Too many Snails?

[falconut]

I currently have a 90 gal. reef tank. My tank has about 1" thick of argonite substrate. I have the following cleanup crew critters:

20 - BL Hermits
10 - Astrea Snails
5 - Trochus Snails
2 - Nasarius Snails
1 - Nerite Snail
2 - Queen Conchs (1" each)

I am considering adding 50 Ceriths and 50 Astreas to the mix via an online purchase. Is this too many snails for my system? Some will be going into the 20 gal. refuge. Any opinions?

 

[onehundred20]

id scratch the hermits and get 20 more astrea

 

[dc]

That does seem like an awful lot of snails. Not real sure how many you're supposed to have, but I wouldn't put in any more than maybe 15 of each.

 

[ADA33]

I dont think that is too many.

I have 150 Astreas in my 75 and never need to clean the glass

 

[dc]

Wow, can you see anything besides snails?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

I would ditch the Conchs. They get large and quick. They also demand a large amount of food. I would ditch the Nerite, too. They are intertidal and often climb out of tanks. I would get one, maybe two, Mexican Turbo Snails, 20 Astrea Snails, and 25 Cerith Snails, and about 8 Nassarius Snails. Also, I wouldn't add anything into the refugium. That would defeat the whole purpose of having one.

 

[ADA33]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8318716#post8318716 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dc
Wow, can you see anything besides snails?

:lol: Thats funny. You got to knock them down for pictures.

 

[falconut]

onehundred20 - I've had the 20 BL Hermits in there for 1-1/2 years and they don't really seam to bother any of the snails. I did put like 50 empty shell in the tank for them.

Travis L. Stevens - The conchs will eventually go, when they get big. I had one before for a year and it only got to 2" in that time period. I like them because they really help with the algea in the substrate. The Nerite came over from my other tank and I've had it for over 2 years, never climed out. Also, why would adding snails in the refuge hurt it? I don't believe any of them eat pods or Cheato, do they? I was planing on putting some Astreas and maybe a few Ceriths.

widefx - do you really see that many over the glass? During the day, my Astreas usually go up to the surface, in the corners or hide in the live rock. I really don't see mine much until night time.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

The Conchs might help with algae in the substrate, but really it's only one mouth. Two in your case. Cerith Snails do the same thing. Having your typical cleanup crew with various amounts of snails widens your horizons by allowing more mouths in different places to do their work along with the fact that they will never outgrow your tank.

Adding snails to your refugium defeats the whole purpose of having a refugium. A refugium is a place for refugees from your display to hide, take shelter, find food, reproduce, etc. Adding a large animal like a snail will outcompete available food for all the cool little critters that live there. You'll get far better production of things from your refugium by keeping large animals like snails, hermits, corals, etc out of your refugium. Oh, and some snails do like to chomp on Chaeto from time to time

 

[dc]

I can't argue with a single thing Travis said.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

To put it into comparisson with business practices, think of it this way. Would you rather have a whole bunch of people being paid a small amount getting one job done or one professional person being paid all the money to get the same job done.

Ya, ya, ya. You can go into business ethics and other details, but take it for what it's worth

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8319186#post8319186 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dc
I can't argue with a single thing Travis said.

Of course not. I have more post counts than you :lmao: Just kidding. You know post counts don't matter. Plus, if you add all your Lounge posts, no one can beat you.

 

[falconut]

Travis L. Stevens - Thanks for the refuge information. I wasn't thinking of it that way. I'll keep my refuge as is.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8319303#post8319303 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by falconut
Travis L. Stevens - Thanks for the refuge information. I wasn't thinking of it that way. I'll keep my refuge as is.

Most people think of a refugium just the way you did; another source for filtration. I used to, too. But, the bare definition is something completely different. It's just that we can add things like rock, sand, and algae to not only keep it as a refugium, but as a secondary filtration method.

 

[dc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8319298#post8319298 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis L. Stevens
Of course not. I have more post counts than you :lmao: Just kidding. You know post counts don't matter. Plus, if you add all your Lounge posts, no one can beat you.

Hmmm, so how many would I need to delete to knock your's down below mine? :lol:

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

*cough* Power Trip *cough*

 

[dc]

LOL, yes.

 

[ADA33]

widefx - do you really see that many over the glass? During the day, my Astreas usually go up to the surface, in the corners or hide in the live rock. I really don't see mine much until night time.

No usually during the day there is about 15-20 skimming the glass the rest are in the rocks