Cerith Snails

[hairtrigger]

Can someone give me some testimony, or first hand accounts of these guys? With hermits? Clean up capabilities. Specifically, I know it is best not to vaccum a DSB at all. But I am having a slight problem with buildup on the first layer. So I want something to remedy this. Thanks.

 

[fishkiller]

get a maid.. Aren't you supposed to be working or something?

 

[hairtrigger]

This is me working.

 

[fishkiller]

You better wait for me to order. I have made a small list. 20lbs aragonite, 1 mandarin goby, 1 coral beaty or flame angel, and a clean up crew of some sort. Make sure you call me before you order!!

 

[hairtrigger]

See my thread above.

 

[hairtrigger]

Ooooo... cucumber. Thats a good idea. I didnt think about that one. What do you know about those? Any info you might have?

 

[wrassecal]

Originally posted by Draxx
Do everything I told ya in the other post and get a sand eating cucumber. Get some nazzarith (spelling) snails if you want some sand stirrers.
Nassarius, I think.......it's 3 oclock in the morning. Best for sand bed. Cerith goes on the rocks and glass.

 

[hairtrigger]

Thanks yall. I do keep clear of all hermits except scarletts thank God. But Wrasse, if you can locate a picture of a nassarius I will love you. I just dont have the time right now. But that seems like a great addition to the combo.
And as far as cukes... I definitely need to get one or two. The names of these things are absolutly hillarious though. Donkey Dong, hahahahhahahahahhaa. Tiger tail. Whew.

 

[beth]

Nassarius are the best snails for sandbeds. The ceriths, in my exp, don't spend much time on sand...some, but not much. They basically work on glass and rocks and they do have a tendency to crawl out of the tank and dry up if you are not watchful. Also, hermits love to steal their shells If you want a hermit, stick to the red....but, even this one, I really don't see that they do much for the cleanup of sandbeds. Mostly in the rock.
I wish SWF.com would start selling Nassarius!

 

[mlm]

In my opionon the fighting conch is the best for the sandbed.

 

[newreefers]

I had some cerith snails and they did nothing for me, I ended up getting some fighting conchs instead, much better snail

 

[stupid_naso]

I think ceriths are great. They are very hardy in my opinion. They stir up the sandbed, and they can replace hermits too. It's true about hermits liking them. I have lost two of them due to hermits. Just don't mix them together.
stupid_naso

 

[wrassecal]

Hmm....my nassarius don't have a pointy shell, they are more blackish in color with a rounded shell.

 

[leviwin]

My Ceriths clean the glass in the day and at night I see them digging through the sand. In the mornng you can see the trails. I haven't had any trouble with the crabs yet. I have scarlet and some red legged. Guess I'm just lucky

 

[hairtrigger]

Good info yall. Thanks much. And yes, Beth, I too wish swf sold nassarius snails. Cukes too. Cause now I have to go to an LFS to find a donkey dong, ahhhahahhahahaha.

 

[wrassecal]

Here is a crappy pic of one of my nassarius tonight after lights dimmed. They hardly ever get on the glass and bury themselves in the sand, but at night I've found everything from the queen conch to cerith to nassarius on the glass. Not bumble bees for sure.

 

[jonthefb]

nassarius snails work great at sifting the sand without the ill effects of eating the infauna, cerith however have to be my champs as they reproduce extremely rapidly, which provides a constant source of zooplankton in your tank...sand sifting stars work well, but i fear that they prey on the sand life as well....same with the cukes...the cukes work by taking sand in one end and pooping it out in pellets from the other...
p.s..be very wary of sea cukes offered for sale in the trade....there are many in the family Holothuriidae that get extremely large and can possibly eject their cuviverian vesicles...the tiger tail cuke, Holothuria impatiens, or the Impatiens Cuke, is a great detritus feeder, but like all cukes can possibly expell its cuviverian tubules (intestines that are extremely sticky and can trap and kill fish)which can lead to the cuke dying and releasing the chemical Holothurin which binds to fish gills making the uptake of oxygen impossible and virtually choking them to death.....we recently received one of these guys in on a shipment that had its tubules ejected in the bag....it was recorded as DOA!
again do your research before placng these animals in your tank
and hair im pretty sure it was Donkey Dung, not Dong....hehehehehe freudian slip perhaps??????
hehehehhehe
good luck
jon

 

[wrassecal]

Jon, I'm too much of a lady to mention the donkey thing but not too much of one to have noticed it. I agree with you on the ceriths, mine have been reproducing like crazy lately. A few have even made it

 

[jonthefb]

yeah dont know if that kinda language is peritted or not, but i had to say something...jsut had to
that is the coolest thing about teh ceriths is that i honestly see a new clutch of eggs somewhere on my glass every day..and i am starting to see the babies show up as well...im gonna have to keep a close watch on my sump!
good luck
jon

 

[wrassecal]

They must be "in season" to put it politely. Anyone ever notice how one person will post about something reproducing and then a lot of people are posting the same thing. Is there research out there to suggest that like other living "animals" snails for instance reproduce at certain times of the year. Spring is in the air, all the new babies in the animal kingdom, some fish that kind of thing. Just wondering