Bottom Feeders??

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Driller31

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Feb 24, 2010
Messages
49
Location
Grand Junction, Colorado
I have recently purchased the cleaning crew I was aking about, good lord did they clean, they cleaned to much, I was wanting the algea to stick around on the back of the glass, but not anymore..Its all gone, I may have to get rid of a couple snails..LFS sold me 10 of the big Turbo snails, and they completely demolished the aglea..My next question is, all the pooh and stuff that is gathering at the Bottom of my tank??Is there a bottom feeder that will rid me of all this??THANKS For The HELP!!
 
How big is your tank. I used 4 Mexican Turbo in a 125g with hair algae. It took some time (weeks) but they did the job.

Here's my snail info that I gathered over time:
Nassarius Snails - Nassarius spp. They mostly stay in the sand, but will sometimes make short trips up the glass. They are mainly detritus eaters and do an excellent job cleaning and shifting the sand. These are also some of the most hardy snails available. They can flip themselves upright very easily. They are fun to watch as they come bursting out of the sand bed at feeding time.
Onyx Nassarius -Ilyanassa spp. (Black Mud Snail, Black Nassarius Snail ) snails are very good at keeping sand beds completely clean of algae as well as other organics. They may occasionally strip a sand bed of enough nutrients that there will be none left to support copepod or amphipod populations. If you keep dragonets (e.g. Mandarins) that rely on healthy populations of copepods and amphipods do not get these. They are also a cooler water species and may not last that long in higer temp tanks like reef tanks.
Cerith Snails-Cerithium spp. (Cortez) - Good algae and detritus eaters that forage rock, glass, and sand. Some can pick themselves up and some cant.
Cerith Snails (White)- Good algae and detritus eaters that seem to stay in the sand more than the cortez, but can be found on the rock and glass. Once again, some can pick themselves up and others cant. These are good sand bed snails.
Fighting Conch Snails - These guys are all about the sand bed and are very cool to watch. They usually dont get flipped over, but if they do, they can kick around and turn themselves back upright.They very hardy too.
Astrea Snails -Astraea tecta: Most common of all saltwater tank snails. They are excellent algae eaters and will forage all over the rock, sand, and glass. These guys fall very easily, can not right themselves, and then die.
Margarita Snail - Margarites pupillus. (Stomatella Limpet Snail, Pearl Snail, Little Margarite Snail, Pearly Topped Snail ) Another snail to add to the algae eating aresnal. Will cruise around on the rock and glass.
Fighting Conchs - Strombus gibberulus. Little vacuum cleaners. One per 2 sq. ft. of sand. They'll eat diatoms and, sometimes, cyano. Get one per 2 sq. feet of tank is what was recommened to me. They tend to disappear behind the rocks for a few days then come back around to the front again. They usually dont get flipped over, but if they do, they can kick around and turn themselves back upright.They very hardy too.
Nerite Snails - Nerita spp. Mostly a rock and glass snail that are all about the algae. They may crawl above the water line of your tank as they often become exposed in the wild during low tide. Mine usually end up in the sump where they can get above the water line and come back down when they want to.
Turbo Snails : They are big and clumsy. They'll knock over or move anything that isn't glued/nailed down. Actually I had one knock a coral frag that was glued to a a plug right off the plug. But, they will attack hair algea. Mine are now escargot size and I moved them to the sump because they were always knocking corals off the rock and plugs they were attached to.

Banded Trochus - Trochus spp. (Tiger Trochus Snail, Banded Trochus Snail, Black and White Snail, Spiral-Top Snail ) Algae eating machines. Ideal size, won't knock over corals/rock, and can move very fast. Will also eat hair algae.
Stomatella Snails : Will breed in your tank! You will only need to get 4 or 5. They're great algae eaters and stay very small.
 
55 Gal. so I need to move these big turbo snails down to my sump then hu?? I have 10 of them.. As you said they knock things over, I have seen this as well, just this morning I had to pick one of my Zoa Frags from the sand..These guys are not glued down, just glued to the disc they came on..I am vey happy with the cleaning other than the sand, so you say I need the Banded Trochus Snails for this??OH and is the pooh Detritus??
 
Poop=detritus. I would get some Nassarius snails for cleaning the sand. Mine do an excellent job and I'm actually adding more to the crew this week. They actually stay under the sand until they find food on the top of the sand.
 
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I would stay away from the margarita snails as they are a cold water species, and usually die fairly quickly in our tropical-based aquariums. Their lifespans are cut short drastically, and you will be dealing with as many dead margarita snails as you put in.
 
My bad I need the Conch snails for the sand cleaning issue I have is this correct??

I also vote for Nassarius. They are the most popluar for cleaning the sand for good reason. If fact, I think I am going to get some more.
Cmor- Nice snail summary!
 
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