral or two laying "face down" in the sand instead of in the rockwork where it had been for the past two years.

We, too, enjoy finding finding our corals face down in the sand. Our Mystery Wrasse would be very sad if we stopped putting snails in, as he as found his own use for them.
As Finn said, I do think they keep the rocks clean. Also, any sand sifters are beneficial.

 

[iroll253]

I would have to agree on my the need for them on my part. They help keep my sand clean and anytime the slightest about of micro algae appears they chomp it down.

 

[dragoneggs]

Yeah I have to say I do like them in the sand but am not a fan of the Astreas on the rocks and glass. They don't seem worth the trouble.

 

[MrGone]

I really liked margaritas for rock and glass but they don't do well in the warmer temps of a reef. I have a lot of nassarius to stir up the substrate and they do a good job and I have a bunch of astreas but they tend to favor the glass.

I can see where the snails cleaned the glass but honestly I think the number you would need to keep your glass clean would make it hard to see through the tank. I never bothered with turbos because people tend to complain about them knocking over stuff. I've never seen any of my snails knock over corals, hermits on the other hand can be frustrating with smaller frags and such.

If you want to keep the glass clean I recommend a magfloat, doesn't get much easier than that. I do think snails provide a beneficial service to the reef, especially in areas you don't see. I have tons of little baby snails in mine (I'm not sure what kind, they look like they might be baby astreas but the shells are still round). I picked off 11 of them off my maxijet when I was doing the sureflow mod a couple days ago and in the morning they are all over the top of the rocks.

 

[iroll253]

I wondered why my margaritas snails lasted about a week. My temp is constant between 79.9 and 80.7 this might be the reason since my params are darn near perfect. All other snails are fine too hmm. :idea:

 

[alireza]

Snails have minimal benefits but they are cute

 

[Katchupoy]

+1 on the astrea snails being effective on my tank. without them I have to scrape scrape my back glass which is a pita... But with at least 20 on my 75g, I dont have to worry about my back and side glass, plus my powerheads, etc and of course my live rocks... they keep the algae on my tank at bay. I rather have them than the useless cleaner crabs that eat my snails...

 

[NWDiver]

They sure seem to help keep my rockwork clean, if I see green growing on a rock, I break out the tongs and grab a couple of snails, relocate them to the offending alge.
It even works some of the time.