Help did my LFS over sell me?

[Oldfishman]

Help! I think my LFS, that I have trusted till now, may have oversold me. My
JBJ 28 has been cycled and up and running since April. A month ago I add a pair of clowns and they have been doing well. The tank was beginning to get some algae so the LFS store said to get 5 Mexican Turbo snails. I thought that was too many an got two and they have done a great job. However, the LFS had taken sand shifting starfish out of quarantine and I had not seen them before. I was worried that there would not be enough to keep both the turbo snails and the starfish alive and was informed that there would be no problem. So, of course, I bought one.

I started researching sand sifting starfish and found, as usual, a lot of conflicting information. I have become attached to the little star fish and do not want to starve him or the turbo snails.

So I have guess I have two questions did the LFS over sell me and how to I make sure the turbo snails and star fish get enough to eat.

 

[mcgyvr]

The sand sifting starfish was a mistake..
Your tank is too small to sustain one long term..

5 Mexican Turbos (assuming those near golf ball size ones) is insanely overkill too for such a small tank.. 1 is good in your tank.. 2 is pushing it.. anymore is too much..

Moral of story.. Don't go "browsing" at the LFS.. Research first not after..

 

[flawedexistence]

What I am using as a formula for snails is one per 10 gallons of water in the display tank.

 

[rvareef]

ahh the snail formula

 

[flawedexistence]

In addition to the above; it also matters what the diet of the snails is. I have Trochus, Turbos, and a small conch who eat algae and several Nassarius snails who live in the sand bed and are detrivores and sand stirrers.

 

[Oldfishman]

I agree 100% it is my mistake not to do my research before I bought. I will find a way to feed my starfish. thanks for the help. I may have to feed the snails as they have done a bang up job on the algae

 

[mcgyvr]

What I am using as a formula for snails is one per 10 gallons of water in the display tank.

All depends on the size but I'd say thats far too few in most cases..
I just threw 80 snails into my 80G tank but those snails were from reefbreeders and quite small..

 

[flawedexistence]

McG: Interesting point. Running a 75g with about 80lbs of rock. I have six large Trochus, two Turbos, a Fighting Conch and an Emerald crab. Also 4-6 Nassarisus in the sand bed. Given my tank size, what would you suggest? I am concerned about starving the snails if I overpopulated.

 

[hkgar]

A LFS over selling a customer, Nah would never happen.

The "polite" term is upselling.

 

[anthonys51]

There is no magic formula for snails. Heck there is no set way of doing anything in this hobby. I only started with 25 snails for my 265 tank and 3 80 frag tanks and after 2 years I think I might have 300. My trochous snails are breeding like crazy
Whey buying snails I tend to add a smaller amount every so often if needed. In my current tank I never added simply because then multiple and I have no need to replenish. I also tend to give them away to friends


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