


They will consume any organic waste leftover.They are able to clean and keep the sand well aerated by burying themselves in it. Nassarius snails are amazing sand sifters.Their delicate toned shells can be seen peeking out of the sand as they forage for food and stick out their elongated siphon for any smell of food.Īlthough Nassarius snails spend most of their time buried, they move rapidly around the aquarium waving the siphon, once they smell the food in the tank. Fighting Conch Snail – Detailed Guide: Care, Diet and Breedingĭon’t be fooled by the Nassarius snail’s relatively small size (they can barely reach 2 cm (~ 0.8 inches) as it is one of the most skilled and voracious scavengers.Conch snails are very difficult to breed within an aquarium.These snails prefer deep sand-beds in the aquarium.Because of their size, Conch snails do can knock over some freestanding corals. It is better to firmly secure rocks and corals.They will not climb to clean your front glass. Conch snails prefer to stay on the ground or burrowed.Their large appetite might require additional feeding.It is recommended to stick to one male Conch snail per aquarium unless you would be interested in finding out where their name comes from.They tend to enjoy voluminous bands of sand to feed in.Conch snails are big snails and require at least a 20-gallon (80-liter) tank.They will not start picking at your corals in the tank. Conch snails will aerate the substrate in your tank.They are great sand bed cleaners by feeding on algae and organic waste.Conch snails use their strong foot to “catapult” to right themselves.Despite some assumptions, they are completely unharmful to other aquatic life.They have a strikingly unique shell design and overall appearance.They can reach 7 – 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) in length. In addition, these snails can grow pretty big in saltwater tanks. Despite some of its appellation as a Fighting Conch snail, they will merge harmoniously into your tank’s environment as remarkable sand bed cleaners.Ĭonch snails have unique eyes that will watch the action around them. Every step you take, every move you make, they’ll be watching you. If the mesmerizing contour of the Conch snail’s shell doesn’t distract you, its curiously elongated mouth certainly will. Astrea Snail – Detailed Guide: Care, Diet, and Breeding.Do not expect them to clean your front glass. That is why they primarily stay on the substrate and rocks. These snails do not climb very well the bigger they get.

Therefore, they are likely to die if they fall into a rocky crevice or from a tank glass. Astrea snails are incapable of turning themselves over if they happen to flip onto their shell.They have some problems with eating very long strands of hair algae.They do require some time to accustom themselves to a new environment and water temperature.They have a protected underpart (operculum or trapdoor), which gives them some defense against crabs and fish.They are a great addition to reef aquariums. They are able to tolerate quite high temperatures of water.These snails will eat diatoms (a brown powdery like substance, it appears within a week or so after a saltwatertank finishes its cycle.).They are a great way to help keep hair algae outbreaks in control. Astrea snails are herbivores who will eat almost any type of algae.Their large appetite makes them efficient cleaners of detritus.Their size ranges from 1 – 6 cm (0.4 – 2.4 inches) with an average of 2 – 4 cm (0.8 – 1.6 inches). As long as it doesn’t flip over onto its shell, the herbivore Astrea snail is one of the best algae cleaners your tank can get. Native to the Caribbean, their textured beige shells give them the perfect camouflage as they rummage across the sand and rocks in your reef aquarium. In addition, I will provide some links to articles with deeper information into individual care. This article will help navigate you through the pros and cons of each snail species. Even though each snail will have a slightly different taste and scavenging expertise, their appetites will always lead them to any detritus or algae and help maintain your tank’s cleanliness nothing but in style.įinding the type of snail best suited to the particular ecosystem of your saltwater aquarium is crucial and these pros and cons can help guide you in your campaign to eliminate your algae issues.īelow is a list of the most popular saltwater aquarium snails. If you are looking to adorn your saltwater aquarium with some new aquatic life, saltwater snails are some of the most efficient algae cleaners you will encounter.
