enough snails for DSB?

[billford]

hi guys i have 125g with 4in DSB do i i have enough snails to keep it stirred upand working?20 narssus 10 astrea 10 turbo do i need any other critters?

[demonsp]

Turbos do nothing but knock stuff over. If this is a new setup then you have to many. THe nass are good but add like 5 at a time . You would be much better with good flow and a goby.

[jamest0o0]

I have 30 nessarius in my 55 and then a few glass cleaners.... (sand bed needed heavy cleaning)... anyway I love them aand everything has been going great with my new CUC and yes turbos jsut knock stuff over, not worth it imo

[demonsp]

30 in a 55 is to many.

[jamest0o0]

how many would you suggest?

[billford]

i have corner-flo on bothsides should i point the nozzles downward

[Packersfan21]

Turbos are some of the best algae grazers but fall alot

[stuccodude]

i agree with demonsp, get a goby, things are stirred up for a couple days but they are some of the coolest, harding working fish ive seen

[jdieck]

Contrary to some coments 20 regular nassarius are not really too many. Having said that if they were the larger Super Tongan then 10 will be enough.
I agree that mexican turbos are a very good addition and if they bump things around it is just an indication that things are not properly secured snails or no snails. Two turbos on a 125 are enough as they need a lot of grazzing space, you may need to attach some nori to a rock for them to feed on (use rubber bands to do so.
Finally I would say that astras are very commonly sold but are one of my least favored ones due to their inability to turn over and the easy way they tend to fall upside down. To make things a bit more difficult they never really acclimate as they come form colder waters.
Instead of astras my number one favorites are real Trochus snails (Black footed ones. They live a lot longer, are more active than astras and under most circumstances they can upright themselves. Be aware as many places sell Astreas as Trochus but they are easy to diferentiate, the trochus has a black foot surface while the astreas are light grey to tan colored.

[demonsp]

20 in a 2 month tank isnt a good idea.

[jamest0o0]

what are some negatives that can happen because of this?

[HammerDude33]

nassarius snails, in my experience eat uneaten food missed by fish and corals. they say they are detrius grazers, but i have never actually witnessed them eating fish poop.

jamest0o0- i have a feeling those nassarius snails are starving, unless you are target feeding them.
i have 10 in my 200 gallon display, and i'm thinking about getting rid of 5 since the sand bed is spotless, and they come out when i feed my corals and rob them of their dinner. i think my 10 are starving to some degree.
i have a tigertail cucumber that has a heck of a time finding food. this is what i'm guaging the sand bed nutrients on.....that...and the visual aspects of it.

[jamest0o0]

thank you.... I noticed they are crazy san bed cleaners.... and since I only have a pair of clowns atm.... when I feed them frozen food the rest of it that the clowns dont eat i squirt into the corner for the nessarius' to eat and they gobble it up pretty fast... is there any problems in doing this?

[HammerDude33]

na. as long as you don't mind keeping all those snails, i don't see a problem with it.

[jamest0o0]

alright thanks.... I'll probably get rid of some of them how many would you suggest for a 55?

[HammerDude33]

i think 5 is more than enough, but it's all up to your personal preference, and what you are willing to have in your tank.
i personally think snails add to the bioload some. have you ever seen an astrea poop?
i just want things in my tank that i like to look at. snails aren't among them.

[jamest0o0]

nessarius I think are pretty interesting little critters.... and atm I have no problem feeding them since I always have so much left over when I thaw a cube of brine or w.e it may be...