Nassarius snail AND hermit - shell-less

[m0nk]

My tank finished cycling several weeks ago, and I've slowly been adding livestock; water parameters are ok, though it's due for the weekly water change on Saturday (12 gal nano tank). The "community" consists of 2 blue legged hermits, 1 red legged, 2 nassarius snails, and 2 false perc clowns.
Just yesterday I saw my red legged hermit go shell-less. Since I have about 6 empty shells in the tank I thought he'd grab one of those but then I woke up this morning and saw one of my snails stuck to the glass under my filter pump-out and his shell was "blowing in the wind", so to speak. I thought he might be dead but when I picked him off the glass he curled up and got back in the shell.
Now, after coming home from work, I see that the hermit is still shell-less and now the snail is dug into the sand with his shell sitting next to his hole. I picked him up and he's still alive, just missing a shell. Is something wrong? Do nassarius snails "shed" their shell and grow new ones? Thanks!

 

[michaeltx]

if the snail has lost its shell the hermit has pulled it out of it. I dont know why its still alive though maybe a fluke or its something different that looks like a shell-less snail. anyway the snail if thats what it is will die and will not regrow a new shell it has one shell for life.
BTW thats why I really dont care for hermits.
Mike

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by MichaelTX
if the snail has lost its shell the hermit has pulled it out of it. I dont know why its still alive though maybe a fluke or its something different that looks like a shell-less snail. anyway the snail if thats what it is will die and will not regrow a new shell it has one shell for life.
BTW thats why I really dont care for hermits.
Mike
Are you certain on that Mike? (sorry, not picking on you) I had 2 nassarius snails in my tank. I then saw the shell with a hermit inside. After a months I still have the same 2 snails complete with shells. They are usually burried in the sand, so I assumed one had died and the blue-legged hermit had taken its shell. The two snails have come out, both wih shells. It is definately a snail shell the crab is wearing.

 

[michaeltx]

Are you certain on that Mike? (sorry, not picking on you
yeah right LOL
I have never seen a snail regrow a shell or heard of it. but the thing with these type of snails is that the reproduce quickly when the system is in check. so what you may be seeing is an off spring of the originals.
MiIke

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by MichaelTX
yeah right LOL
I have never seen a snail regrow a shell or heard of it. but the thing with these type of snails is that the reproduce quickly when the system is in check. so what you may be seeing is an off spring of the originals.
MiIke
LOL then they had ONE baby! :joy: Realy, I am not kidding. I still have just the original two, the same size that they were before and the hermit is sporting a nassarius shell! I have never had any other nassarius that may have died and the crab just found his shell. I thought it was the snail untill I saw the hermit legs. This was when I first re-set up my tank. Now the snails are in there as well, 2 of them. (I hadn't seen them for about 2 months or so)

 

[michaeltx]

now I have seen them bury into the rocks to not sure but if the hermit grabbed one out of its shell I dont see how it could live just in the way a snails anatony is. it is literally attached to the shell permantly..
Unless everything I ever though I knew about them is wrong though LOL I willhave to see what I can find out on the net about it the next couple of days.
But hey on a different note I go pick up about 10-15 coral frags tomorrow I cant wait~!!!!!!!!!!
mike

 

[michaeltx]

now I have seen them bury into the rocks to not sure but if the hermit grabbed one out of its shell I dont see how it could live just in the way a snails anatony is. it is literally attached to the shell permantly..
i forgot to add and hitch hike in on LR and LS **

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by MichaelTX
now I have seen them bury into the rocks to not sure but if the hermit grabbed one out of its shell I dont see how it could live just in the way a snails anatony is. it is literally attached to the shell permantly..
Unless everything I ever though I knew about them is wrong though LOL I willhave to see what I can find out on the net about it the next couple of days.
But hey on a different note I go pick up about 10-15 coral frags tomorrow I cant wait~!!!!!!!!!!
mike
Maybe I have just lost my mind and actually had 3! I am pretty certain I only had two though.
I want to see pics of those frags!

 

[michaeltx]

LOL I dunno. I will post pics once I get them Ihave a diatom bloom going on right now and not sure why since the tanks has been up for awhile that its just now showing :notsure:
anyway when i look up the info on the snail if I can find it I will post it in this thread.
Mike

 

[m0nk]

Update: the snail is still alive without his shell, he keeps burying himself in the sand each time I move him. I found the hermit crab hadn't started using the snail's shell, and apparently couldn't find his old one (which I couldn't either, must be stuck in a rock somewhere) and he must have died from being without that protection for some reason. Do hermits die without a shell for long? Guess it's been about a day or two. Anyway, tested my water, ammonia was at 0, nitrites rose to .05 and nitrates rose to between 5 and 10 (test kit gives weird ranges). So, doing water change now, fish seem happy but I'm not sure if anything else is in trouble....I can't find my other snail. Any thoughts?

 

[cannonman]

snails can't come out of their shells and grow new ones. they come completely out of their shell and they are dead. This thing that looks like a sail without a shell must be some other type of critter, but not a nass without the shell.

 

[m0nk]

Thanks for the info, though I'm fairly certain it's a nassarius, as it looked and acted in every way like the other one (as well as all the nass snails I've seen elsewhere), it just slowly and eventually lost it's shell, though I'm certain it was taken from the shell by the hermit. Anyway, I'm guessing by your info, and from the others, that the snail will eventually die, it's only been about a day at this point without the shell. Guess I'll have to keep watching over it so I can get it out of the tank asap when that happens. Thanks!

 

[gatorwpb]

Maybe its a stromatella snail.
They look like shell-less snails.