Should I Put Snails in My Saltwater Refugium?

Snails can clean up algae and residue in saltwater aquariums.

Snails Can Be Beneficial to the Main Tank

Keeping snails in a saltwater or freshwater refugium is a good idea if you want to eventually add them to your main tank to feed other fish like pufferfish or clown loaches. Snails can also benefit the main tank by cleaning up excessive algae. Breed snails in a refugium until they're large enough to clean up a larger tank or act as a filling meal for carnivorous fish.

Don't Keep Snails and Plant Life Together

Refugiums are often used for growing algae and other plants, but if you want your plants to grow, they should not be kept in the refugium with snails. Snails eat both algae and small plants, according to Richard Brown of the Australian Aquarium Society.

Bottom Line

Snails can be kept in a refugium, but they will multiply quickly; plan to frequently transfer them to another tank. Make sure you have enough fish to eat the snails before you start breeding them; otherwise you may end up with a multitude of these creatures on your hands, says Brown.

References

• Fishlore: Refugium Setup For Saltwater Aquariums
• Aqua Articles: Snails: Friend or Foe?