Despite their nickname, Fighting Conch, they are very peaceful. They also have a poky tail, although it is rarely seen. They have two long eye stocks with large eyes at the ends and a long trunk for a mouth.
Conch SnailsĬonch Snails are certainly one of the most interesting snails appearance-wise. Aside from not being able to flip themselves over, they are generally hardier than other types of snails. In terms of hair algae eating snails, they are one of the best. Like the Trochus Snail, Astrea Snails can handle warmer waters. They will also eat film algae, diatoms, and Cyano. Unlike Trochus Snails, they favor hair algae. They are fully reef safe and overall a good addition to a cleanup crew. Astrea Snails are native to the Caribean. Just like the Turbo Snail, this may be a major nuisance. The main difference is that they are unable to flip themselves over. Astrea SnailsĪstrea Snails look very similar to Trochus Snails but are not the same.
Turbo Snails are effective, but not efficient. This defect also makes them easy targets for hermit crabs and wrasses. When they all of the rock or glass and land on the back of their shell, they will die if they are not flipped over. This would not be an issue if they did not fall as much as they do. The other, most annoying issue, is that they can not flip themselves over. For some hobbyists, this is not a major issue, but others may not think it is worth it. This means they may accidentally knock over unstable rocks or corals frags with their shell while mowing around. They will clean all areas of the tank, including the rock structures. While these are great, hard-working snails, they have some downsides. These snails are especially known for eating hair algae, but they will eat other kinds as well. As their name says, they come from the Gulf of California in Mexico. Turbo Snails are another hungry snails that can clean the glass and rock. They work well with Cerith Snails as Trochus Snails will stay above the sand line when cleaning glass, while Cerith Snails will clean the rest of what they missed. They can withstand hotter temperatures too, which is great for tanks in warmer areas. Also, Trochus Snails are hardy and live longer than other snails. This will allow them to live longer, saving you money. In addition to that, they are able to flip themselves over after falling off a rock or the tank’s glass. They will graze on green algae, slime algae, diatoms, filamentous algae, and cyanobacteria. First, they are great algae eaters with large appetites. These snails are one of the best options for snails for many reasons. They are widely collected in the wild but are also being captive-bred. Trochus Snails come from the Indo-Pacific region. The snails I will discuss in this article are the Trochus Snail, Cerith Snails, Mexican Turbo Snails, Astrea Snails, Conch Snails, and more. They are peaceful towards each other and will often work together to clean all areas of your tank. This is what makes snails one of the best reef cleanup crew members. Some snails stay strictly in the sand, while others will go anywhere in the tank. There are many different types of saltwater snails and they all can work in different situations. Snails are generally very hardy, but copper will have negative effects on them. Invertebrates, including snails, all share the common attribute of being sensitive to copper-based medications. As with most living things in this hobby, captive-bred or aquacultured is the preferable choice. It also decreases the chance of unwanted hitchhikers coming with the snails into an aquarium. This allows for the wild populations to remain stable. Although many are collected by divers from these oceans, they are also being captive bred. Saltwater snails can be found in almost every ocean around the world. They have shells to protect them from predators and they all have a similar slug appearance. Along with having diverse variety and excellent algae eating abilities, it is also interesting to watch snails crawl over the rocks or on the grass as they graze on that nuisance algae. For this reason, It is not surprising that they are one of the most popular cleanup crew organisms. There is a saltwater snail for almost every kind of algae.
They are found in freshwater, saltwater, and on land they are called snails! Hobbyists have found saltwater snails to be one of the best critters for reef aquarium algae control.