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Little Shop of Coral

Gold Ring Cowrie (Monetaria annulus)

Gold Ring Cowrie (Monetaria annulus)

$12.00 CAD
$12.00 CAD
Sale Sold out
Size

The Gold Ring Cowrie is a sleek, glossy-shelled snail best known for its signature golden ring pattern. Mostly nocturnal, it spends its time cruising rockwork and glass looking for film algae and leftover organics. It can be a great “interesting cleanup crew” addition in the right tank, but cowries are opportunistic grazers, so they are best kept in systems where you can monitor behaviour closely.

Why we love it

  • Beautiful glossy shell with the classic gold ring pattern

  • Active night-time grazer that adds variety to the cleanup crew

  • Tough shell and hardy once acclimated

  • Fun to spot after lights out as it patrols the rockwork

Care and Compatibility

Care Level: Easy to Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Safe: With caution
Diet: Omnivore (film algae, biofilm, leftovers)
Adult Size: ~1"
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons recommended (larger tanks provide more natural grazing)

Feeding

Gold Ring Cowries do best in tanks with natural algae and biofilm to graze.

  • Film algae and biofilm on rockwork and glass

  • Leftover fish food and frozen food scraps

  • If the tank is very clean, supplement with a small piece of nori or an algae wafer

Watch body condition. If it spends long periods inactive or the tank is ultra-clean, supplemental feeding helps.

Tank and Setup Notes

  • Best in established tanks with stable parameters and natural grazing surfaces

  • Secure rockwork and frags since cowries can bump into loose pieces while cruising

  • Maintain stable alkalinity and calcium to support shell health

  • Avoid rapid salinity swings, inverts are sensitive to changes

Compatibility Tips

  • Generally safe with corals, but cowries can be unpredictable in reef tanks

  • Some individuals may graze on soft corals, zoanthids, or sponges, especially if underfed

  • Avoid tanks with predators like triggers, puffers, and larger wrasses that may harass or eat snails

  • Provide spare grazing and occasional supplemental food to reduce the chance of coral picking

Acclimation and Health

Drip acclimation is recommended. Introduce gently and place it on the glass or rockwork so it can grip quickly. Once settled, cowries are typically hardy, but stability is the key to long-term success.

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LIGHT

LOW: Place coral at the bottom of the tank. Depending on the type, coral may need to be placed off sand and therefore mounted on a ceramic disc of piece of rock.

MEDIUM: Place coral at mid-range of the tank. Best placed/glued on top of a rock scape at mid-range height. 

HIGH: Place coral from mid range to just below water level. SPS coral are shallow growing so they require and are able to tolerate intense light.

FLOW

LOW: Most soft coral do well with a small, gentle pulse. There are certain corals that can even be placed in areas of indirect flow, meaning places aside a rock structure or set into a entrance to a cave style space.

MEDIUM: Many LPS types of coral prefer medium pulse current. Most Euphyllia or corals that have more tissue structure connected to their skeleton, don’t like to be in a high flow area like the direct flow of the wave pump.

HIGH: Similar to high light, SPS enjoy being in some heavy current. Most LPS and SPS that branch encrust or plate prefer high flow that simulates the top water waves.

SKILL

ENTRY: While some may say beginner level, "Entry" is a good term to be used when starting out in the world of corals and marine life. Prior to adding livestock, you want to ensure that your reef has the proper parameters including zero levels of ammonia and nitrite. Seeing traces of nitrate in your waters is a good sign - just keep them at a lower level of 2ppm to 10ppm. Maintaining correct temperature and salinity are a huge factor to stable parameters. Starting to monitor your PH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium is a great habit to get into to keep a successful reef.

While some soft coral don’t require too much light, having a proper reef light that puts out the proper pars is very important. You'll also want to have a good amount of flow and protected rock areas, as placing corals in their happy spot is ideal for success.

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