Trochus Snail

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widely distributed in the tropical Indo-Pacific, including the coral reefs of Indonesia, the Philippines, Red Sea, Australia, and Pacific islands. Inhabits shallow rocky reefs.

Taxonomy: Member of the family Tegulidae. Features a thick, top-shaped conical shell decorated with spiral ridges and nodules, measuring 3-5 cm in width. Possesses the valuable ability to right itself. Grows to 4 cm.

Social Behavior: Peaceful, hardworking, and active primarily at night. Constantly crawls over rockwork and glass surfaces, scraping algae off. Harmless to corals and tankmates.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Shell color has a white or cream base, marked with thick, irregular reddish-pink or dark brown vertical zig-zag stripes. No visible sexual dimorphism.

Tank Setup: Suitable for reef aquariums of 10 gallons or larger. Requires stable live rock structures with ample surface area for grazing. Popular for nano reefs due to its modest size.

Diet and Feeding: Strictly herbivorous. Consumes green hair algae, diatoms, cyanobacteria, and film algae. Supplement with dried seaweed (nori sheets) if natural algae is depleted.

Water Quality: Stable reef parameters. Salinity SG 1.021-1.025, pH 8.1-8.4, temperature 22-28°C. Highly sensitive to copper treatments and elevated nitrates.

Compatibility and Tankmates: 100% reef-safe. Perfect cleanup crew snail. Compatible with peaceful reef fish and corals. May occasionally be targeted by large hermit crabs.

Aquarium Breeding: Can reproduce spontaneously in home aquariums through broadcast spawning. Fertilized eggs develop into larvae that settle quickly on rocky substrates.

Risks and Diseases: Starvation in overly clean aquariums. Low calcium or alkalinity levels preventing proper shell growth. Highly sensitive to copper treatments.