Description

🐌 Margarita Snail — Description & Care Guide

📌 Scientific Name: Margarites pupillus

📌 Common Names: Margarita Snail, Pearl Snail

📌 Origin: Cold Pacific waters — especially along the west coast of North America

📌 Type: Marine Herbivorous Snail

🔍 Description

• Appearance:

  • Smooth, round, top-shaped shell with a subtle spiral

  • Usually olive-green to gray or brownish with a pearly sheen underneath

  • Shell size up to 1 inch (2.5 cm)

• Movement: Slow grazer, typically seen on glass, rocks, or powerheads

🧪 Aquarium Care

🏠 Tank Size

• Suitable for nano to large tanks

• Recommended: 1 snail per 5–10 gallons

🌡️ Water Parameters

• Temperature: 60–70°F ideal — but often sold for tropical tanks (72–78°F)

• pH: 8.1–8.4

• Salinity: 1.023–1.025 SG

• Nitrates: <10 ppm — sensitive to poor water quality

⚠️ Important Note:
Margarita snails come from cold-water environments, and though commonly sold for reef tanks, they may not thrive long-term in tropical temperatures. Many slowly die off after a few months in warm tanks.

🧬 Behavior & Role

• Temperament: Peaceful

• Reef Safe: ✅ Yes — does not harm corals or inverts

• Main Benefit: Algae control — eats:

  • Film algae

  • Diatoms

  • Green microalgae

  • Biofilm on glass and rock surfaces

🍽️ Diet & Feeding

• Diet: Herbivore

• Primarily eats:

  • Microalgae on surfaces

  • Diatoms

• Supplement in low-algae tanks with:

  • Nori (seaweed)

  • Algae wafers

🪸 Compatibility

• Compatible with:

  • Corals

  • Inverts (including other snails and shrimp)

  • Peaceful reef-safe fish

• Avoid:

  • Aggressive fish or crabs (e.g., wrasses, puffers, emerald crabs)

✅ Pros

• Excellent algae grazer

• Inexpensive and easy to find

• Peaceful and fully reef-safe

• Active throughout the day

⚠️ Cons

• Short lifespan in tropical tanks due to heat stress

• Cold-water origin — better for temperate tanks or unheated setups

• Cannot right itself well if flipped over

• Sensitive to copper and ammonia spikes