Astrea Snail

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The Astrea Snail is a popular marine clean-up crew member and an excellent algae grazer for established reef aquariums. With its distinctive conical shell and strong grazing behaviour, it spends its time moving across aquarium glass, rockwork and other hard surfaces searching for algae and biofilm.

Astrea Snails are particularly useful for controlling film algae, diatoms and softer green algae. They are peaceful, reef safe and require little care once established.

Unlike some other snails, Astrea Snails can struggle to right themselves if they fall onto their backs. Regularly checking the aquarium and turning them over when necessary can help prevent them from becoming stressed or dying.

Quick Care Guide

• Scientific Name: Astraea tecta
• Difficulty: Easy
• Lighting: Any standard reef lighting
• Flow: Low to moderate
• Temperature: 24–27°C
• Salinity: 1.024–1.026 SG
• Diet: Algae, diatoms and biofilm
• Minimum Aquarium: 30L+
• Placement: Glass, rockwork and hard surfaces
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Reef Compatibility: Reef safe
• Activity: Active grazer

FAQ

What do Astrea Snails eat?

They primarily graze on algae, diatoms and biofilm found on aquarium glass, rocks and other hard surfaces.

Are Astrea Snails reef safe?

Yes. They are considered reef safe and are commonly used in marine clean-up crews.

Can Astrea Snails clean aquarium glass?

Yes. Their grazing behaviour makes them useful for controlling algae and film on aquarium glass.

What happens if an Astrea Snail falls over?

Astrea Snails can have difficulty righting themselves. If you find one upside down, carefully turn it back onto its foot.

Common Mistakes

Adding too many to a new aquarium

Astrea Snails need an established source of algae and should be stocked according to the aquarium's available food.

Leaving fallen snails upside down

Check regularly and right overturned snails where necessary.

Expecting them to eat heavy hair algae

They are effective grazers, but established hair algae may require additional control methods.

Overfeeding

Excessive feeding can reduce the natural algae available to the clean-up crew and contribute to nutrient problems.

Keeping them with predators

Large wrasses, crabs and other predatory livestock may prey on Astrea Snails.