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View Full Version : Turbo snail too big for 20 long?


d1greenfish
06/13/2011, 12:39 PM
Asked this in the nano tank forum, but figured there's more traffic here. I was wondering if a turbo snail would be too big or problematic for a 20 gallon tank? Thanks.

Toddrtrex
06/13/2011, 12:48 PM
I wouldn't do it -- they just consume/need too much algae. I have one, and only one, in my 75; it is currently about the size of a golf ball.

cloak
06/13/2011, 01:01 PM
I don't think you'll have a problem. They can be a bulldozer when it comes to knocking corals over but there's a remedy for that. A little epoxy.

briankmarsh1980
06/13/2011, 01:10 PM
if it has enough food it would be fine.
I had a GHA problem last year and I got a large turbo, it cleaned up all the algae and then a couple months later it died from no food

cside
06/13/2011, 01:53 PM
if it has enough food it would be fine.
I had a GHA problem last year and I got a large turbo, it cleaned up all the algae and then a couple months later it died from no food

i have two in my 29g. they took care of my bryopsis and gha. can i feed them nori?

halcyonism
06/13/2011, 02:04 PM
i have two in my 29g. they took care of my bryopsis and gha. can i feed them nori?

Certainly, I feed my turbos and hermits nori every other week or so.

TeePee
06/13/2011, 04:24 PM
Certainly, I feed my turbos and hermits nori every other week or so.

How exactly do you feed a snail?

aleonn
06/13/2011, 04:48 PM
Turbos get rather large for that setup. Trochus, astrea, or nerite snails also are herbivorous and don't get too big in maximum size.

briankmarsh1980
06/13/2011, 07:25 PM
i have two in my 29g. they took care of my bryopsis and gha. can i feed them nori?
You can put the turbo on a piece of seaweed.

jeanietn
06/13/2011, 10:24 PM
What is nori? I bought 3 trubo snails for my 55 gal tank. The problem I have is knocking my clams off the rocks. They are very good cleaners---I don't want them to starve. Thank you in advance for you help. Jeanie

briankmarsh1980
06/13/2011, 11:44 PM
Nori is the dried seaweed for like tangs

Phsycodelic81
06/14/2011, 12:01 AM
2nd you can feed them seaweed

kikimers13
06/14/2011, 12:08 AM
I personally have chosen to not have them in my 29 gallon just because they're large and bulldozers. I had two of them for a while but they died pretty quickly once they had eaten all the algae. Then I chose to get nassarius snails instead and they haven't died, and I usually don't notice them in the tank whereas I didn't like the way the turbos stood out. Thats just my opinion though. But as others said you can supplement with seaweed on clips and they shouldn't die.

Captainfester
06/14/2011, 06:34 AM
if they die, and no other cuc eats them quickly they can cause a decent ammonia spike. for the 2 bucks throw one in and just keep an eye on him everyday.

halcyonism
06/14/2011, 09:58 AM
How exactly do you feed a snail?

Purchase a tarp clip from Lowes for $2, tie some fishing line to it, clip on some nori and drop it to the bottom of your tank. Snails, hermits and shrimp flock to it. When all the nori is gone just pull the clip up with the fishing line.

briankmarsh1980
06/14/2011, 12:48 PM
if they die, and no other cuc eats them quickly they can cause a decent ammonia spike. for the 2 bucks throw one in and just keep an eye on him everyday.
if your tank is old enough that wont effect anything.

Toddrtrex
06/14/2011, 12:57 PM
if your tank is old enough that wont effect anything.

Age of the tank will have nothing to do with it. The bacterial carrying capacity of the tank is what will determine if there will be an ammonia spike or not. A small tank (( which a 20 gallon is )) that has very little live stock/bio-load might not have the bacteria population to handle a large turbo snail dying.

briankmarsh1980
06/14/2011, 01:27 PM
Age of the tank will have nothing to do with it. The bacterial carrying capacity of the tank is what will determine if there will be an ammonia spike or not. A small tank (( which a 20 gallon is )) that has very little live stock/bio-load might not have the bacteria population to handle a large turbo snail dying.
well I have a very mature 10 g with usually no live stock in it, it does have a deep sand bed and i have thrown dieing snails in there and doesn't effect a thing....... so i have to disagree only because I have seen it

Toddrtrex
06/14/2011, 01:29 PM
well have have a very mature 10 g with usually no live stock in it it does have a deep sand bed and i have thrown dieing snails in there and doesn't effect a thing....... so i have to disagree only because I have seen it

That is fine and good, but still doesn't change things. The age of the tank has nothing to do with it, if there isn't enough bacteria to process the ammonia, there will be a spike.