Description

Turbo Snail (Turbo spp.) – Essential Algae Grazer for Marine Aquariums

Keep your reef tank spotless and algae-free with the hardworking Turbo Snail, one of the most effective and reliable members of any clean-up crew. These peaceful grazers are prized by marine aquarists for their tireless appetite for algae and their ability to navigate rockwork and glass with ease — keeping your aquarium looking pristine while maintaining healthy biological balance.

🌊 Overview
Native to tropical reefs and intertidal zones across the Indo-Pacific, Turbo Snails are robust, reef-safe herbivores that thrive in both fish-only and reef aquariums. With their thick, rounded shells and strong foot muscles, they are perfectly built for scraping algae from rocks, glass, and substrate. Their constant grazing helps prevent nuisance algae outbreaks and improves water quality, making them an essential addition to any marine ecosystem.

✨ Key Features & Benefits:

• ✔️ Excellent Algae Eaters – Devour film algae, hair algae, and diatoms from rocks and glass.

• ✔️ Reef-Safe – Won’t harm corals, fish, or invertebrates.

• ✔️ Active Day and Night – Continuously grazes, keeping surfaces clean.

• ✔️ Peaceful & Hardy – Ideal for community and reef tanks.

• ✔️ Low Maintenance – Simple to care for and long-lived in stable aquariums.

• ✔️ Natural Detritus Control – Helps reduce waste buildup and stabilize water parameters.

🐚 Behaviour & Compatibility
Turbo Snails are peaceful, non-aggressive invertebrates that get along with virtually all reef-safe tankmates. They are slow-moving but highly efficient, constantly scraping algae off rocks, glass, and even pumps or decorations.

They coexist well with:

• Other snails and hermit crabs 🐚

• Shrimp, starfish, and small reef-safe crabs

• Clownfish, gobies, tangs, and other peaceful reef fish

Avoid housing them with predatory species such as triggers, large wrasses, or pufferfish, which may view snails as food.

🌿 Tank Requirements:

• Minimum Tank Size: 40 L

• Temperature: 23 – 27 °C

• pH: 8.0 – 8.4

• Salinity: 1.023 – 1.025

• Calcium: 400–450 ppm (for strong shell growth)

• Diet: Primarily algae and biofilm

Provide plenty of live rock and hard surfaces for grazing. Turbo Snails are excellent climbers and may even reach the waterline, so ensure your aquarium has a secure lid to prevent accidental escape.

🍽️ Feeding
In most aquariums, Turbo Snails obtain enough food from natural algae growth. However, in exceptionally clean or new tanks, you can supplement their diet with:

• Dried seaweed (nori) sheets attached to a clip

• Algae wafers

• Spirulina-based foods

Feed sparingly — excess food can increase nutrients and reduce water quality.

💧 Care Notes
Turbo Snails are hardy but sensitive to sudden changes in water parameters, especially salinity. Acclimate them slowly using a drip method to ensure a smooth transition into your system. Once acclimated, they are long-lived and contribute significantly to tank cleanliness.

Because they have difficulty righting themselves if flipped over, check occasionally to ensure none are stuck upside-down, especially on sandy substrates.

✨ Why Choose Turbo Snails for Your Reef?

• Natural, chemical-free algae control 🌿

• Fully reef-safe and compatible with all peaceful fish and corals 🪸

• Low-maintenance addition that helps stabilize your tank’s ecosystem

• Adds movement and interest to your clean-up crew

⚠️ Note: Turbo Snails are highly effective grazers but may accidentally knock over unsecured coral frags or decorations while climbing. Ensure your aquascape is stable to prevent damage.

🐠 Summary
The Turbo Snail (Turbo spp.) is one of the most valuable members of any marine clean-up crew. Peaceful, efficient, and easy to care for, it helps keep your tank free from unwanted algae while maintaining a healthy, balanced ecosystem. Whether you’re running a fish-only, mixed reef, or coral-dominated setup, Turbo Snails are indispensable for maintaining a naturally clean aquarium environment.

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Disclaimer: Photos are NOT of our own livestock. Colours and shell patterns may vary slightly between individuals. Lighting and screen settings can influence how colours appear.

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