Can I run a reef without snails?

droog · 11/09/2017, 07:39 PM

Hi,

I've always had snails in my CUC. Unfortunately the only snails I'm able to buy where I live are the "turban" variety. They do OK at clean-up but tend to reproduce a lot, and when they die/fall over my sandbed gets littered with old shells and shell pieces which can get ugly quite quickly.

Are there other good options for CUC I could consider? My new build is a 120g clown harem. Tank has just finished cycling but I used dry rock and sand to start, so the CUC will need to be introduced gradually so they don't starve.

-droog

RobZilla04 · 11/09/2017, 08:06 PM

Absolutely you can skip snails.

rocsec1 · 11/09/2017, 09:08 PM

Yes you can and if you the wrong fish you might have a choice in the matter

davocean · 11/09/2017, 09:10 PM

You can go w/out though of course a CUC is usually beneficial, perhaps your tank is still new enough it does not need so much or sustain them on tank waste alone.

I would also consider reefcleaners dot org or a similar online supplier.

droog · 11/09/2017, 11:07 PM

I'm based in Shanghai, so the US online suppliers don't work for me unfortunately. The hobby is quite niche here which means few online suppliers. I can find sand sifting stars, but they won't clean rocks.

Maybe a sand-sifting goby and tailspot blenny would work for now.

What workers do non-snail employers like to use?

-droog

droog · 11/09/2017, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocsec1

Yes you can and if you the wrong fish you might have a choice in the matter

Thanks... I'm not sure what you mean here

DasCamel · 11/10/2017, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by droog

Thanks... I'm not sure what you mean here

Some things eat snails.

rocsec1 · 11/10/2017, 06:01 AM

Yes some fish will eat the snails. So will crabs.

Subsea · 11/10/2017, 06:12 AM

Hermits eat snails.

Frog,
Before you add fish, introduce pods to your system. They are excellent part of CUC. A serpent star would be a good omnivore component to clean up crew, eating food missed by Clowns. Allow pods to become mature populations before introducing fish. Also add any other invertebrates during the time you are allowing pop densities to increases.

Located in Singapore. How far from tidepools? You could collect your own janitors. Pods love hiding under rocks. Go get you some.

der_wille_zur_macht · 11/10/2017, 08:27 AM

I've slowly reduced my dependence on snails, although I do still keep them.

I like an emerald crab for algae on rocks. Hermit crabs for general detritus and uneaten food. Something to move the sand around (usually a shrimp goby or similar) to keep the sand looking fresh. That's about it, nature takes care of the rest (pods, fan worms, etc).

That only really leaves the glass unclean, and IME snails are way over-rated at cleaning glass. They just leave random paths across the glass, and you have to clean it yourself anyways.

I like having snails, but more for diversity and visual interest than anything else. Also, they make a really great live food source for a pistol shrimp - especially the tiny cheap snails places like reefcleaners sell. If I start with the snail population they recommend in a tank with a pistol, I find I need to restock after maybe a year or two.

Timfish · 11/10/2017, 08:56 AM

I avoid snails. Urchins actually scour the "holdfast" algae uses to attach to substrates making it much harder for it to grow back. My preffered choices are Royal and Tuxedo.

FarmerTy · 11/10/2017, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timfish

I avoid snails. Urchins actually scour the "holdfast" algae uses to attach to substrates making it much harder for it to grow back. My preffered choices are Royal and Tuxedo.

I agree with Timfish, my preferred cleaner are my tuxedo urchins. The only snails I keep are conchs for the sandbed.

That one urchin cleared out half the overflow and return valves in one day. And followed on to clear the right side the next day. I don't see snails doing that much work in a day.

droog · 11/11/2017, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timfish

I avoid snails. Urchins actually scour the "holdfast" algae uses to attach to substrates making it much harder for it to grow back. My preffered choices are Royal and Tuxedo.

Good point. I had a longspine urchin in my last system for a while... interesting critter but a bit too much of a sledgehammer. He ate my Coralline algae which was kind of OK, given that it was all over the tank, but the white tracks all over the tank looked wierd! He was returned to the LFS for credit.

Sound like Tuxedo's are more well behaved. I'll try that if it becomes necessary. By Royal you mean Royal Gramma?

-droog

sde1500 · 11/11/2017, 07:56 AM

My tank no longer has any snails I've physically added to it. I know some hitchhiker snails exist and have bred but the ones I added never seemed to do much real work.

Haunt · 11/11/2017, 08:13 PM

Manual labor in the form of elbow grease and hooking up a RO/DI unit can only go so far IME. Some snails do seem to fill in the gaps so to say. They're definitely not a cure, but they do serve a purpose. I would much rather give them a chance first before I do something drastic. JMO, GL.

