I need a small snail predator

Michael Hoaster

Michael Hoaster

Registered Seaweedist
Premium Member
I've got a snail population explosion, and I'm afraid it will crash if I don't reduce their numbers.

Ideally, it would be just a few hermit crabs, so I could easily remove them, when the time comes, and put them in the QT, until the next time.

Any suggestions?
 
Hermit Crabs don't necesarily kill snails, they only kill them in the process of stealing and needing new shells, and that's not a guarentee.

What type of snails are these and their size? You may need fights snails, with snails.
 
I have two snails multiplying rapidly. Ceriths, and what I believe to be a strombus species-looks like a miniature conch.

In a perfect world, I'd use a single, largish hermit crab, that would hoover up snails for a couple of days, and then be removed to the quarantine tank until next time. So I'm not looking for tiny hermits to evict my tiny snails for their shells. I'm looking for a hermit that just likes to eat them.
 
I would get a whelk. I had a whelk in my display and it kept eating the other snails so I put him in my sump.
 
Couldn't you just siphon them out one by one? There's really no need to kill them when all it would take is maybe 5 minutes of your time each day. You might be able to trade them in at the LFS for some food or something too. GL.
 
Yes, removing them manually is an option but I'd rather not, if I can avoid it. I'd much prefer a natural predator controls their numbers, over starvation. I've appealed to my LFS - no luck.

Thanks, hotelbravo, I'll check out whelks.
 
what about giving them away at your local club - im sure someone would come pick them out - most people always need extra snails
 
+1 for a whelk.

I had two at one point (Tiny orange horse conchs) that killed my fighting conch and wiped out all my snails..
Don't think you will find anything that will be as efficient as a whelk, minus an octopus...
 
Just let the whelks do their job and remove them. Ain't like they're specialized eaters and will starve without snails and clams, they can live in a sump.
 
I'll definitely keep the whelk in mind. It may be too efficient at killing snails. I only want mild predation, to keep the snail population in check.

Have added a mated pair of coral banded shrimp and 4 blue leg hermit crabs. I'm going to try this combo for awhile, and see if an equilibrium can be reached.

The new shrimp have found a nice gap in the fake wall to slip into. They back up into it, until only the tips of their antenna are visible. They seem a bit shy, and lay low during the day. Hopefully, they'll get more comfy and bolder so I can see them more.
 
Just out of curiosity, but where do you find a whelk at? The LFS in my area don't sell these things. Even the hobbyists in my local club tend to flush them. I'm just saying...

FWIW, start a new thread. "Let me see your Whelks & where are they now?" See who bites. GL.
 
cloak said:
Just out of curiosity, but where do you find a whelk at? The LFS in my area don't sell these things. Even the hobbyists in my local club tend to flush them. I'm just saying...

FWIW, start a new thread. "Let me see your Whelks & where are they now?" See who bites. GL.
Click to expand...

I can find a few places around here that sell them.

Even one cherry picked supplier has some in right now.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/whelks-and-other-predatory-snails

Doesn't even have to be a "true" whelk, as there are many different species of snails that are predatory towards smaller snails controversally not considered whelk, or very close relative. (Babylonia, Pusiostoma, etc.)
 
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