Bryopsis eating Turbos!!

[Bill S]

OK, this is weird. I first noticed a bald patch a couple of weeks ago, where a turbo snail was working. So, I scrounged up the few I still had left (they tend to like committing suicide by turning over), and put them on my big table rock - the same rock I have the nudis working on (they are slow and expensive).

However, it APPEARS that the turbos are REALLY working the byropsis.

So, my questions are:

1) Can anyone positively identify the exact type of turbo from these pix? I believe I got them a couple of years ago from reeftopia: http://www.reeftopia.com/reefaquariumsnails.htm . Jan said "...where can I buy you a bunch of these...".

2) does anyone else here with this bryopsis have a bunch of turbos? If so, are they working at all?

Here are a couple of photos. Note that this rock is COVERED completely 1-2" deep, everywhere else.

I put this snail there last night, and this was taken this morning:


2 snails worked and denuded this patch:

[apedroza]

I know they are astrea snails which are just the common turbo snails. I had a bryopsis problem a while back and I have those types, but what really worked for me was the mexican turbo snails. which are more round and alot bigger.

[Andrew v.s wild]

I have a few astrea snails myself
They are good but nothing compared to the mexican turbo snail

[Kristy]

Hallelejah! There is some hope for Bill, which gives me hope for us all!

Mike picked up 3 Mexican turbos a few weeks ago. I believe he finally ended up finding them at Phenomenal (Wolf Reef). These snails have really helped us with our crazy outbreak of hair algae that was going on in our small tank. It now can only be found in a couple of places. I agree with the above comments that the turbos are bigger and more rounded than the ones pictured above, and that they do a much more aggressive job at eating the algae than thosed astreas, but are very prone to falling upside down and becoming a hermit crab buffet.

[Kristy]

Bill,
Just went back and took a closer look at an astrea snail in our tank and a Mexican turbo snail, comparing them to your photos above. Your first photo looks like an astrea to me, more conical, but the second photo more resembles our Mexican turbo, bigger and more rounded and curvy.

If your photos are of different snails that are both getting the job done for you, I'd invest in both as a good insurance policy. You can always pass them along in the event you have bought too many and they risk starvation after they've eaten it all (ha! should you have such a problem, right!)

[Ping]

Bill, I am glad to hear you finally found something that eats this stuff. It looks to me to be a common Astrea snail. I may buy a few more myself.

[bexarhunt]

Not to confuse matters I bought some top crown snails which look like your photo as well and the top crown snails helped with the algae as my 90g cycled. I have had them work on cyano and they also took care of a small patch of bryopsis I had as well. Texas Tropical calls them Top Crown but B & B calls them Tequila Turbo. Either way, their top crown is silvery in color and they are huge and fast workers!

[apedroza]

The only problem I have with Mexican turbos is that they are so big that they tend to knock over small frags and stuff, but they are excellent algae grazers.

[Bill S]

The only problem I have with Mexican turbos is that they are so big that they tend to knock over small frags and stuff, but they are excellent algae grazers.

That and they fall down facing up where the bluelegs get them...