snail suggestions

[prixmo67]

I have a 29g biocube, about six weeks into the cycle. I have one cleaner shrimp who is doing fabulous...molted once already, no fish yet. I am confused about how many snails to get for a CUC. I don't want crabs, because they eat the snails. I have quite a bit of green and brown algae on my LR, some on the LS. I'm not a big fan of having snails stuck all over the glass. Are there snails that will just clean the rock and sand, and be sufficient without getting the window cleaning snails? Also how many do I need for a 29g?

[pepper815]

just get CRABS..... thay r allot more interesting then snails and there r so mant 2 choose from

but no matter what snail u get...it will me on the glass haha!
i have 2 star snails in my bio 14 and they do a great job!

but i would say u would want 4 large snails in there along with different species of crabs and other little snails......it may look bad but its for the stability of the tank!

[Loverotties]

Nassurius(spelling?)

[crvz]

while crabs may be more interesting, they are considerably too opportunistic. I like many of the turbo snails, and chestnut turbos are a great solution.

[pepper815]

ya i know my spelling...i cant type so i always hit wrong letters!!!

sorry folks!

[Neuticle]

I'm a huge nerite fan, my turbos always fell over and got eaten before I could right them. Nerites can turn over too, but seem to right themselves most of the time.

[YLChik]

After having both crabs and snails I gotta say I am no longer a crab fan either

I like cerith and astrea for algae eating

nassarius snails are fun to watch and for a little sand stirring, but they are carnivores so don't expect them to be eating your algae.

I also am a huge fan of the tuxedo urchin for algae eating - they do pick up little bits of things to cover themselves, but over all I find they aren't as big of bulldozers as other urchins.

[icebear]

my favorite snails were strombus grazers. they are tiny and will multiply in your tank and they do eat algae. i need to get more someday.

i also like Mexican turbos, but if you get big ones they will knock things over but they are excellent algae eaters. so are royal/tuxedo urchins, they bulldoze too but eat every algae i had in my tank...but they are not snails...