Banded Trochus Snails – Trochus sp

• Date Added: 01/30/2012
• Quantity: 6
• Status: Active
• Purchased at: Coral Corral
• Cost: $2.00/ea
• Coloration: White/Gray, some with Red Banding
• Description: Trochus Snails, Trochus sp., are outstanding cleaners that are found on a number of reefs scattered throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The radula, or tongue, of the snail has a rasp like texture. When pulled across a surface, this rasp pulls the algae loose for a quick snack. They move very slowly but leave nothing behind, eating filamentous algae, slime algae, green algae, diatoms, and cyanbacteria. Add to this the fact that they often are able to right themselves if they fall on their backs. Pyramid shaped similar to an Astrea snail, they get about the size of a quarter when full grown, and are a perfect aquarium snail since they come from warmer waters. Extremely hardy, as long as water quality remains good they have a very long life. Many live from 5 to 7 years. No tank should be without some of these. Recommend 1 per 5 gallons.
• Notes: The shell of this animal is constantly growing. The fleshy mantle deposits the calcium based construction material on a continual basis. Maintaining proper calcium levels of 350 to 450 ppm will assist the growth of this animal. If algae becomes unavailable in the aquarium, supplement this animals diet with dried seaweed.

• Date Added: 01-18-2012
• Tank: Cardiff 24 gallon
• Status: Active
• Purchased at: FAOIS
• Cost: $12.00
• Coloration: Green-Brown with Purple tips
• Lighting and Camera:
  • 250w MH 14000K Phoenix
  • Canon Rebel Xi
  • Aperture photo software editing used trying to adjust to viewable color

General Information

• Description: Euphyllia glabrescens is a Large Polyp Stony Coral (LPS) and has branched skeletal base which is covered by polyps. The polyps of Torch Coral are long and have single rounded tip. Torch Coral has sweeper tentacles tipped by the stinging cells, nematocysts.
• Light & Flow: For optimum coloration, it should be given a medium light levels such as T5 or metal halide lighting combined with moderate to low intermittent water current within the aquarium.
• Supplements: It will require maintaining stable levels of calcium, magnesium, pH, alkalinity, and other trace elements as you would with other types of LPS corals. It is essential for LPS health to keep nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates near low to undetectable levels.
• Feeding: Euphyllia glabrescens derives its nutrition mainly through photosynthesis which is performed by zooxanthellae, a photosynthetic alga living symbiotically within the coral. While it does not require additional food to maintain its health in a mixed reef tank, it will feed on micro-plankton and foods designed for filter feeding invertebrates. It is Carnivorous in feeding habit and filter feeds weekly, when open and feeds upon acellular marine invertebrates, frozen meaty bits of raw shrimp, Silver Side, fish, squid and Mysis Shrimp, zooplankton and phytoplankton.
• Care: It is susceptible to Brown Jelly Infection in which the parasite converts the coral into a jelly like substance and thus kills it. Treat immediately.
• Range: Indo-Pacifc region including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands and the Great Barrier Reef
• Other Names: Trumpet Coral, Grape Coral, Pom-Pom Coral, Whisker Coral
• Other Colors: Golden, green, brown, pink, yellow, tan
• More Info: Another favorite of mine. The golden or what some call orange or yellow really only appears under correct lighting with a strong blue influence. I found my 6 x 18K T5s to be too bright for this one as faded out and had to move to a more indirect light location to bring out the colors. In correct lighting it has purplish/pink tips and brown or golden tentacles.
• Previous Purchase(s):
  • Purchased 01/01/2009, Golden Torch Coral, $80.00, Coral Corral, Inactive

Green

Pink with Green Tips

Green with Pink Tips

Yellow Tip

Mexican Zebra Stripe Turbo Snail – Turbo sp.

• Date Added: 01/18/2012
• Quantity: 1
• Status: Active
• Purchased at: FAOIS
• Cost: $2.00
• Description: The Zebra Turbo Snail, often found off the coast of Asia and is a great variation from the typical Mexican Turbo Snail. Herbivore, eats mainly hair algae and other green algae. The Zebra Turbo are about 2 to 3 times larger and do about 5 times as much work as the Atlantic Turbo Astrea Snail.
• Color: Dark black shell striped in waves of tan
• Diet: Herbivore, eats mainly hair algae and other green algae. When algae is in low supply, green seaweed sheets, blanched spinach, or lettuce and vegetable-based tablet foods can be supplemented to help ensure balanced nutrition.
• Tips: Proper calcium levels must be maintained. It is sensitive to high levels of copper-based medications and will not tolerate high nitrate levels.

  Like other snails, it should be acclimated to new aquariums using the drip acclimation method.

  ATTENTION: These snails can get large and many times knock over unsecured corals and rock.