Astrea Snails

[curtcherry]

Does anyone here in town have or sell dozens of astrea snails? Need to overcome an algae bloom and need a bunch. I think I have bought the LFS's supply nearest me!

 

[Mr D smack]

How about giving us some details about your system like how long has it been running? How many pounds of rock do you have? Bare bottom or sand? Are you running a skimmer or not and if so which one? What type of lighting are you using? I would also ask water parameters, but you've posted your test kits are on the way. Are you running GFO? Pics would help also

Answering these will help us help you. Snails may not be the answer

As for LFS which one have you went to? That will help with location

 

[curtcherry]

It may be just waiting is the right thing to do. 180 gallon, up for about 5 weeks. 120+ lbs of live rock. 3+ inches of sand. Running bubble magus curve 7, it is doing great. 3 Chinese black boxes at 50% blue and 30% white. I am 0 0 0 but don't know about the reef parameters. Not running GFO. Have already had the diatom bloom. Running a 40 gallon sump and put chaeto in about 5 days ago. Have 3 large pieces of left over live rock that went into the sump as well. Just took out the sponge that was in it so as to not create a nitrate factory.

 

[curtcherry]

Also have 24+ snails, 12+ hermit crabs, 6 turbo snails, a brittle star, 2 skunk shrimp.

 

[curtcherry]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pdt7361]

Instead of astrea snails, look into trochus when you do buy. They eat the same basic types of algea, but trochus have the ability to flip themselves over if they fall....astrea will typically lay there and die or be eaten.

 

[smoothdog]

Give it a little time and see if you current crew starts getting th job done. If not, add some more turbos and or trochus. Don't go crazy though. If you add too many they we eat what's there and then starve to death and start the cycle over again.

 

[curtcherry]

Yep. Think I am going to wait it out. I don't see the explosion happening like i did over the week in recent past. Between turbo snails and a great SLASH member PDT7361 who gave me a huge ball of Chaeto. I think it has slowed down. I just cleaned all the algae off the glass. Does the skimmer pick up all the bits of algae floating around? Even the chunks?

 

[curtcherry]

Decided to go for the source... Phosphate remover in a bag for now... I am concerned that with all the dead rock I collected from a couple of different sources that the phosphates will stay high for a good period of time. In addition, I see dinoflagellates starting to form. Lights out as well.