Snails as part of a cleanup crew

Hi, First let me say that if I am posting this in the wrong section please feel free to move it, I looked to where I should post it but didn't see an area for it.

I am researching what I will need for a clean up crew to put in my tank in about a month and a LFS owner told me that he doesn't recommend snails as a beneficial part of it due to when snails die off (especially turbo snail) they are hard to find and cause more havoc in your aquarium then not having them at all.

What is your opinion with this!!!

 

I think what the LFS told you is rubbish. I'm guessing that LFS doesn't sell snails

When a snail dies, the other snails eat it. There is no havoc, IMO.

There are people that go the no snail route, so it is possible. I have around 180 in my 55 gallon (plus about 15 hermits). Mostly dwarf Ceriths that live in the substrate during the day and come out at night. But also a large mix of other snails. Variety is key.

EDIT: You can move it yourself, BTW, by clicking under thread tools. I would put this in the Inverts section.

 

how big is your tank? ... If you have something like a cleaner shrimp or other "meat eating" scavengers, Im sure that part of your cleanup clew will take care of the snail by eating it if you cant get to it or don't find it. My cleaner just ate my cerith snail that was dead.

 

Inverts

 

180? wow that's allot of snails!!

I agree with Peredhil, snails do a good job of cleaning up unwanted algae. I have about 10 in my 55 and I have never had a problem, a few have died but my peppermint shrimp clean out the shell within 2 days.Not sure why your LFS told you that.
IMO they are beneficial and a good addition to any clean up crew.

 

I love the turbo snails. They do a good job af cleaning things up and my biggest problem so far with them has been them ending up on thier backs occasionaly. Find a different fish store and check the 3reef sponsors for more info.

 

yup, to a point.

ReefCleaners.org | Clean Up Crews and Macro Algae - Home

find the ones that eat diatom, cyano, hair, deterius.

 

If you already have a clean-up crew(CC), when something dies, the CC gets right to work. Trust me, nothing will be rotting away. They even eat the molting shell from the shrimps. Both of my turbos died not to long after I bought them and they didnt last long nor did they create havoc in my system. Luna

 

The only thing i could see is that he is possibly trying to save expense on a part of the clean up crew that has low survival rates. That being said i've had snails in my tank for over a year.

 

I can't imagine how anyone could think that snails are not a vital part of any "clean up" crew. They are responsible in large part for keeping algae in check, not only in our aquariums, but out on the reefs as well. The key word for snails is diversity, simply because each algae species has its own defensive compounds that limit what herbivores can eat it or not as the various herbivores, be it fish, snails, slugs, have had to evolve the ability to get around or tolerate those defensive compounds.

Chuck