SNAIL YES! Your favorite snails & why you love them!

Ross B Reef'n · Dec 10, 2019

So I've been meaning to post about my recent experience with snails. I ordered approximately 100 snails, divided among trochus, nerite, astrena, cerinth, and nassarius.

The snails were placed in a 20 long quarantine tank, with sand, small rubble, and 10 bio cubes from my DT fuge. All was good for about 3 weeks, and then an "event" happened. I noticed that a few of the larger trochus snails had perished and one of most foul smells I've ever smelled.

I tested for ammonia using an api test kit. Stunned by the results, I asked my wife what color is looked like. She said blue. BLUE! The test kits don't go to blue! The highest ammonia reading I've ever seen.

I did at least a 95% water change, and the reading came back 4.0.

I changed the water 95% AGAIN. And it read >0.5.

Only after changing the water AGAIN, and siphon cleaning the sand did it get the ammonia under 0.25.

The death of those snails sent that small tank into a nuclear crash.

I still don't know what the exact "event" was. I've never seen a cycling tank get half that high. I'm not so sure I want large snails anymore.

In strange comparison. There's a 'youtuber' I don't take seriously with a 500 or so gallon tank. His videos seem to find thier way on my youtube feed. A few weeks back he dumped like 400 turbo snails into his tank because of algae. Just the other day I saw a video of his pop up in my feed titled "tank crash." Coincidence? Maybe? Maybe Not?

hotdrop · Dec 10, 2019

Ross B Reef'n said:
So I've been meaning to post about my recent experience with snails. I ordered approximately 100 snails, divided among trochus, nerite, astrena, cerinth, and nassarius.

The snails were placed in a 20 long quarantine tank, with sand, small rubble, and 10 bio cubes from my DT fuge. All was good for about 3 weeks, and then an "event" happened. I noticed that a few of the larger trochus snails had perished and one of most foul smells I've ever smelled.

I tested for ammonia using an api test kit. Stunned by the results, I asked my wife what color is looked like. She said blue. BLUE! The test kits don't go to blue! The highest ammonia reading I've ever seen.

I did at least a 95% water change, and the reading came back 4.0.

I changes the water 95% AGAIN. And it read >0.5.

Only after changing the water AGAIN, and siphon cleaning the sand did it get the ammonia under 0.25.

The death of those snails sent that small tank into a nuclear crash.

I still don't know what the exact "event" was. I've never seen a cycling tank get half that high. I'm not so sure I want large snails anymore.

In strange comparison. There's a 'youtuber' I don't take seriously with a 500 or so gallon tank. His videos seem to find thier way on my youtube feed. A few weeks back he dumped like 400 turbo snails into his tank because of algae. Just the other day I saw a video of his pop up in my feed titled "tank crash." Coincidence? Maybe? Maybe Not?

I think the snails themselves produce a ton of bioload, dumping 400 into a tank would be a huge shock. I’ve been isolating my snails when treating my tank by dumping them into a bucket for a few days. After a day 10 snails and an urchin in a bucket with a power head and heater start to smell even with prime

TetoCCB · Dec 10, 2019

Brew12 said:
I keep around 200 to 300 snails of a variety in my 187g system. I also keep a few urchins and 30ish hermit crabs along with 2 or 3 smaller conchs.

Snails are important to me, but not critical. Other CuC members can fill their role. For example, if I were fighting a hair algae outbreak I would consider adding a Dolabella Sea Hare instead of snails. Much more effective imo. I like snails for preventing problems, not solving them.

Dolabella is awesome for hair algae... I just couldn’t keep one long enough to complete the job...

kyley · Dec 10, 2019

Crabs McJones said:
I love Trochus and Stomatella snails. Currently working on getting Stomatellas but not having much luck, nobody sells them. If you have any hit me up lol!

Same favorites as me! Trochus and Stomatellas. The Stomatellas reproduce well in my tank, so I have a lot of them.

