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Corey Price 
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Joined: August 25 2004
Location: Farmington
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 Topic: Are Snails Needed?
Posted: October 07 2017 at 8:59pm |
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Are snails needed? Really needed? I think there is a time and place. However, let me explain why I think they aren't always needed.
I haven't added one in probably two years to our work tank. Most are dead or gone by now; I haven't seen one in a long time. However, I don't have the algae growing in the tank that would be food for a snail. I currently have a cyanobacteria outbreak but I think it's due to not changing my RO filters in a while. Other algae is pretty much nonexistent or taken care of my the three tangs I have.
So, my experience shows that maybe, in the right circumstances, they aren't needed. Thoughts? Some just plain wind up dead. Some seemingly live forever (think bumblebee snails) and some reproduce in our tanks.
As a sidenote, I don't believe I have a single hermit crab in the tank, either. I did have a conch for a while but it died recently and I'll replace the little thing when I get around to it.
Corey
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Adam Blundell
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Joined: June 24 2002
Location: Davis County
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Posted: October 08 2017 at 5:35pm |
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I haven't had any in probably 8 years in my tank. No chance with those wrasse in there.
Adam
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Mark Peterson
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Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
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Posted: October 09 2017 at 7:59am |
I agree. Old, mature tanks that house one or more herbivorous fish can hardly even support many snails. Your LR is practically covered every inch with coral, coralline algae, sponge and other reef organisms so there isn't much room for nuisance algae. A massive growth of Green Star Polyps covers the upper half of the back of the tank! Phosphate reducing media is also used. Parameters have been kept within range and the lights are the some of the best LED fixtures, designed to support coral while not supporting nuisance algae. That tank has always been fantastic. It is the major feature in your lobby and its awesomeness has spoiled your co-workers to anything less.
Aloha, Mark  |
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MadReefer
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Posted: October 13 2017 at 8:28pm |
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I think I should have only put a few crabs and a few snails in my 40 gallon. Many have died and I have just a few left. My shrimp are happy to eat them, but it also caused algae, I think. Things are looking better with fewer snails.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: October 13 2017 at 11:59pm |
Here is how I look at something like that. See if you agree. It can be difficult to find the right balance. Because each tank is different, it takes a lot of experience and skill to achieve that balance, especially in a new tank. Snails must have some algae to eat. They should not be added unless/until algae is starting to show and then the number added should be only as many as it takes to keep algae controlled. Sometimes just a couple snails at a time. They should be added in steps.
No matter how many snails, the glass is still going to need scraping. Snails don't do windows. 
When a snail dies it should be removed immediately, otherwise it has the opposite effect, adding nutrients that increase algae growth. Speaking of nutrients, the use of Phosphate removal media, either AA or GFO has become common, even in new tanks. This media inhibits and in some cases even stops algae growth, leaving nothing for Snails to eat.
Hermit Crabs, in my opinion today, are mostly needed only if uneaten food or detritus is building up or swirling around on the sand. They are definitely useful if hair algae has already become long like an Ugly Green Haired Mermaid.  |
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MadReefer
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Posted: October 14 2017 at 8:59am |
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I agree, Mark. I didn't read my tank right. I had some type of snail reproducing in the tank and I still had hair algae. It seems like the snails didn't touch the hair algae so I wanted to try a different type of snail. So I got some big turbos and a tang. The tang quickly ate all but one type of algae. The snails didn't eat much of it, either. Now I had more fish waste and more snails died, the algae bloomed again. Lucky, it is not spreading where good coralline is growing and it is easy to manually remove. I added flow in the display, I improved algae growth in the sump, and I added one tiny emerald crab to the display. Now it finally seems to be slowly disappearing.
It seems like snails and crabs are so cheap that the gas to the fish store costs more than you should spend at one time on them. And the cleaner packs seem like too many, unless you really let the tank go before getting any. It is easy to buy too many, only to watch them die and cause more problems.
By the way, I don't use phosphate remover. And I haven't been using a skimmer, but I just got a skimmer as a gift for my birthday. I might put the skimmer in today.
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phys
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Posted: October 16 2017 at 1:49am |
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I've always had luck buying a dozen or so (depending on your tank) and if they're living, add more, if they're dying, make sure it's nothing else and then don't add more if it's not another issue causing them to die.
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