No more Snails! Maybe?

R33fDaddy

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I'm seriously thinking about never putting snails in my display tank again and wanted to see if any one else is doing this or what's your thoughts on it.

For me it seems like snails are not worth the trouble. Yes they do somewhat clean the sand and rocks but it comes with a huge price. Once a snail dies they release a tremendous amount of ammonia and stench into the tank. If you can't reach them in time or not even know they are dead the affects could trigger a die off.

With so many great products and equipment to control Algae and Nitrates do we even need to have snails in our reef tanks anymore?
 

CanuckReefer

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I see dead snails a problem for smaller aquariums.
I have worms that love dead snails. So... I never had to worry about that.
Yep, smaller tank an issue, 50 gallon or larger depending on stock/ filtration? Not an issue in my experience.
 

Goaway

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I don't remember how the saying goes. But, way back when I started my first reef and looked for information on CuC members, someone said "snails are just hiding a problem you need to fix."
We have a lot of ways to manage our systems. I do what helps me be the most lazy.

/shrug.
 

CanuckReefer

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I don't remember how the saying goes. But, way back when I started my first reef and looked for information on CuC members, someone said "snails are just hiding a problem you need to fix."
We have a lot of ways to manage our systems. I do what helps me be the most lazy.

/shrug.
Lol true.... in my experience, having a large and varied CUC including snails has helped me be lazy with minimal filtration....workhorses all of them.
 
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R33fDaddy

R33fDaddy

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I see dead snails a problem for smaller aquariums.
I have worms that love dead snails. So... I never had to worry about that.
I have the Reefer 250 and if two or three snails die in a location I can't get to I find it to be a problem. Would you consider the Reefer 250 to be a "Smaller Aquarium"?
 

Goaway

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I have the Reefer 250 and if two or three snails die in a location I can't get to I find it to be a problem. Would you consider the Reefer 250 to be a "Smaller Aquarium"?
If its over 50 gallons. Nope. I also don't know what red sea reefer has for equipment.
But this is what the post is about. Equipment and saying no to, edit: snails.
We have options. So many of them.
 

LAX Noob Reef

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I have the Reefer 250 and if two or three snails die in a location I can't get to I find it to be a problem. Would you consider the Reefer 250 to be a "Smaller Aquarium"?

250 is about 66 gallon volume total. You should be fine, if you have enough rock / sand in it. Also might does some good bacteria to refresh what you got in tank. Run Skimmer / Carbon should also help a lot.
 

fish farmer

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I've had turbos that would equal to the size of a frozen cube die in my 29 gallon and never seen a problem and they do stink when you pick them up.
 

DDenny

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I don't have the guts to try and run anything less than 60g water volume.
My little 4g has about 15-20 snails mostly dwarf cerith two Florida cerith snails and one astraea. Three hermits so if a snail dies they will clean it up pretty quickly before if has a chance to fowl the water up.
 
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R33fDaddy

R33fDaddy

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My little 4g has about 15-20 snails mostly dwarf cerith two Florida cerith snails and one astraea. Three hermits so if a snail dies they will clean it up pretty quickly before if has a chance to fowl the water up.
Wow, that would be nerve racking for me lol.

Do you have pictures?
 

DDenny

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Wow, that would be nerve racking for me lol.

Do you have pictures?
Most of the snail hide in the rocks or the back wall.
DFFC17E9-D0E1-47C1-B2D1-28845857CD8E.jpeg

220D44E7-F356-466F-B340-3DE3FF9A54BA.jpeg 6A502149-A27D-45A5-AA07-465052B619E9.jpeg C7925FC7-7CA4-4C38-9FBF-C357CCB10ABC.jpeg
 

tjohnson3

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Large fowlr and nano reef here… way I see it, if you don’t run a CUC in a fowlr system, why would you need them for a reef system with less to clean up? I’ve got some in the nano, hermits clean up the dead ones so never an issue with spikes… but not a necessity imho
 

CanuckReefer

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Large fowlr and nano reef here… way I see it, if you don’t run a CUC in a fowlr system, why would you need them for a reef system with less to clean up? I’ve got some in the nano, hermits clean up the dead ones so never an issue with spikes… but not a necessity imho
Unless you run no skimmer, canister or sump in a 90...I NEED them all lol.
 

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