snails or no snails

[salty joe]

Are snails that crawl on the glass worth getting? I plan on getting a fighting conch and was thinking about a bunch of nassarius, it seems like the nassarius stayed in the sand but it's been quite awhile since I had them.

Anyway, just looking for opinions on not using snails that crawl on the glass. I'm not absolutely against them but it is a drawback.

[AlSimmons]

Me personally I would pass on the the Nassarius snails and the Conch and just stir the sand up every now and then to keep it clean. (right before a water change) Use something like a Mag-Float to keep the glass clean and add some grazers like Trochus or Turbo snails to help with the algae on the rocks and the powerheads. After awhile though a CUC in any form is really not needed to keep the tank clean. Good husbandry and a little elbow grease is really all you need. Good luck!

[cody6766]

I disagree. Snails are great cleaners and useful in just about any tank. Snails won't replace good husbandry, but they do keep the tank in better shape. Nassarius snails are great for picking up the food the fish miss. Herbivore snails are great for cleaning the rock, and will 'clean' your glass too. They won't replace an algae scraper, so don't think I'm getting at that. They just eat on whatever surface they find themselves on.

I have nassarius, trochus, turbos a fighting conch in my tank.

[mcgyvr]

Are snails that crawl on the glass worth getting? I plan on getting a fighting conch and was thinking about a bunch of nassarius, it seems like the nassarius stayed in the sand but it's been quite awhile since I had them.

Anyway, just looking for opinions on not using snails that crawl on the glass. I'm not absolutely against them but it is a drawback.

well.. they crawl on more than just the glass.. they help keep other areas clean,etc...
but you can certainly get by without them if the sight of them potentially being on the glass is going to be a big negative for you for some reason..
They won't make the glass any dirtier just help to keep it clean..

I like diversity so I always recommend a mix of many critters in a tank.. algae eating snails, non-algae eating snails, urchins, starfish, cucumbers,etc...

[salty joe]

Yeah, you guys are right. The good they do outweighs the downside of seeing them on the glass.

[LobsterOfJustice]

I never really found that they do a good enough job that you can put it off scraping for a few more days. I think you will be scraping the glass just as often with or without. I didn’t do it on purpose but I just never got around to replenishing my CUC after moving and setting up my current tank and I don’t really miss them... kinda nice not having them on the glass.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rffanat1c]

My cleanup crew consists of 1 turbo snail in a 180G tank. I just find it cool...it really doesn't make a dent in anything. I had a conch in my 90...thing went dormant for like 3 days and would cruise around for 1/2 a day and go back into hiding for another 3, not worth it IMO.

[gogo7]

snails.... all sorts of species... except the ones that eat other snails. but get different species. different niches.

[fishnpups]

Definitely worth it, personally I love the snails, they have so many varieties and to me are super cute.

Margaritas are great, as well as, a few ceriths. My margaritas have lasted months through (slight neglect in the form of top offs) and the ceriths are great scavengers. Trochus are also great and hardy.

also, steer away from astreas since they cannot right themselves. So if one falls off the rock work while you're away and you're out a dollar or 2.

They will end up on your glass but it'll only be to clean. If they lay eggs on the glass too, algae scraper gets them right off. They're more good than anything. :)

[ZenGuitarGuy]

Yeah, snails are cool. I have trochus, cerith, nassarius, and bumblebees. Also a fighting conch. They do help keep things clean I feel, all over the place.

[Uncle99]

My snails are my best clean up crew next to me......
No crabs, no worms, no problems...

[EdgeN]

My cleanup crew consists of 1 turbo snail in a 180G tank. I just find it cool...it really doesn't make a dent in anything. I had a conch in my 90...thing went dormant for like 3 days and would cruise around for 1/2 a day and go back into hiding for another 3, not worth it IMO.

+1

I only have a few Trochus snails in both my standard 20 gallon tank and my 20 gallon long and things look great. Once I got through the "uglies" they really don't serve a purpose anymore, they're just there. I'm a much better janitor than they will ever be.
If you want to load your tank up with a bunch of pets though then by all means knock yourself out.

[goodman770]

Remember, the snails do more than just the glass. They do the tubes, the rock, etc...also, the conchs only do the sand, but I appreciate that too. I love how they mix things up.

[Rover88]

I have many glass cleaning snails, and you can tell where they've been from the trails they leave behind. Its not a replacement for me taking the scraper to the glass, but they are a valuable part of the tank.

[d0ughb0y]

snails are not glass cleaners, they only leave trails.
snails really stink when they die, so remove them promptly if they die before they foul up your tank water.

[HBtank]

Snails everywhere!

[HBtank]

snails are not glass cleaners, they only leave trails.
snails really stink when they die, so remove them promptly if they die before they foul up your tank water.

You have the wrong snails (for glass). I can never even get mine out overnight before my CUC eats them if they die.

[JohnnyHildo]

snails are great at controlling algae within reason but i have one mystery and a melanurus wrasse that just use them as escargot. i am basically testing scarlet hermits at the moment and they seem to be doing a great job.

[SereneAquatic]

Fwiw... Watching the snails on the glass is quite fun for me. The turbo snail is especially interesting because of how he 'walks' while eating.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Subsea]

For certain, I like snails. Not just because they are janitors. Snails that reproduce, feed tank live food that is nutritious with bacteria and enzymes. Just as in the human body, enzymes & bacteria perform biofiltration.

If you want longevity in your reef tank, I suggest biodiversity as a solution.