Within the past few days, I've noticed a small amount of diatom/brown algae growth on the lower parts of the glass and on the sand/crushed coral substrate. My only inverts are my red knob sea star and blood fire shrimp, both are carnivores. What types of snails eat diatoms and how many would make a good crew for a 125g? Also, is this the type of algae that tangs will eat?
Diatom growth -- suggestions for cleanup crew?
- Thread starter PinkLady
- Start date
for a 125 gallon do 125 snails and nassirus snails on top of 125 snails stay clear of hermit crabs, and regular crabs they will not touch algae. get snails like cerith, astrea, trochus.
mr.reef24
mr.reef24
If your star doesn't eat the shrimp, I doubt he'd eat snails. IMO, you're best to get a Mag-float & just keep it attached & moved to the back side of the tank for easy access.
I do have one for the glass, but it's also growing on the substrate and driving me insane. I hate it.
Picked up some nassarius and turbo snails tonight. Also these 2 snails that have leopard-print shells, not sure what they're called (I forgot what he said they were). I got them more for decoration and also because they like to burrow so they will aerate the sand bed and keep it stirred up. Hopefully they get to work on that ugly brown stuff.
Picked up some nassarius and turbo snails tonight. Also these 2 snails that have leopard-print shells, not sure what they're called (I forgot what he said they were). I got them more for decoration and also because they like to burrow so they will aerate the sand bed and keep it stirred up. Hopefully they get to work on that ugly brown stuff.
It's CLEAN! They made quick work of that stuff, WOW! The turbos did the best job, they polished my rock in nothing flat and now they're working up the glass. Best of all, they're huge and their shells are covered with coralline algae so they blend in well and don't look too obvious. 
Turbos and Ceriths work well. I'd go with a lot of Ceriths as they don't tend to knock stuff down.
Your two leopard patterned snails are probably Conchs or Tiger cowries.
Try to identify them so that you know what you have and don't have problems later.
Try to identify them so that you know what you have and don't have problems later.
They're not conches or cowries, having a hard time finding an example pic online. But they're pretty boring, they rarely move and they stay burrowed in the sand. They're about the size of a nickel, maybe a quarter. Their shell is spiral but not long like a nassarius snail, very smooth, and it's a leopard-like or giraffe-like pattern.