Best snails

[Ryan7]

Interested to know which snails reefers find have the best combination of algae eating ability, reef safeness and hardiness.

 

[Anonymous]

i voted other, for algae i like the trochus snails. hardy, and they
will spend alot of time on the glass. i took all my turbo's out. they
get so big they were knocking over some corals.
i have some nassarius and bumble bee snails too, very hardy
but i think they are more detritus eaters than algae eaters.

 

[Anonymous]

forgot red foot moon snails. coolest looking snail, but
i believe they need cooler water temps, i tried them twice and
they did well for a while, but when summer rolled around and
my tank warmed up they disappeared.

 

[smlacy]

I'm gonna have to vote for turbo -- I just added a couple of these to my tank this weekend. I've got quite a growth of hair algea (just after cycling), and they're doing a great job.

Within 10 minutes, these guys had completely cleared visible areas on the rock. Other snails added were not nearly as industrious or thourough.

The one downside is that they'll knock stuff around. Buggers.

Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Strombus snails. I got them from www.ipsf.com They stay small, about 1/2" long, they're super hardy, and they breed like mad. I added three to my CYCLING 12 gallon tank by simply dropping them in from a different tank with no acclimation, and 3 days later there are egg cases on the glass. The babies survive too, so eventually you get just enough snails to eat all the available algae. I'm not quite sure exactly what algae they're eating. They definitely eat bryopsis, and they mostly stay on the glass.

 

[Len]

Tough call! I find that I can never get good algae reduction with just one species, so I always mix and match. I really can't say which is best. Which reminds me, it's about time I get a few more snails .....

 

[Anonymous]

Another vote for Strombus maculatus snails, I got mine from IPSF.com too, best livestock investment I ever made.

They are the snail that keeps on giving!!

 

[Anonymous]

I'm a big fan of trochus and nassarius snails myself, and I think Len has an excellent point...mixing and matching seems like a very wise idea.

Chris

 

[danmhippo]

Problem with strombus for me is they multiply in large quantities and often end up in the circulation systems clogging up return pipe diffuser holes.

Once I was enjoying my time in front of the tank. I heard clucking noise from the return pump and large debris that looked like snail shell came shoot out of the pipe. Not sure what kind of snail it originally were, but the propeller was later examined and found chips on one of the blade.

I know I could install screens infront of the pump inlet, but that would reduce the water flow and need constant cleaning. PITA.

Generally, I prefer snails that stays faily large.

 

[danmhippo]

I have a chevron tang to do the work of the snails, and I'd prefer the chevron instead of a bunch of small snails.

 

[pr0teus]

i've got a black periwinkle that came in off some liverock. it looks neat and eats just about any algae it comes across on the glass.

 

[ElMonoCalvo]

I went with the Margaritas because I've had the most luck keeping these guys alive and they clean all over the LR and the glass. Passed on the Turbos even though they keep the tank the cleanest, they have a tendency to knock stuff over and I have trouble keeping them alive.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

I use combination of snails; more species is better (except the harmful ones of course).
Minh

 

[Anonymous]

Stomatella varia snails are also very nice and hardy. Mine hitched on LR, but you can buy them as well. Very pretty, IMO>

 

[smlacy]

Does anyone out there have a "Visual Snail Identifier"?

I've found that I can't remember what the difference is between a Strobus and a Stomatella, or a Nerite and a Nessarius...

(Yes, I've read the Hitchikers FAQ, and they don't go into nearly enough detail)

 

[Anonymous]

Turbos are great grazers, but get too large. Astreas seem to be the best midsize grazers.

 

[Anonymous]

But, turbos are about the only ones that can be counted on to eat anything other than a film. And maybe conchs.

 

[Anonymous]

In my tank I have gotten the best performance out of my turbos. I also keep Ceriths and Nassarius to assist. The Ceriths only seem to be active at night and the Nass are primarily scavengers from what I remember.

 

[neenish]

Tiger Trochus snails (from IPSF and JustPhish) are the best snails I've used. They motor about on the glass, rocks, sand and they right themselves if they tip over.

 

[Jolieve]

Conchs, from what I have seen tend to eat the more filmy stuff. My conchs don't touch hair or other macroalgae. My ceriths do an okay job at mowing down most things, but for hair algae and diatoms (and these snails weren't listed in the poll) I have to vote hands down for my nerite snails. The problem with nerite snails is that some species are intertidal, so you have to watch for the right sort.

I have nassarius for detrius and a couple of bumble bees. Bumble bees are extremely slow compared to the others, and in my mind, make a horrible cleaner. But... I think they are cute, so if you like how they look, get a handful. Don't count them as part of your clean-up crew though.