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Abalone (Haliotis sp.)

marine reef clean up crew abalone

A brilliant grazer which feeds voraciously on most types of algae. Abalones are very active and mobile animals which add interest to the aquarium as well as performing a useful task.  Like most snails they are intolerant of copper and dislike rapid salinity changes.  Take time to carefully acclimate new arrivals. 

Cerith Snails

reef cleanup crew cerith snail

 (Cerithium is in family Cerithiidae, subclass Prosobranchia, class Gastropoda of phylum Mollusca)

Cerith snails are small (10mm) scavengers which eat detritus and algae. The type we ship are Cerithium stercusmuscarum  from Mexico. Ceriths are a relatively hardy snail, however they dislike copper and nitrate. They must also not be kept in aquaria with blue legged crabs which eat them in order to live in their shells!

Virtually all Ceriths are suitable reef tank inhabitants however there are some members of the family which favour brackish waters, eg. Cerithium vulgatum from Greece and Cerithium coralium from Okinawa neither of these guys do well in full strength seawater long-term.

Nassarius Snails

reef janitor Nassarius Snails

Nassarius snails burrow in the sand and eat all kinds of leftovers. They can eat algae but their role is more that of a scavenger and they can be best thought of as the snail version of a hermit crab. As approved by Dr Ron for use in deep sand beds. For a snail these little guys are tough and will tolerate most water conditions with the notable exception of copper. Guide size: 10 to 15mm