TankBud

Mexican turbo snail

Turbo fluctuosus

Also known as Turban Snail, Chevron Snail, Turbo Grazer, Wavy Turban

SaltwaterSnail

Mexican turbo snail (Turbo fluctuosus)
(c) Alberto Alcalá, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alberto Alcalá · cc-by

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Herbivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Very common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Turbinidae
Origin
Eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California south to Peru, including the Galapagos and Tres Marias Islands

Overview

The Mexican turbo snail is one of the hardest-working algae grazers sold for reef tanks. It is easy to keep if the water stays on the cool side and the rockwork is secure.

Did you know

Mexican turbo snails are wild-collected off the coast of Mexico. Harvest all but stops during the hottest months of the year. That is why local fish stores often run short of them from around July through September.

Caring for the Mexican turbo snail

Give Mexican turbo snails a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L), with a lot of open rock and glass to graze. They are large and strong enough to bulldoze loose rock and knock over unglued frags while they forage. Stack the rockwork securely rather than using loose rubble.

Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C), toward the cooler end, with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Kept at typical warm reef temperatures, this snail often fades out within months. It draws calcium carbonate straight from the water to build and thicken its shell over time.

It plows through hair algae, film algae, diatoms and cyanobacteria on the rock and glass. It is peaceful and reef safe.

Good to know

Turbo fluctuosus is a top-shell snail in the family Turbinidae, named for its heavy, top-shaped shell. A thick, calcified operculum seals the opening once the animal withdraws. It is larger than most other cleanup-crew snails.

In the wild

The Mexican turbo snail lives in the intertidal zone of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California south to Peru. Its range also takes in the Galapagos and the Tres Marias Islands. It clings to rocks and dead coral wherever fresh algae growth is thickest. These waters run noticeably cooler than a tropical coral reef.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Mexican turbo snail is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Mexican turbo snail need?

A Mexican turbo snail needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Mexican turbo snail need?

A Mexican turbo snail is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a Mexican turbo snail eat?

A Mexican turbo snail plows through hair algae, film algae, diatoms and cyanobacteria on the rock and glass.

How big does a Mexican turbo snail get?

An adult Mexican turbo snail reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

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