Banded Trochus Snail

Introduction

The Banded Trochus Snail is one of the best cleaner snails for numerous reasons. Like other members of the Trochidae family, the Banded Trochus is easy to care for and very good at eating algae. The Banded Trochus is an effective film algae eater. However, they only passively graze on other nuisance algae, such as hair algae. The Banded Trochus Snail normally has a black foot that is an off white color on the underside of the foot. It boasts a pale gray, top- or pyramid-shaped shell. The purplish stripes and a nice flare to any marine aquarium.

This Trochus species is the true Banded Trochus Snail from Indonesia. It is also know as the Black Foot Trochus, Turban, or Zebra Trochus snail. Banded Trochus Snails seem to breed quite easily in the home aquarium. It reproduces sexually by releasing gametes into the water column. The gametes appear as a cloudy, white substance. Breeding activity is usually sparked by changes in lighting or water conditions. After the gametes join, they develop into free-swimming larvae that eventually settle into your aquarium substrate and develop into mature snails over a period of a few months.

The Banded Trochus Snail is a fantastic snail for reef aquariums. Generally speaking, you can keep one snail for every two to three gallons of aquarium water. The Banded Trochus Snail is very peaceful and because of its shell shape, it is not easily eaten by crabs. The Banded Trochus Snail is one of the few snails that can right itself when knocked over.

Like other invertebrates, the Banded Trochus Snail is sensitive to high nitrate levels and intolerant of copper-based medications. It requires a gradual acclimation process, preferably the drip acclimation method. If you question the availability of food in your aquarium, supplement their diet with dried seaweed. There are no distinguishing characteristics between males and females.