Trochus history

Trochus History - Banded Trochus

Available to order from supplier.

The Banded Trochus snail like other members of the Trochidae family, the Banded Trochus is easy to care for and very adept at working as your aquarium's cleaning crew. It has a light gray shell, shaped like a top or pyramid. Thanks to the brown stripes or bands on its shell, the Banded Trochus Snail adds a unique touch to any marine system.

Also known as Trochus, Turban or Top Shell, or Turban Snail, this species of the genus Trochus is the true Banded Trochus Snail of Indonesia. Perhaps what many aquarists appreciate most is the ease with which Banded Trochus snails seem to reproduce in the home aquarium. It reproduces sexually, releasing gametes into the water column. Gametes appear as a white, cloudy substance. Reproductive activity is often triggered by changes in lighting or water conditions. After the gametes come together, they develop into free-swimming larvae that eventually settle into the aquarium substrate and transform into mature snails over the course of a few months.

The Banded Trochus Snail is suitable for reef aquariums. As a general rule, you can keep one snail for every two to 11l of aquarium water. The Trochus Banded Snail is very peaceful and due to its shell shape it is not easily eaten by crabs. Unlike its close relative the Tectus Snail, the Trochus Banded Snail can right itself when dropped.

The Banded Trochus snail does best in a well-established aquarium with ample hiding places and space to forage. It naturally feeds on algae, cyanobacteria and diatoms among live rocks, substrate and aquarium glass. The Banded Trochus is also an effective film algae eater. However, they only passively graze on other nuisance algae such as hair algae.

Like other invertebrates, Trochus sp. it is sensitive to high levels of nitrate and intolerant to copper-based medications. It requires a gradual acclimatization process, preferably the drip acclimatization method. If food levels in your aquarium are insufficient, supplement the diet with dried seaweed. Although most Trochus Banded snails appear to reproduce easily, there are no distinguishing characteristics between males and females.