The Cerith Snail is one of the favorite snails among the aquarists, which makes a fantastic addition to any reef tank. They are hardy and can easily get along with other fish tank inhabitants. Often, the Cerith Snail can appear as dead during the days, as they are a little slow and most of their activity is seen after hours. They are sensitive to quick changes in salinity and pH, therefore slow drip acclimation is suggested. The Cerith Snails are mostly reef safe and are easy to maintain and care. It is indigenous to the Caribbean Sea, and other waters near and around the United States. The Cerith Snails attribute mainly a pointy shell and are found usually in dark to black or tan in color. They show a long life and therefore are great addition to your aquarium. The Cerith Snail prefers to grow in pH and temperature range of 8.1-8.4 and 72-78 degrees respectively. They stay healthy and happy in an aquarium with sufficient amount of alga on which it can feed. Also, the Cerith Snail clears out the aquarium glass and keeps it clean and clear. They breed spontaneously in tanks and increase its numbers quickly. The supplements of calcium have proved beneficial to their growth and development. Since their native home is in Caribbean Sea whose tide pools can often become very hot, the Cerith Snail can survive easily in a very warm tank. The Cerith Snails are strictly herbivores and is known for the consumption of red diatom and algae in the tank.
The Cerith Snail is a tremendous scavenging snail that will devour the diatom algae in your aquarium. These snails will bury into the sand bed, crawl along rockwork or aquarium glass, and do much of their feeding at night. They provide this useful service -- both the eating of algae, as well as the sifting of the sand -- with little effort or care. They make a great addition to any aquarium. In nature, they are found in large groups and more than one can be kept in the home aquarium.Snails belong to a Class known as Gastropods, which make up the largest class of Mollusks. Snails grow by increasing their swirling body while producing a protective shell. This shell protects their soft body from predators. They will use a pad, or foot, that extends from their shell which allows them to drag their shell along. As they drag their shell often times their mouth and eyes can be seen coming out from the opening of the shell. When frightened or sleeping this opening can be protected by an operculum, which is a hard protective cover that acts like a door to the shell. Snail identification is based on the color, shape, and pattern of their shell.
