Best type(s) of snails for controlling algae on sides of tank?

roper512 · 08/16/2006, 09:50 PM

I have a few different kinds of snails currently in my tank.. Mexican Turbo, large cerith, normal cerith, large nassarius and small nassarius... unfortunately the turbos seem to spend more time on the rocks.. my sandbed and rocks are really clean but the walls of the tank are starting to show nasty bits of algae..

I'm trying to find tiger trochus but they seem to be out most everywhere..

any ideas? Thanks

scooterbundy · 08/16/2006, 10:03 PM

I have about 100 in my tank. All different sizes and colors. Must have came with the live rock or corals I ordered, because I didn't see any for several months, then all of a sudden bang! They multiple like crazy and are nocturnal. They have a soft shell and I actually didn't know what they were till someone else identified them for me. If you could get some of them they love the glass and several end up in my sump.

ACBlinky · 08/16/2006, 10:17 PM

Stomatella snails are great, trochus do a fantastic job as well, but IMHO nothing beats a MagFloat. Snails are always going to leave something behind, but an algae magnet gets everything.

s2k · 08/17/2006, 12:05 PM

mag float are good. astreas snails are good..kind of a poor man's trochus. they seem to spend alot of time of the glass.
only bad thing about them is that they cant upright themselves.

Travis L. Stevens · 08/17/2006, 12:43 PM

A good mixture of Astrea Snails and Stomatella Snails do a fine job.

Amphiprion · 08/17/2006, 12:47 PM

agreed. Stomatella sp. also have the advantage of easily and regularly reproducing = free algae eating snails.

Whisperer · 08/17/2006, 01:11 PM

agree with mag floats, hermits don't bother them.

jeffbrig · 08/17/2006, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by s2k
astreas snails are good.. only bad thing about them is that they cant upright themselves.

That depends entirely on your substrate.

One of these days I'm going to make a video of an astrea righting itself....

Sk8r · 08/17/2006, 02:25 PM

Margaritas tend to travel the glass.

LittlePuff · 08/17/2006, 03:23 PM

Astreas.

davocean · 08/17/2006, 05:16 PM

I have mostly asteas and ceriths.
Started with turbo's, but got tired of righting them everyday.
Haven't had to do that much with my astreas.
Careful with magfloats, one piece of sand and your acryilic tank will scratch.

Ciarán · 08/17/2006, 05:43 PM

Quote:

walls of the tank are starting to show nasty bits of algae..

Tried elbow grease from time to time? Works well for me

My trochus snails seem to love rocks whereas its my astreas that do the glass cleaning, along with my arms!

GobyJohnKenobi · 08/17/2006, 09:40 PM

My Astreas do a great job of keeping the glass clean, the powerheads clean, the skimmer output clean....etc.
And Astreas are all I have.

I've never had any problem with them uprighting themselves after falling on the sand...usually when I unknowingly move the Magfloat with one of them on top of it.

Yeah..they even clean that, too.

spence15610 · 08/17/2006, 10:16 PM

Mag float & Astreas

08/16/2006, 09:50 PM	#1
roper512 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Detroit suburbs Posts: 393	Best type(s) of snails for controlling algae on sides of tank? I have a few different kinds of snails currently in my tank.. Mexican Turbo, large cerith, normal cerith, large nassarius and small nassarius... unfortunately the turbos seem to spend more time on the rocks.. my sandbed and rocks are really clean but the walls of the tank are starting to show nasty bits of algae.. I'm trying to find tiger trochus but they seem to be out most everywhere.. any ideas? Thanks

08/16/2006, 10:03 PM	#2
scooterbundy Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bensalem Pennsylvania Posts: 31	Stomata snails I have about 100 in my tank. All different sizes and colors. Must have came with the live rock or corals I ordered, because I didn't see any for several months, then all of a sudden bang! They multiple like crazy and are nocturnal. They have a soft shell and I actually didn't know what they were till someone else identified them for me. If you could get some of them they love the glass and several end up in my sump.

08/16/2006, 10:17 PM	#3
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	Stomatella snails are great, trochus do a fantastic job as well, but IMHO nothing beats a MagFloat. Snails are always going to leave something behind, but an algae magnet gets everything. __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

08/17/2006, 12:05 PM	#4
s2k Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sgv Posts: 2,520	mag float are good. astreas snails are good..kind of a poor man's trochus. they seem to spend alot of time of the glass. only bad thing about them is that they cant upright themselves. __________________ #1 Rule: Curse is real... Passion comes and go, but destiny will define your love!!!

08/17/2006, 12:43 PM	#5
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	A good mixture of Astrea Snails and Stomatella Snails do a fine job. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

08/17/2006, 12:47 PM	#6
Amphiprion Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mobile, AL Posts: 6,611	agreed. Stomatella sp. also have the advantage of easily and regularly reproducing = free algae eating snails. __________________ You've done it now, haven't you? Current Tank Info: 40g breeder patch reef w/ seagrass; 2-250w XM 10K; Vortech MP40wES & MP10wES; BM Curve 7 skimmer; carbon & occasional GFO

08/17/2006, 01:11 PM	#7
Whisperer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Punta Gorda, FL Posts: 4,020	agree with mag floats, hermits don't bother them. __________________ The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. --------- No one is born with intellect and age guarantees wisdom to no one. Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 30G sump, 10G QT tank

08/17/2006, 02:25 PM	#9
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Margaritas tend to travel the glass. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/17/2006, 03:23 PM	#10
LittlePuff Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Peoria,IL Posts: 685	Astreas. __________________ 90gal FOWLR (planning) 55gal FOWLR

08/17/2006, 05:16 PM	#11
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	I have mostly asteas and ceriths. Started with turbo's, but got tired of righting them everyday. Haven't had to do that much with my astreas. Careful with magfloats, one piece of sand and your acryilic tank will scratch. __________________ 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

08/17/2006, 09:40 PM	#13
GobyJohnKenobi Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Atlanta Posts: 413	My Astreas do a great job of keeping the glass clean, the powerheads clean, the skimmer output clean....etc. And Astreas are all I have. I've never had any problem with them uprighting themselves after falling on the sand...usually when I unknowingly move the Magfloat with one of them on top of it. Yeah..they even clean that, too.

08/17/2006, 10:16 PM	#14
spence15610 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 201	Mag float & Astreas