Astraea Snail

Description

Astraea Snails are one of the best natural algae grazers for marine aquariums. They spend their day grazing on glass, rocks, and decorations, helping to control nuisance algae while keeping your aquarium looking clean. Their distinctive conical shells add natural interest to the aquarium, and they are completely reef safe, making them an excellent addition to reef and fish-only marine systems.

These hardy snails are peaceful and can be kept with most reef-safe fish and invertebrates. They are especially effective at controlling green film algae and diatoms.

Care Level

Easy

Scientific Name

Astraea spp.

Origin

Caribbean and Western Atlantic

Adult Size

2–4 cm

Minimum Tank Size

60 litres

Reef Safe

✅ Yes

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Primarily herbivorous

Feed naturally occurring algae. If algae become scarce, supplement with:

• Dried seaweed (Nori)
• Algae wafers
• Spirulina-based foods

Water Parameters

• Temperature: 24–26°C
• Salinity: 1.024–1.026 SG
• pH: 8.1–8.4
• Ammonia/Nitrite: 0 ppm
• Nitrate: <20 ppm

Compatibility

Excellent with:

• Corals
• Shrimp
• Hermit crabs (larger hermits may attack them for their shells)
• Reef-safe fish
• Other snails

Avoid keeping with:

• Triggerfish
• Puffers
• Large wrasses that prey on snails

Special Notes

• Excellent at controlling green film algae and diatoms.
• They sometimes struggle to right themselves if they fall onto their backs, so it's worth checking on them occasionally and flipping them over if needed.
• Best introduced into mature aquariums with an established algae supply.
• Keeping a small clean-up crew of Astraea Snails can significantly reduce algae maintenance in reef aquariums.