What is this?
- Thread starter Spyder_78
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NaClH2Opgh
New member
looks like a cerith snail:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+526+1159&pcatid=1159
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+526+1159&pcatid=1159
Spyder_78
Member
The reason I posted this is because Marc said that he never seen nassarius Snails reproduce. I talked to him about it and I am positive that they are not welks and the only snails that have been in my tank that look like these are nassarius's and these guys hide under the sand until the lights go off so its my thinking that the are baby nassarius's. I just wanted to see what other thought they might be.
NaClH2Opgh
New member
I thought the pyramid snails where more of a white color? What color are those more grey or white?
Spyder_78
Member
They look white with a little dark stripe that I think is their stomach seen through the shell but they are so small that it is really hard to tell, the size that the appear in the photo is about 3 times their actual size.
Do pyramid snails eat anything other than clams? I don't have a clam so these must be eating something else to survive.
Do pyramid snails eat anything other than clams? I don't have a clam so these must be eating something else to survive.
Last edited:
Masterderrull
Member
deff. not nassarius snails, most likely not pyramid snail (agree with saltwater "white in color"), looks like cerinth snails to me. Any variety of snail can highjack itself on your live rock and not show themselves for months or years. I had my tank set up for about two years and all of a sudden found that I had two stomatell snails I never bought or knew exsisted.
I have very similar (possibly the same) snails in my tank. Got them from a guy who purchased them from Indo-Pacific Sea Farms (ipsf.com) or Inland Aquatics (inlandaquatics.com). Supposedly "strombus grazers", but apparently this is up for debate:
http://www.reefland.com/forum/reef-aquariums/1935-hey-my-strombus-maculatus-snails-multiplying.html
What I do know is that they live in the rock and mainly come out at night, doing a very good job of cleaning up algae. They are prolific breeders and stay very small, and don't appear to be attracted to animal matter (i.e. they don't go after any of the food I drop in my tank, or the creatures living in it). I don't have any clams in my tank so I can't speak in regards to that, but they appear to be physically different than pyramid snails. All in all, a very good part of my clean up crew.
On a similar note, I have another species of very small, prolific orb-shaped snails in my other tank that also do a great job of algae clean up. I grabbed these from a LFS's coral display tank (they were on the glass, which is generally a good indication that they primarily are interested in algae) along with some asterina stars (all freebies and all doing a good job of cleanup without causing problems).
If you are planning on keeping clams and are concerned they might be pyramid snails, you could catch one with a pair of tweezers and use a magnifying glass to help ID. Here is a pretty good reference on pyramid snails (which is just one of several classes of small snails - most are beneficial):
http://www.reefland.com/articles/rho/identify-this-rissoid-and-pyramidellid-snails
Good luck!
John
http://www.reefland.com/forum/reef-aquariums/1935-hey-my-strombus-maculatus-snails-multiplying.html
What I do know is that they live in the rock and mainly come out at night, doing a very good job of cleaning up algae. They are prolific breeders and stay very small, and don't appear to be attracted to animal matter (i.e. they don't go after any of the food I drop in my tank, or the creatures living in it). I don't have any clams in my tank so I can't speak in regards to that, but they appear to be physically different than pyramid snails. All in all, a very good part of my clean up crew.
On a similar note, I have another species of very small, prolific orb-shaped snails in my other tank that also do a great job of algae clean up. I grabbed these from a LFS's coral display tank (they were on the glass, which is generally a good indication that they primarily are interested in algae) along with some asterina stars (all freebies and all doing a good job of cleanup without causing problems).
If you are planning on keeping clams and are concerned they might be pyramid snails, you could catch one with a pair of tweezers and use a magnifying glass to help ID. Here is a pretty good reference on pyramid snails (which is just one of several classes of small snails - most are beneficial):
http://www.reefland.com/articles/rho/identify-this-rissoid-and-pyramidellid-snails
Good luck!
John
