The ONE TANK CLEANING SNAIL that you don't want to reef without?

[OscarHaglund]

My trochuses all end up dying while my conches and nassarius are all fine. So while I’d like to say trochus, I just can’t

 

[CoralB]

Mexican turbo snails , but a variety is preferred .

 

[kevgib67]

Trochus snails! They are constantly re-supplying themselves, I’ll never have to purchase more. Also I can keep my hands out of the tank since the can right themselves.

 

[HB AL]

I voted turbos as my predators don't/can't eat them.

 

[Tired]

No categories for money cowries and keyhole limpets? Cowries breed in my tanks, and keyhole limpets are inky-black and gorgeous as the glide over aquascape.

I have a money cowrie, and I had no idea they could breed in reef aquaria. That's really cool. Do they spawn like stomatellas? Did you do anything in particular to get them to breed, or are they just doing it?

Much as I like the money cowrie, for pure practicality's sake I think I'd have to pick ceriths. They'll eat algae, detritus, move your sandbed around- what's not to like? Jack-of-all-trades snail is probably better than an ideal algae-eater that won't touch detritus, or vice versa.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I have a money cowrie, and I had no idea they could breed in reef aquaria. That's really cool. Do they spawn like stomatellas? Did you do anything in particular to get them to breed, or are they just doing it?

Much as I like the money cowrie, for pure practicality's sake I think I'd have to pick ceriths. They'll eat algae, detritus, move your sandbed around- what's not to like? Jack-of-all-trades snail is probably better than an ideal algae-eater that won't touch detritus, or vice versa.

I didn't do anything other than put two of them in the same tank (IM 40 cube). They congregate on the sides at night to breed, and I have five or six adults now. I've got to start transferring them to another tank, as I now have too many herbivores in it. I lost my melanarus wrasse about a month ago, and that may have been keeping numbers down.

 

[SPS2020]

I'm a cerith guy. They can get into places where others cannot.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

“The Three minute Merry Maid Cerith”

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

I can't choose one as I have 3 that I'll never be without.

1) Trochus snails- They're the main workers of the tank. They can upright themselves easily and eat algae all day/night long.

2) Mexican Turbo snails- There's just something about having a snail the size of a fist in the tank. They are monsters when it comes to eating algaes. I've never had hair algae in a tank with these guys. Some say they don't survive for long in the temps we keep our tanks at, but mine seem to do just fine and have done well for some time.

3) Bumblebee snails- They are great for working their way into the nooks and crannies that the other 2 on my list can't get to. They're supposed to eat vermetid snails, but I still have those popping up. I'm sure the numbers would be way higher if I didn't have them though.

 

[shwareefer]

Ceriths because they eat most everything the others do plus all the snotty stuff the others don't, can successfully breed in aquariums, and they can get in very small crevices. Cons are they don't live long ( maybe 3 yrs if you are lucky) and they don't cover a lot of ground fast. Is the question 1 snail or 1 type of snail? Because that would likely change everyone's answer.

 

[Lugubrious]

Stomatella Snail - though I have 2 large turban snails that are always up to something.. one is frequently found swinging from an algae clip, both will take food from my hand without flinching - where most of my other snails will close up tight if disturbed.

Just to add. My favorite mix is, conchs, don't have a preference I've had a few species, queen conch my least favorite, slow, lazy and clumsy.

Conch

Stomatella

Blue leg hermits.

Magic trio

 

[ying yang]

I voted trouchus snails ,mainly because they always seem to be working, survive really well and don't often find them dead and often see a hermit on their backs ( sometimes whilst they half way up the glass with hermit still hanging on,and see trouchus snail flip them off as they spin their shell around)

But to be fair,only ever kept a small few varietys, trouchus,nassarious, conch,and 2 astrea snails that got given by accident instead off trouchus which they only lasted 1 day and just under a week as kept ending upside down on sandbed and hermits would close in and try eat them,which was main reason didn't want any snail that couldn't right itself.

I do like the way conches look and work they do ,but first 2 I think lasted just under a year and 3rd one only a month or 2,but seen multiply times a cleaner shrimp trying to kill it and finally did kill it as conch just going about its business cleaning sandbed,also seen one larger hermit constantly trying to kill my smaller conch which still a decent size and its shell would off been far to big for it,and also seen a very small suspected polyclad flatworm ,so either one of these could off killed 2 out off 3 if the conches, along with lack off food,as even know my tank around 16 months old and still not that much algae on rocks,is it because got right kind and right number off cuc I dont really know, I know it's not because my n03/p04 are low as for over a year now nitrates been between 25-50 with salifert and p04 looks to be 0.25 bit my ugly stage wasn't that ugly and not had no large algae blooms ever in 16 months tank been set up so idk lol

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I voted trochus. They are real workhorses. I've had some of the same trochus snails for over 3 years now, still keeping things ship shape. Not only can they right themselves, but they've got that awesome twist defense action to throw unwanted passengers (hello hermits) into the abyss!

Definite shout out to the Tiger/Strawberry conch, though. Our guy is a family favorite and works tirelessly keeping the sand clean.

 

[Gogol_frag]

Ceriths, and lots of them. I am sure my horde of snails helps my reef somehow - not exactly sure how.

Nuisance Algae issues are ultimately nutrient issues. Nothing has fixed my nuisance algae issues better than a combination of rich CUC biodeversity and lowering my No3 and Po4. I dont expect snails to work as much magic to a home reef as bacteria can.

 

[w8lifts]

Turbos for me, they some tanks

 

[GobyGuy]

it’d be super cool to compile the poll answers from these recent cuc / filtration questions and make a community voted tank

 

[amoore311]

Astrea snails cost $1/ea and have no problem righting themselves in barebottom tanks.

 

[carbasaurus]

Hands down, money cowrie all the way. Look great, seem to live long and my hermits never bother them

 

[carbasaurus]

Hands down, money cowrie all the way. Look great, seem to liand my hermits never bother them

 

[chemicals]

Vermetid snails, they’ll easily get rid of all your coral in no time! All jokes aside, Trochus are definitely my favorite. Best allround algae eater!