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Snails

Gastropod mollusks--snails--probably are not very high on anyone’s wish list when thinking about animals to add to a new saltwater aquarium. Whoever said snails were exciting? Even so, after the first wave of film or filamentous algae appears, keepers are often diligently researching snails and doing some eleventh-hour clean-up crew shopping. Even the most meticulously maintained of aquaria will develop algae problems from time to time. The best way to confront these plagues is biologically. And the best biocontrols for benthic algae, arguably, is snails. But snails can do much more than just algae-eating to keep an aquarium clean. Over time, detritus may accumulate in areas of low flow. These settled particulates are of little nutritive value and so are ignored by most creatures. Even so, they support the growth of unwanted bacteria and serve as a store of excess phosphate. Eventually, these wastes can settle further and further into the aquarium substrate where they become increasingly difficult to remove through conventional means (siphoning, mechanical filtration, etc.); here, they can turn into a biological time bomb. That is, unless you have lots of detritivores. Certain snails (e.g. Nassarius) are the choice aquarium detritivores. These critters mop up settled organic wastes, including detritus. They are capable of reaching detritus both above and below the substrate surface. As they forage within the sand bed, they additionally help to oxygenate areas that have gone hypoxic due to the decaying organic matter therein. For sure, the ideal reef aquarium stocking plan features a variety of snail species that includes both herbivores and detritivores. In this section, you will learn which species (and number of specimens) is ideal for your particular clean-up crew.

10 Posts

Should I Add Snails to My Refugium?

If you guessed that a refugium is a wordplay on refuge and aquarium, you guessed right! A refugium is simply a tank for plant and
Read More about Should I Add Snails to My Refugium?

The Tank Booster Pack: Wholistic Reef Aquarium Balance

If AlgaeBarn is known for one thing, it is our focus on natural aquarium maintenance methods. Some of our products are designed to
Read More about The Tank Booster Pack: Wholistic Reef Aquarium Balance

Hard to Kill: Using Cerith Snails and Siphonaria Limpets

Nuisance algae is almost certain to emerge—at least to some extent—in all reef aquarium systems. Of course, the maintenance of good
Read More about Hard to Kill: Using Cerith Snails and Siphonaria Limpets

A large Conch in the ocean

3 Conchs for the Saltwater Aquarium

Conchs are definitely one of the more interesting mollusks that you can add to a saltwater tank. Depending on the type of conch you
Read More about 3 Conchs for the Saltwater Aquarium

Someone Holding a Cerith Snail

The Cerith Snail: A ‘Must-Have’ Cleaner

Most aquarists are already aware that snails eat algae. To be most correct, the majority of snail species are algivores. To be sure,
Read More about The Cerith Snail: A ‘Must-Have’ Cleaner

Limpets are incredible aquarium cleaners

Eliminating Algae with Siphonaria Limpets

In case you haven’t noticed, marine aquarium hobbyists have really upped their standards lately with respect to algal fouling. These
Read More about Eliminating Algae with Siphonaria Limpets

Starfish are a great Aquarium Cleaner

Saltwater Tank Cleaners

Utilizing saltwater creatures is one of the best ways to keep aquariums cleaner. Not only are you adding more interesting organisms,
Read More about Saltwater Tank Cleaners

Saltwater Nerite Snail Illustration

What snails do you really need?

Remember those early saltwater keeping days, when you didn’t know much about your clean up crew other than that they can help keep your
Read More about What snails do you really need?

A Marine Snail cleaning an Aquarium

All About Saltwater Snails

They are found in freshwater, saltwater, and on land; they are called snails! Hobbyists have found saltwater snails to be one of the
Read More about All About Saltwater Snails

The intricately patterned trochus snail

Utilizing the Trochus Snail (Trochus spp.)

Algae, of course, is not an inherently bad thing; without it, the natural world could not exist as we know it. However, there are many
Read More about Utilizing the Trochus Snail (Trochus spp.)

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