Disappearing Snail

[barrett.oliver]

I was looking at the tank today..... Counting the snails, as I do most evenings.

Came to find one lying on his back, so I picked the little fulla up and as I'm moving him. He appears to have disappeared.

He wasn't in his shell, nothing was around the shell, it was just empty?!?

What on earth could have happened to this little guy (that was fine before I had left for work)???

Every other snail seems to be crawling around just dandy, except for my vanishing buddy. Please someone help?

Salinity-1.024
ph-7.8
ammonia-0.0
nitrite-0.0
nitrate-0.0
temperature-77.3

 

[hanas]

Do you have any fish, crabs in the tank?

 

[FredTheCat]

I just watched a trio of nassarius snails completely envelop and consume a dead cerith and leave the shell completely intact. Got any of them?

A bristleworm might have beat you to it as well.

-FredTheCat
----------------
Follow my adventures at:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1433751

 

[fatdaddy]

hermit crab? I bet you just thought he was in there, then .... tada .... empty.

Big newbie mistake is to go heavy on the hermits. I had one that one that named "Herbie the Snail Slayer". I had to get rid of him when he dined on a conch.

 

[barrett.oliver]

The only thing that is in the tank is snails:
Turbo Snails-2
?Banded Trochus/Astraea Conehead?(they both look very similar)

Could it be anything else besides crabs? I really don't see it possible that there is a crab roaming the likes of my tank without my seeing the last 5 weeks.

 

[Salamander]

What kind of snail died? Many snails sold in LFS's are more temperate water creatures and often die pretty quick in our warmer tanks. Bristle worms etc can clean it all up overnight.

And not seeing a crab in your tank for 5 weeks is nothing. My first tank was up for 3 or so years before I caught the first glimpse of a hitch hiking crab.

There are also some worms that target live mollusks and can be hard to detect. Oenone fulgida for instance is likely in many more tanks than people realize. It comes out at night, eats snails, is so sensitive to vibration and light and can retract into a rock lighting fast. Pretty much the only way you may know you have one if you find dead snails or shells with a little blob of clear mucus on it.

 

[barrett.oliver]

Banded Trochus or Astraea Conehead whichever one it actually is. Thats the one who appears to have "vanished".

Is something like that going to kill a fish that I get?

I was actually hoping to go get one tonight, but I don't want it to die before he even has a chance.

 

[Salamander]

IF something is actually killing and eating your snails its not likely something that will harm fish.

If it is something wrong with your water parameters...that's a different story.

And snails just die sometimes. They're something you will always have to re-stock.

 

[ScottL4619]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13017778#post13017778 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Salamander

And snails just die sometimes. They're something you will always have to re-stock.

+1 on this...

Some snails live a long time, some...not so much. I buy about 20 or so whenever I head to the good coral places in town (not often enough). Between the bristle worms, other snails, and the abundance of other creatures in my tank, dead snails are gone within hours. In fact, my biggest snail (2 years old probably) just died a couple of days ago. By the time I noticed, the shell was completely empty. I just knew because I recognized the shell.

 

[CraigSlice]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13011174#post13011174 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Salamander

There are also some worms that target live mollusks and can be hard to detect. Oenone fulgida for instance is likely in many more tanks than people realize. It comes out at night, eats snails, is so sensitive to vibration and light and can retract into a rock lighting fast. Pretty much the only way you may know you have one if you find dead snails or shells with a little blob of clear mucus on it.

maybe i have one of those, every time one of my snails has died (which is all of them so far cept for 1 hitchhiker nass. snail), there is always a clear gel type material around the shell. Guess ill have to research this a little more!

researched it a little, and i am going to be searching for this worm tontie with a red flashlight. Other than using sodawater like this site says (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php) anyone know another way to get him out of a rock?

 

[Salamander]

Well I've had them for a while. I think I got them out but I'm not sure. So even after 6+ years I haven't gotten a clam that I would love so much.

The only way I got them out was to sneak into the room at night. Usually quite a while after the lights have gone off. You have to truly sneak in...they are very sensitive to vibration from footsteps and putting your hand in the tank. Light also forces them to retract very fast.

Once I find one feasting on a snail it usually retracts into the rock. Then I take extra long 12 inch tweezers and hold them in the water just above where I think they'll come out and crawl between the tweezers. Then once they've come out far enough to again feast on the snail they were eating I grab them. It takes alot of time and patience. But I've caught quite a few that way.

I haven't seen one or any sign on one in about a year. But I'm weary.

 

[CraigSlice]

ya, i looked around my tank tonite with a red lensed flashlight and saw 3 or 4 different worms. Not really sure which one is the snail murderer. I guess ill have to buy a few snails and look at night to see which worm is attack them