

They will eat meaty bits of Brine Shrimp, Mysis Shrimp, fish and Scallop and Scavenge on decaying organic matter, detritus, and fish waste. Refrain from using copper based medications and keep an eye on the levels of soluble waste since all saltwater snails are sensitive to nitrates.Ĭan they Right Themselves if they Get Upside-down?: Yesįood and diet: Tiger Sand Conchs are an excellent scavenger. Tank Recommendations: Conchs are moderately easy to keep as long as they have a live sand bed to live in. Conchs always stay on the bottom of the aquarium and never bother other invertebrates or coral. Watch the cleaning with what looks like an anteater snout is very entertaining as they move it everywhere to feed. Tiger Sand Conch will do an excellent job of cleaning the live sand in your reef tank, where you don't have to sift it around ever! Tigger Sand Conchs sleep at night, and clean with the lights on.


As they burrow and dig through the aquarium substrate they clean and aerate the bottom. They will stir and clean upper layers of the sand bed. A hardy algae eaters, one of the few that will rid a tank of slime algae, they also love the brown diatoms found on the surface of live sand beds. Terrific for Cleaning Tanks with that ugly red or brown slime algae often seen. As they burrow and dig through the aquarium substrate, they clean and aerate the bottom. They are excellent sand sifters, and are very beneficial in the reef aquarium. Also called the fighting conch, despite their name they are peaceful as they come toward other tank mates. Great for Cleaning Sand, even Red Slime algae)ĭescription: The Tiger Sand Conch from Papau New Guinea is a hardy member of the Strombidae family. Totally peaceful toward other tank mates. Your algae helpers are being fed and are keeping your system in a good balance. Your aquarium will never be clear of algae and it would not be a healthy tank if it were, instead it's in a good balance. Keeping the algae under control means that algae will grow and algae will become food. Do I still need snails and critters if my algae is under control? Yes you do because it won't stay under control without their help. So there's the answer to one of the most frequent questions asked. But just like any ocean as long as its not polluted and your water parameter's are like it should be the algae shouldn't be taking over but still needs to be kept under control. Just because there's algae growing in your aquarium, its natural and part of the normal mini ocean you have created. Another suggestion we like and use is the dried algae sheets such as sold by To Little Fishes under the name "Sea Veggies" Or go to your local Chinese grocery-store and purchase a package of Nori sheets in packages. Since your snails feed off of the surfaces of the tank such as the substrate, rock, etc. Saltwater snails will feed on tiny pieces of meaty foods such as brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, fish, scallop, and there are many available foods that contain what's necessary. Since you never really know how much food does each snail need to thrive in your aquarium we always suggest supplementing their diet. You need enough snails to start servicing your reef tank or saltwater aquarium to keep algaes and detritus blooms under control, but not so many snails that there won't be enough food and often starve to death. Whether your tank is 4 months old or 4 years old, one of the best suggestions we can make is to not go crazy on the numbers of each species of snail you put in.

Why snails over other saltwater algae lovers? Simply put, aquarium snails can eat algae growths off of live corals without damaging the coral itself. Many will go to eating other things as mentioned above when necessary but their favorite will always be that algae. This algae type is the snails favorite food. Its important when choosing your snails to remember that just about every saltwater snail has a preferred algae type. They feed on detritus such as decaying plant matter, leftover uneaten food, and of most important to marine aquarist's they feed on algae growths. In the marine tank, snails handle a variety of duties. Saltwater Snail Chart Recommendations For Specific Algae Problems Purchase the right snails and you will be on the way to eliminating your algae issues. Saltwater snails in the saltwater aquarium serve a valuable purpose as long as the correct snails are chosen. The true fact is that most every good saltwater snail or crab has a preferred algae or aquarium problem. Every now and then we see marine snails that dealers are touting as the best snail for eating every kind of algae there is.
