Best Snail to keep glass clean?

Stray32 · 12/12/2008, 08:47 AM

And how many for a 75 gallon tank?

Thanks!

Hungriee · 12/12/2008, 08:57 AM

They say its 1 snail for every 1.5-2gallons. im not sure the exact thumb of rule.

I keep mostly ceriths and astreas which do a great job keeping my glass and rocks clean. For the sandbed i have nassarius snails and ceriths which stir it up.

mfinn · 12/12/2008, 09:03 AM

Since snails usually wander around in a drunken pattern, they really aren't that good for keeping your aquarium glass clean.
Get a magnet cleaner.

Tswifty · 12/12/2008, 09:19 AM

epstein · 12/12/2008, 09:27 AM

the best snail is a razor......LOL...

notabun · 12/12/2008, 09:37 AM

Have to agree, when I first started I was thinking the CUC would take care of the glass if stocked correctly. Not the case. Stars, snails, etc randomly choose different paths and never seem to keep up with the glass algae.

Use a scraper on a handle so your hands stay dry. Extremely convenient and fast to clean the inside glass.

seapug · 12/12/2008, 09:43 AM

the magfloat type cleaners are the best, but in terms of snails, I'd say the Stomatellas are best. They're fast by snail standards and breed/multiply quickly in captivity.

kiknchikn · 12/12/2008, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by seapug
the magfloat type cleaners are the best, but in terms of snails, I'd say the Stomatellas are best. They're fast by snail standards and breed/multiply quickly in captivity.

I agree. They were my favorite cleanup cream member before my emerald crab killed them. I'm looking to get some more eventually.

texhorns98 · 12/12/2008, 09:51 AM

My buddy has astreas that keep his tank spotless (even his powerheads). He only uses his magfloat once a week, if that. My turbos don't seem to do much, but I've never been without them, so I don't know!

Stray32 · 12/12/2008, 09:52 AM

I have a swarm of stomatellas that get hungry when the lights go out - got a few as hitchhikers, now I have a few dozen!!!

I have been meaning to buy a Magfloat though, but from what I remember, they were pretty expensive and I could never justify paying that much. Perhaps its time to dive in.

Thanks guys.

Stray32 · 12/12/2008, 09:55 AM

Ok never mind, they are less than $20 at Petco haha. Not sure why I thought they were expensive. Looks like I have to make a run to my LFS today...oh darn!

reefs4ever2 · 12/12/2008, 01:00 PM

There pretty cheap. I have great success with mexican turbo grazors compared to any other ones. I found them at a steal from a new place called saltwaterdiscount.com or something like that. I seen a post on here and checked it out.

ser_renely · 12/12/2008, 07:02 PM

mag floats scratch my glass...no idea what I do wrong with em, but it happens.

beachbumva · 12/12/2008, 07:53 PM

my chestnut turbo snails seem to always be on the glass and returns and keep mine clean with only occasional use of my mag float, my asreas and trochus are also on the glass a lot but it seems the chestnuts spend more time there then the rest, never thought I would think a snail was fascinating but the banded trochus are even fun to watch as they tend to spin like a top and move extremely fast,

otrlynn · 12/12/2008, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ser_renely
mag floats scratch my glass...no idea what I do wrong with em, but it happens.

I know it's hard not to and I have a scratch on my glass to prove it, but try not to go all the way down to the sand with the magfloat. Grains of sand between the magfloat and the glass are what scratch. I don't know what everyone else does, but about once every two weeks, I manually go around the bottom perimeter of the tank with a razor blade scraper.

Bambalam · 12/12/2008, 10:33 PM

I have some pretty nasty scratches on my glass from sand getting between my MagFloats.
My glass looks best when I use a single-edge razor in a holder to clean it.

reefworm · 12/12/2008, 11:04 PM

ditto that a scraper or mag cleaner is more systematic than the snails. But I will say this for my ceriths - they get into places that are nearly impossible for me to reach with a cleaner.

singold · 12/12/2008, 11:10 PM

Astrea Snails, IMO. But like mentioned above you will end up needing a magnet glass cleaner eventually.

12/12/2008, 08:47 AM	#1
Stray32 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Castle Shannon (Pittsburgh) PA Posts: 897	Best Snail to keep glass clean? And how many for a 75 gallon tank? Thanks!

