Of all the fascinating invertebrates available to marine aquarists, grazing snails are perhaps the most misused. Too often we treat them like expendable little lawnmowers, plopping them in our tanks with the express purpose of preventing or eradicating algae and then replenishing them as their populations inevitably wane. But if treated properly, snails can be long-lived tank denizens that not only perform a useful purpose but also provide interest in their own right. So what do I mean by “misusing marine snails”? Here are some of the more common improper practices when stocking grazing gastropods: 1) Stocking in excessive numbers I implore you to ignore any advice along the lines of “To control algae X, add Y number of snails per every Z gallons of aquarium volume.” There is no correlation between the volume of water an aquarium can hold and the number of grazing snails the system can support long term. It all comes down to food supply. Simply put, the system must contain adequate, ongoing growths of the appropriate algae to sustain the type/number of snails you introduce. Otherwise, your grazing gastropods will quickly eat themselves out of house and home and begin starve to death. It’s always best to start with just a few specimens, observe how they perform when it comes to keeping algae in check, and then add more only if necessary. 2) Stocking cold-water species in tropical tanks Some marine snails sold to unwitting hobbyists for the purpose of algae control—often as part of a “cleanup crew”—are actually from temperate waters and won’t survive long in tropical aquariums More: 5 Ways Hobbyists Misuse Grazing Marine Snails… More:
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