how long do snails live?

[debbie]

Hi, I was just wondering how long snails live on the average when you get them into your aquarium?
When buying a new snail, should I get the smaller ones or the bigger ones?
I lost my snail after having it for 2 months. It was quite a size when I bought it (turbo). I have not replaced it as I thought my crab and some very small snail (slug) looking things would do the job. They do a good job but my live rock has alot of algae on it now and you cannot see my nice pink algae that I once had.
Any recommendations greatly appreicated :joy:

 

[moraym]

the smaller species of snails tend to fair better.
the larger snail species require a lot more food than a normal, mature tank will produce, depending how many you have of course. I used to have six or so large snails in my 40g with a bunch of smaller ones, the larger ones started to die off. I had to buy algae sheets for them to munch on to keep them alive. Then i just got tired of feeding the snails and spread them over my tanks. Now I have 1 large snail and a bunch of small ones per 30g of water, and the large snails are no longer dying off, as a matter of fact, i've had one large one going on three years.

 

[gregvabch]

snails will not tolerate high levels of nitrates. mexican turbo's are voracious algae eaters, so assuming your water is fine, he might of died from lack of food. maybe try getting a smaller one. my lfs always has hundreds of them, all different sizes.

 

[jb rekit]

mine keep eating my purple and pink coralline on my LR. They are eating it faster than it grows back. I keep pulling them off and putting them on the glass, but I guess they think the pretty stuff tastes better

 

[debbie]

Thanks, so what would these tiny snail/slug like creatures be on my live rock? They work the glass, rock, heater you name it. If I use a magnifying glass I can see them. They look like a miniature snail and clean the same way. Their body hangs out the back of their shell a bit more than a regular snail. I have two solid black and two a white opaque color. They also look like at times they have a baby or two hitchhiking on their shells. The shells are sort of flat looking like a "mussel" shell. But if you have a magnifying glass you can see them really well. They are visible to the

[hr]
eye but are quite small.
While cleaning my tank today, one was on the glass and in my way. I gently moved it with a stick and it sure can boogie across the glass fast. Never seen a snail move that fast.
They are constantly cleaning on the live rock etc like I said, anyone know what they are called?
To small to take a picture of

 

[debbie]

Hi, broke down and got a new snail. Could not stand the green starting to grow on my live rock. I cannot see my pretty pink coraline algae. So I went and got a new snail. Small one and it is working like crazy on the rock.
The store here only has one kind, they call them Turbo or Pyramid snails. Any info on these two kinds or are they the same?
This new snail is quite different from the first one I got, pretty blue on the under part of the shell too. Keeping fingers crossed now for it to live longer than the first one.
Debbie :jumping:

 

[dburr]

I gently moved it with a stick and it sure can boogie across the glass fast. Never seen a snail move that fast.
That sounds like a tiger trochous (sp).
The store here only has one kind, they call them Turbo or Pyramid snails. Any info on these two kinds or are they the same?
Pyramid snails are bad news. They are small and white. They look like grains of rice. They eat other snails and clams. You want the turbos.

 

[debbie]

Hi, I went and found Banded Trochous Snail and that is definatley what I have. Some of the color are very pretty, with green, black and purple on the shell as well as when the snail moves along I can see the green and purple.
Are these related to the turbo family?
These snails are okay for tanks and will not eat any corals?
Thanks again

 

[goblue]

not long ago i read on a conservation website that turbosnails are usually collected from colder waters. while they are able to survive for some time in a home aquarium, they slowly cook at reef temps and eventually die from overheating. I put about 20 in my 55 gal when i started it up last august and every now and then i see my hermits or emeralds picking at a fallen soldier. not that i can say for sure that's why they died, but just so you know if you start to see some empty shells, don't go crazy about your water quality.