12/12/2008, 09:03 AM	#3
mfinn Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Olympia. WA. Posts: 8,648	Since snails usually wander around in a drunken pattern, they really aren't that good for keeping your aquarium glass clean. Get a magnet cleaner. __________________ 240 gallon soft coral tank 50 gallon lps tank

12/12/2008, 09:19 AM	#4
Tswifty Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: PA Posts: 14,022	__________________ "Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover

12/12/2008, 09:27 AM	#5
epstein Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NYC transplant now in CT Posts: 1,501	the best snail is a razor......LOL... __________________ I'd Rather be a failure at something I love , Than a sucess at something I hate . George Burns Current Tank Info: 150 DD Cube / 100 Gal Sump(basement) 30gal cube frag tank plumb Panworld 250ps return/ Reef Octopus SRO3000 Skimmer/ Bubble Magus Doser/Lumenmax reflector with 400 watt Radium bulb Ice Cap Ballast Apex Controller 2 MP40wes 2 gyre 150

12/12/2008, 09:43 AM	#7
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	the magfloat type cleaners are the best, but in terms of snails, I'd say the Stomatellas are best. They're fast by snail standards and breed/multiply quickly in captivity. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

12/12/2008, 08:57 AM	#2
Hungriee Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 165	They say its 1 snail for every 1.5-2gallons. im not sure the exact thumb of rule. I keep mostly ceriths and astreas which do a great job keeping my glass and rocks clean. For the sandbed i have nassarius snails and ceriths which stir it up.

12/12/2008, 09:37 AM	#6
notabun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: MI Posts: 131	Have to agree, when I first started I was thinking the CUC would take care of the glass if stocked correctly. Not the case. Stars, snails, etc randomly choose different paths and never seem to keep up with the glass algae. Use a scraper on a handle so your hands stay dry. Extremely convenient and fast to clean the inside glass.

12/12/2008, 09:51 AM	#9
texhorns98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 732	My buddy has astreas that keep his tank spotless (even his powerheads). He only uses his magfloat once a week, if that. My turbos don't seem to do much, but I've never been without them, so I don't know!

12/12/2008, 09:52 AM	#10
Stray32 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Castle Shannon (Pittsburgh) PA Posts: 897	I have a swarm of stomatellas that get hungry when the lights go out - got a few as hitchhikers, now I have a few dozen!!! I have been meaning to buy a Magfloat though, but from what I remember, they were pretty expensive and I could never justify paying that much. Perhaps its time to dive in. Thanks guys. __________________ Thanks, Jared Current Tank Info: 75 gal mixed reef, 30 Gal Frag Tank

12/12/2008, 09:55 AM	#11
Stray32 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Castle Shannon (Pittsburgh) PA Posts: 897	Ok never mind, they are less than $20 at Petco haha. Not sure why I thought they were expensive. Looks like I have to make a run to my LFS today...oh darn!

12/12/2008, 01:00 PM	#12
reefs4ever2 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: missouri Posts: 315	There pretty cheap. I have great success with mexican turbo grazors compared to any other ones. I found them at a steal from a new place called saltwaterdiscount.com or something like that. I seen a post on here and checked it out.

12/12/2008, 07:02 PM	#13
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	mag floats scratch my glass...no idea what I do wrong with em, but it happens. __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

12/12/2008, 07:53 PM	#14
beachbumva Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hampton, Va Posts: 104	my chestnut turbo snails seem to always be on the glass and returns and keep mine clean with only occasional use of my mag float, my asreas and trochus are also on the glass a lot but it seems the chestnuts spend more time there then the rest, never thought I would think a snail was fascinating but the banded trochus are even fun to watch as they tend to spin like a top and move extremely fast,

12/12/2008, 10:33 PM	#16
Bambalam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: OH Posts: 688	I have some pretty nasty scratches on my glass from sand getting between my MagFloats. My glass looks best when I use a single-edge razor in a holder to clean it.

12/12/2008, 11:04 PM	#17
reefworm Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Waxhaw, NC USA Posts: 2,139	ditto that a scraper or mag cleaner is more systematic than the snails. But I will say this for my ceriths - they get into places that are nearly impossible for me to reach with a cleaner. __________________ "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Thomas Jefferson Current Tank Info: 29 gal. reef/assist with 75 gal. at the school

12/12/2008, 11:10 PM	#18
singold Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Lake Saint Louis, Missouri Posts: 1,827	Astrea Snails, IMO. But like mentioned above you will end up needing a magnet glass cleaner eventually. __________________ "If there is no wind.....row." Current Tank Info: 75gal Reef w/29gal Refugium