framerguy
Well-Known Member
Invertebrates fascinate me. I've been doing a lot of research on them and would like to share it in a series of articles. I was going to start with echinoderms (starfish) but there has been a lot of questions lately about snails so I think I will start with them. The information given here has been gathered from may sources and from my personal experiences. Sources include: Marine reef aquarium handbook by Dr. Robert J. Goldstein, Marine invertebrates by Dr. Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D., The Reef Aquarium volume 3 by Delbeek and Sprung, liveaquaria.com, marinedepotlive.com, pacificeastaquaculture.com. The photos in this post are NOT mine. I will post three animals per volume.
Shelled snails belong to the Class Gastropoda (gastro-poda- stomach foot)
All use calcium to build their shells, so calcium levels in aquariums containing prosobranch (shelled) gastropods should be in the 380-450 range.
All invertebrates are extrmely sensitive to changes in water chemistry and must be acclimated very slowly. A drip line acclimation of a minimum two hours is critical for long life.
most of the sources agree that one to two snails per 3 to 5 gallons is sufficient. A variety of snails is better than one species to ensure all of the jobs they do get done.
For each snail listed I will give a Genus and common name, maximum size (Sz), minimum tank size (MTS), food and feeding (FF), Reef Compatibility (RC), and care notes.
Astraea tecta (astrea snail, conehead or astraea star snail)
sz:1"
MTS: 1gal
FF: wholly herbivorous
RC:good reef animals
astraeas are found in all seas on rubble zones and reef flats. Since they rarely are in an environment where they would be dislodged and land on their backs, they have not developed the ability to right themselves when overturned. It is up to the aquarist do perform this task. They roam the sand and rocks searching for diatoms and microalgae. Require lighting enough to sustain algae growth.
Nassarius Sp. ( nassarius snail)
Sz: 1/2"
MTS: 10 gal.
FF: Left over food and decaying organisms
RC: excellent reef animals, will not attack healthy animals
nassirius snails are found in all seas. They bury themselves in the sand to sleep and "pop out" when food is introduced to the tank. They are excellent for substrate oxygenation. Will not eat algae. I've read conflicting reports on their detritus feeding habits. They may or may not.
They have no lighting requirements.
Cerithium Sp. (Cerith snail)
Sz:less than 1"
MTS: 50 gal or larger
FF: Detritus, several types of algae, decaying organics, fish waste,
RC: among the best snails for the reef tank
Excellent reef snail. Will eat a wide variety of organic material. Will also plow through the sand searching for food which super oxygenates the substrate. Require lighting to sustain algae growth.
I hope you find this information helpful in choosing snails for your aquarium.
Shelled snails belong to the Class Gastropoda (gastro-poda- stomach foot)
All use calcium to build their shells, so calcium levels in aquariums containing prosobranch (shelled) gastropods should be in the 380-450 range.
All invertebrates are extrmely sensitive to changes in water chemistry and must be acclimated very slowly. A drip line acclimation of a minimum two hours is critical for long life.
most of the sources agree that one to two snails per 3 to 5 gallons is sufficient. A variety of snails is better than one species to ensure all of the jobs they do get done.
For each snail listed I will give a Genus and common name, maximum size (Sz), minimum tank size (MTS), food and feeding (FF), Reef Compatibility (RC), and care notes.
Astraea tecta (astrea snail, conehead or astraea star snail)
sz:1"
MTS: 1gal
FF: wholly herbivorous
RC:good reef animals
astraeas are found in all seas on rubble zones and reef flats. Since they rarely are in an environment where they would be dislodged and land on their backs, they have not developed the ability to right themselves when overturned. It is up to the aquarist do perform this task. They roam the sand and rocks searching for diatoms and microalgae. Require lighting enough to sustain algae growth.
Nassarius Sp. ( nassarius snail)
Sz: 1/2"
MTS: 10 gal.
FF: Left over food and decaying organisms
RC: excellent reef animals, will not attack healthy animals
nassirius snails are found in all seas. They bury themselves in the sand to sleep and "pop out" when food is introduced to the tank. They are excellent for substrate oxygenation. Will not eat algae. I've read conflicting reports on their detritus feeding habits. They may or may not.
They have no lighting requirements.
Cerithium Sp. (Cerith snail)
Sz:less than 1"
MTS: 50 gal or larger
FF: Detritus, several types of algae, decaying organics, fish waste,
RC: among the best snails for the reef tank
Excellent reef snail. Will eat a wide variety of organic material. Will also plow through the sand searching for food which super oxygenates the substrate. Require lighting to sustain algae growth.
I hope you find this information helpful in choosing snails for your aquarium.
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