Why? Trochus LIVE while most others don't survive as long. Plus they're fun to watch with how they move so fast across the glass (when they want to) and they can flip themselves over unlike turbos. I like stomatellas because they reproduce in the tank and get to the small crevices. Cool looking too!

I also really like my fighting conch and tonga nassarius for churning the sand. Cheers,
--Kyle

jurgenph · Dec 10, 2019

Dempsey941 said:
Trochus, nassarius, and cerith snails. All you’ll ever need.

Since I went bare bottom, only cerith and trochus in my tank.

No need for nassarius anymore.

J.

sixty_reefer · Dec 10, 2019

Snails in my reef is just expensive wrasse food

kyley · Dec 10, 2019

kyley said:
Same favorites as me! Trochus and Stomatellas. The Stomatellas reproduce well in my tank, so I have a lot of them.

I also really like my fighting conch and tonga nassarius for churning the sand. Cheers,

Replying to my own post to add that:
* I use turbos some, but they're my least favorite.
* I don't like astrea (they don't live long IME) and especially not margarita snails (I can't believe places still sell them).
* I should add that ceriths are great (and I think eat the most types of algae based on a chart I once saw?), but I think it takes a lot of them (they don't get very large) so they aren't the most economical...
--Kyle

Phyber · Dec 10, 2019

TURBOS...ugly as sin and huge but they spit shine my rockwork.

CNDReef · Dec 10, 2019

Mexican Turbos all day long for all green algae and ceriths for all the diatoms and ditrus.

Doctorgori · Dec 10, 2019

I got a few giant turbos that must be several years old, almost as pets....one type is striped and I've been looking for another just like her...., and seems to sleep in the same spot day after day...on that note I wonder how long these things live anyway

PhreeByrd · Dec 10, 2019

I have a few banded trochus that have been in the same tank for more than 10 years (they are BIG now). I was never able to keep a turbo or astrea alive for even one year. I never bother with any other type of algae-eating snail anymore.
I also have a few nassarius in the same tank that are now around 7 years old.
So yeah, different critters for different functions, and these two take care of my needs very well. I would love a conch though, if my LFS ever had any.

MabuyaQ · Dec 10, 2019

For algae prevention on rockwork, any of the T-snails (Tectus, Turbo, Trochus). For sandbed maintenance Nassarius. All seem to be able to reproduce in an aquarium resulting in a somewhat stable population, never had such succes with other snails.

sofaknlo · Dec 10, 2019

I have a cowrie that has been going on 2 years and a conch that catch my eyes the most. The cowrie usually is only crusin at night but I do see it out occasionally in the day. Crazy lookin

Emerson · Dec 10, 2019

Not to hijack this thread, but I've been battling red turf algae for about six months. I found a few posts that urchins and Mexican Turbo Snails go after red turf algae. I have a couple spiny urchins and a tuxedo urchin that went after some hair algae, but not the red turf.

They're so large, but I'm getting a few Mexican Turbos next week. Wondering if anyone out there had a good experience with red turf algae-eating snails, and what species?

Dr. Dendrostein · Dec 10, 2019

revhtree said:
I recently ordered 250 snails for my 450g system......yea hair algae BAD!

Ya I know we've only talked about this a couple million times but a fresh discussion about important topics can't be bad right?! Plus we want to hear from people who have yet to chime in on this subject. So it's time to come out of your shell and tell us about your favorite snail and more importantly is why! We need an answer for both of the following questions.

1. WHAT is your favorite snail?

2. WHY is your favorite snail your favorite?

snail image via @DaveFe

150 nassarius snails for 100 gallon volume. They're like tiny pack of piranhas. Not for hair algae but dead or left over food. No hermits, most harasse snails

DHill6 · Dec 10, 2019

Astrea for knocking down the GHA, Red Banded Trochius for cleaning machines, breeds easily, turns themselves back over, doesn’t seem to get too large. The black trochius I received by mistake were a lot larger. They were regimes to someone else.