On a side note; if you want a pet then their you go... They come in lots of forms...

droog · 11/11/2017, 10:04 PM

Well... I went to the LFS and didn't get a single snail. Or crab...

I found this guy... not sure how much it will clean up much but he's cute as a button!

Can anyone tell me what this is. It doesn't seem to match any of the sea stars I can see online.

-droog

11/09/2017, 07:39 PM	#1
droog Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 736	Can I run a reef without snails? Hi, I've always had snails in my CUC. Unfortunately the only snails I'm able to buy where I live are the "turban" variety. They do OK at clean-up but tend to reproduce a lot, and when they die/fall over my sandbed gets littered with old shells and shell pieces which can get ugly quite quickly. Are there other good options for CUC I could consider? My new build is a 120g clown harem. Tank has just finished cycling but I used dry rock and sand to start, so the CUC will need to be introduced gradually so they don't starve. -droog

11/09/2017, 08:06 PM	#2
RobZilla04 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: St. Augustine, FL Posts: 1,857	Absolutely you can skip snails. __________________ 90g Mixed Reef

11/09/2017, 09:10 PM	#4
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	You can go w/out though of course a CUC is usually beneficial, perhaps your tank is still new enough it does not need so much or sustain them on tank waste alone. I would also consider reefcleaners dot org or a similar online supplier. __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

11/10/2017, 06:12 AM	#9
Subsea Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Austin, Tx Posts: 1,882	Hermits eat snails. Frog, Before you add fish, introduce pods to your system. They are excellent part of CUC. A serpent star would be a good omnivore component to clean up crew, eating food missed by Clowns. Allow pods to become mature populations before introducing fish. Also add any other invertebrates during the time you are allowing pop densities to increases. Located in Singapore. How far from tidepools? You could collect your own janitors. Pods love hiding under rocks. Go get you some. __________________ Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout

11/10/2017, 08:27 AM	#10
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	I've slowly reduced my dependence on snails, although I do still keep them. I like an emerald crab for algae on rocks. Hermit crabs for general detritus and uneaten food. Something to move the sand around (usually a shrimp goby or similar) to keep the sand looking fresh. That's about it, nature takes care of the rest (pods, fan worms, etc). That only really leaves the glass unclean, and IME snails are way over-rated at cleaning glass. They just leave random paths across the glass, and you have to clean it yourself anyways. I like having snails, but more for diversity and visual interest than anything else. Also, they make a really great live food source for a pistol shrimp - especially the tiny cheap snails places like reefcleaners sell. If I start with the snail population they recommend in a tank with a pistol, I find I need to restock after maybe a year or two. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

11/09/2017, 09:08 PM	#3
rocsec1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Medina oh Posts: 1,782	Yes you can and if you the wrong fish you might have a choice in the matter

11/09/2017, 11:07 PM	#5
droog Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 736	I'm based in Shanghai, so the US online suppliers don't work for me unfortunately. The hobby is quite niche here which means few online suppliers. I can find sand sifting stars, but they won't clean rocks. Maybe a sand-sifting goby and tailspot blenny would work for now. What workers do non-snail employers like to use? -droog

11/10/2017, 06:01 AM	#8
rocsec1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Medina oh Posts: 1,782	Yes some fish will eat the snails. So will crabs.

11/10/2017, 08:56 AM	#11
Timfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,985	I avoid snails. Urchins actually scour the "holdfast" algae uses to attach to substrates making it much harder for it to grow back. My preffered choices are Royal and Tuxedo. __________________ "Our crystal clear aquaria come nowhere close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs" Charles Delbeek

11/11/2017, 07:56 AM	#14
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	My tank no longer has any snails I've physically added to it. I know some hitchhiker snails exist and have bred but the ones I added never seemed to do much real work. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.

11/11/2017, 08:13 PM	#15
Haunt Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 109	Manual labor in the form of elbow grease and hooking up a RO/DI unit can only go so far IME. Some snails do seem to fill in the gaps so to say. They're definitely not a cure, but they do serve a purpose. I would much rather give them a chance first before I do something drastic. JMO, GL. On a side note; if you want a pet then their you go... They come in lots of forms... __________________ "Your off the edge of the map mate. Here there be monsters..."

11/11/2017, 10:04 PM	#16
droog Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 736	Well... I went to the LFS and didn't get a single snail. Or crab... I found this guy... not sure how much it will clean up much but he's cute as a button! Can anyone tell me what this is. It doesn't seem to match any of the sea stars I can see online. -droog