conches

[cardstars]

are conches a good add to an aquarium in place of snails? i have heard a rumor that they are bad because they release nitrates from your sand bed.....is this true?

 

[tallone]

I have two fighting conchs in my tank along with many snails. The conchs help sift the sand which is beneficial to a dsb. I would not substitute conchs for snails as the two are beneficial for seperate reasons.

 

[angelofish]

A combination of different snails is the best for a tank IMO. Ive got like 5 different kinds in mine including 2 conchs.

 

[reefnut]

I have a Queen and a Fighting Conch... A good addition IMO.

 

[wrassecal]

If you have a fine grain sand bed conchs can be a good addition to the clean up crew for "shifting" the very top layer of sand and keeping the top of the sand bed clean. For my sand bed I have a combination of 2 queen conchs, nassarius snails, bristle worms and various bugs. Conchs will not release nitrates as they spend their time working the very top area of the sand bed.