Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean
Size: 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow intertidal and subtidal areas and predominantly reef flats along coastal areas that are rich in turf algae, cyanobacteria, diatoms, and detritus.
General Husbandry: There are many similar size and somewhat colored 'Trochus' snails available in the hobby, e.g., T. fenestratus, which is commanly called the Turban Snail; T. maculatus, which is sometimes called the Red Stripe Turbo Snail; and T. nigropunctatus called the the Black-spotted Topshell to name but a few. Its also far smaller than T. niloticus, which can get as large as four inches and become a bulldozer.
Nevertheless, this species, T. histrio, with maroon bands on its pyramid-shaped shell and a black foot with with its underside an off white/tan color, may be the most popular with hobbyists because its an extremely good scavenger of unwanted green turf/microalgae, cyanobacteria and brown diatom algae. And because of its small size, are less apt to disturb or knock over small coral frags.
Other good points about these snails are they long lasting, in fact lasting many years in the aquarium and that they do not harmed any creatures they travel over. This makes them one of the more desired snail species in hobbyist aquariums and recommend having at least one per ten gallons. Should their diet appear to be insufficient, provide them some vegetable-based tablet foods or dried seaweed/Nori.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Archaeogastropoda
Family: Trochidae
Genus: Trochus
FYI: Keep in mind they sensitive to salinity changes, as they are mostly very shallow intertidal water creatures, so initially acclimate as noted below.
Experience Level: Beginner
Diet: Herbivore
Temperament: Peaceful
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: Yes
Acclimation Time: Sensitive to specific gravity/salinity changes, therefore be sure to adjust the bag's water to that of the aquarium in which it will be placed by slowly adding small amounts of aquarium water to the bag every few minutes. In most cases, this process should take at least 15 minutes.
Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately hardy
Temperature Range: 72 - 83°F (22 - 28°C)
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
Water Movement: WM 1 - 2
Specific Gravity: 1.023 - 1.025
pH: 8.0 - 8.4
