Two snails

jonfr · #1 12/03/2007, 09:10 PM

I got two new snails into my 96 liter salt water tank today.

Does anyone know there names so I can read more about them.

A sand snail. At least they told me that in the pet store.

Turbo snail, at least that is what I was told in the pet store.

pagojoe · #2 12/03/2007, 09:38 PM

The first one is Strombus (Conomurex) luhuanus. It's a true conch, and will eat both micro- and macroalgae. It will spend part of the time buried, or partially buried, in the sand.

The second one is a Turbo species, but it's hard to tell for sure which one. All of them are algal grazers, though. It may be Turbo argyrostomus.

Cheers,

Don

Kemo484 · #3 12/03/2007, 11:51 PM

The first ones a conch, with the darker sand it'll look cool when it's buried and all you see are it's eyes poking out of the sand.

J. Montgomery · #4 12/04/2007, 12:37 PM

People will commonly call those Mexican turbo snails.

jonfr · #5 12/04/2007, 10:30 PM

Both snails are doing good in my tank. I didn't find much reading material about them on the internet when I did look for it.

jonfr · #6 12/05/2007, 03:35 PM

I will have to feed these snails, any suggestions to feed them. They still have algae in the tank. But that won't last forever.

Siberman · #7 12/05/2007, 03:41 PM

Any of the dried algae products like wafers or pellets. Freeze-dried nori will work.

You may change your mind on that Mexican turbo when he gets full size. They tend to be a bit clumsy and I had one that developed a taste for coralline.

GS-Rock · #8 12/06/2007, 09:10 AM

the are both grazers and will eat mostly all kinds of algae, the conch will keep your sand free from algae and will also eat uneatten flake food, the turbo will lick every rock in your tank and keep most algae in check to the best of its ability, i have a army of turbos and 2 conchs, that make up part of my clean up crew

jonfr · #9 12/10/2007, 03:08 AM

Do they move a lot or stay in the same place for a long time ?

Siberman · #10 12/10/2007, 12:33 PM

They move a lot.

J. Montgomery · #11 12/10/2007, 03:05 PM

My turbo snail tends to sleep for a few hours first thing in the morning, but other than that he's constantly moving.

My fighting conch will often stay submerged in the sand (with the top of his shell visible) for long periods.

If the snail is dead, then it won't close up when you handle them.