turbo astria snails?

[Anthony357]

I heard these are like the best for algae eating/tank cleaning...

i have 55 gallon, how many of these bad boys should i get, i hear everybody buying like a ton of these, i just dont want to have my tank "filled" with these things but i do know the more i buy the better... what is ya'lls recommendation on these things, or are there any other types of good cleaners?

 

[Bifferwine]

They are two different types of snails. Turbo are one type, and astraea are another type.

Turbos are good for the glass and rocks. Astraeas are good for the glass. In a 55 gallon tank, I would get no more than four or five turbos, as they get really big really fast, and starve to death easily. For the astraeas, you can get a lot more, I'd start with 20 and if they keep your tank nice and clean, you don't need to buy anymore, but if they're not getting the job done, then you can always buy more.

Nassarius snails are another good one. They live in the sandbed and keep the substrate clean. You could go with another 20 or so of the small ones, or 10 of the big ones of those in a 55.

 

[Piggy]

In my 55 I have 5 Turbos and 12 astraeas snails. This is what I started with. As for nassarius I put in 50 but I know I have less then that left because all my hermits have changed shells into one. So I may have around 40 left. Last time I counted it was 30 something. Dang hermits.

 

[Anthony357]

wow, 50 snails or so? that just sounds like alot? heh, i'll probably get a few turbos then, and maybe a few dozen of the other types...to start off, how much do you think they cost, im about to go to two of my local fish stores to get some estimates and see what they say...thanks for the info!!

 

[Bifferwine]

At my LFS, turbos run $4 to $5 apiece, the big nassarius run $4 apiece, and astraeas are usually around $2 to $3 apiece. Don't get too many to start off with, or else they will starve to death. Add slowly.

 

[Anthony357]

well for the update, i bought 3 mexican turbos and 2 dozen astreas and an emerald crab...

there already in and moving around everywhere, the emerald was eating at the diatoms before i knew it, awesome!

 

[Bifferwine]

Cool, sounds good!

 

[Doc]

great choice of the cleaning crew. I have three mexican turbos and 20 astreas in my 90 gallon, with 3 emerald crabs. They keep things nice and clean. You may not need more than that.

-Doc

 

[MikMcgyver]

Emeralds are cool, as much fun to watch as the fish sometimes...

 

[Doc]

I agree. They remind me of that scene in Finding Nemo toward the end when Nemo is flushed down the sink and he pops up by the crabs. They crack me up

-Doc