Nassarius Snails

[happy fish]

These nassarius snail are they really reaf safe? I bought some fron SWF and they look just like the photo they show, but I caught one sucking the life out of my Royal Gramma and sucking on my tube worms and such. Please help

 

[happy fish]

tring to catch these suckers

 

[mr. tuna]

They are reef safe. They will eat decaying animals.. so if your royal gramma has been dead and the nassarius snails are just eating it.. thats what they do.

 

[rubberduck]

was ur royal dead :scared:

 

[happy fish]

no the Royal Gramma was not dead, and when I pulled the snail off it it was still alive for awhile. The fish was in its normal hidding spot. And what about the tube worms?

 

[happy fish]

need more info

 

[legion]

are you sure it wasn't a whelk?

 

[peter78]

The snails will start eating dying fish and inverts. When animals are dead or dying they put out a different chemical and that is what is attracking the snails. Trust me, they are super great for your tank. They do the best job on your sand plus if you have a lot and you put in meaty foods, it looks really cool seeing all these snails coming out of no where.

 

[blitt]

My nassarius don't come up for frozen food but they go mad for flake. It's crazy. I call them Night of the living dead snails.

 

[ninjamini]

I have yet to find a LFS that has these guys. Are they common?

 

[peter78]

My LFS has them, he has a couple diffent types. I am sure they are the same nassarius snail but some are larger than others and the shells are different and the foot on some a black spotted. Really cool.

 

[ninjamini]

Every LFS I have been to says "nassarius snail who?" Well not all of them but several. Some just said that they dont get them. What do they look like. I seen the pic at SWF.com is there other shells/types.
It seems that turbos are the only snail here in S. Florida.

 

[wocka]

ive got some snails right out of the ocean that look like Nassarius ones.. i never see them burying in the sand, allways on the glass just sitting there. they probly werent nassarius becuase they didnt do jack

 

[ninjamini]

As taken from SFW.com:
"The Nassarius will often times bury itself into the sand bed and wait until it senses food in its vicinity. They are good at keeping the top layer of the sand bed stirred up without damaging microfauna"
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...a0904723cea6f3

 

[peter78]

If you dont have Nassarius Snails, I would get them. My sand would be a lot crappier if I didnt have them. I have seen them come in two sizes. One is about 1" and the other is 1/2". They are diffent but the same. They are a great invert to have in your tank!

 

[scubagirl]

I love watching my snails. They do just come right out of the sand when the sense food. I have 3 large white ones and the last batch I bought were small and black. They are very beneficial and I've never heard of them picking on anything!

 

[clown52]

Funny but I have these and the Cerith snails. The Cerith are the ones that seem to burry themselves and stir the sand the most. The Nass seem to like the glass.

 

[ninjamini]

I love to see a pic of your Cerith and Nassarius Snails.