Do I really need 60 snails?

[Glv08]

I was looking at the packages built by reefcleaners and for a 29 gallon setup they rec 60 snails. Seems excessive but is it?

 

[Walkpraz]

I would think so, if nothing else that's a huge hit to the biological stability of the system itself. Snails tend to be pretty messy.

 

[Glv08]

That's what I figured. Even if an animal eats poop it still poops haha

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

Do I really need 60 snails?

I have maybe 20 hermits, 8 snails and a couple fighting conch in my 120. No algae whatsoever.

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

Do I really need 60 snails?

I do add a few every several months. They seem to die and kill each other. Lol

 

[Glv08]

Lmao that's funny. I know I shouldn't laugh but the idea of snail warfare cracks me up. Sounds like a few snails and one hermit should do me fine then.

 

[FinsUp]

holy crap! 60 snails for a 29 gal?? you wouldn't have room for corals, which'd be fine since you couldn't see them, either, because of all the snails on your glass.

 

[Smiley]

Re: Do I really need 60 snails?

I would think about 4 trochus, 6 nassarius, a dozen ceriths, and maybe 6 astreas... maybe a conch.

Sent from my C771

 

[sethsolomon]

60 is about right. Now remember thats arbitrary.

Things to think about:
bigger crabs(emeralds and sally lightfoots) = 5 cleaner crew
trochus snails = 3 cleaning crew
star fish depending on size = 2-10 cleaning crew
conches = 10 cleaning crew

1 cleaning crew = a small snail like a cerith or a standard red or blue leg hermit


PS this is my own arbitrary scale base on the 2 cleaner per gallon rule

 

[Glv08]

That makes sense haha. I guess they all clean differently so ill probably add a couple and then wait to see what algae forms and get more cuc from there.

 

[sinister]

I did a custom CUC from reefcleaners for my BC29. I started with mature live rock from Ray, and the CUC from RC, never had my initial spike, and algae has stayed under very good control (except when I let my phosphates get out of wack). I've had the tank 2 years now. Most of the snails he recommended stayed in the sand until after dark, then they hopped on the glass and ate up the algae on the glass. Once I had the sand on the bottom bloom with some algae, and I did a refresh on my CUC through ReefCleaners, and the sand cleaned right up. I also have 2 emerald crabs, and 5 scarlet hermits.