Snails

Question
What are the difference between turbo, nassarius, and margarita snails? Which are the best and how many do I need in a 55 gallon tank?

Answer
Hi Debbie. Snails can be quite different from one another in many ways. Turbo snail are small algae grazing snails that can be very beneficial in a saltwater tank. They are very hardy and can get about 3-4 inches in an aquarium where there is an ample supply of diatoms and microalgae. There are a few varieties of turbo snails that are commonly sold that are subtropical animals and do not survive well when housed in normal reef temperatures. When buying these snails make sure they are of the tropical variety.
Margarita snails do not do well in normal saltwater tank temperatures and will often survive only a few weeks or months in higher temperatures. Then they die from slowly being "cooked". These snails are best avoided unless you are planning on doing a colder water salt tank.
 Nassarius snails are not algae eaters. They are beneficial scavengers that will feed on uneaten particles of food or decaying organisms. These tiny snails may live decades in an aquarium performing useful scavenging chores,if not overstocked and allowed to starve.
A good way to utilize snails as part of your clean-up crew is to use a mix of different ones that perform different tasks. There is no real rule of thumb to go by when stocking your tank with snails. It is all going to depend on how much algae or how much cleaning up you need. A good place to start would be with about six snails. If they are surviving well and not completely doing the job add a few more. If you have a reef tank you may want to add more to start. I have seen it recommended that you add anywhere form 1 snail per two gallons to 1 snail per five gallons. It will all depend on the needs of your tank!