What Do Snails Eat?

[cranium]

A couple of days ago i got a rock with polyps and after i put it in i noticed two little snails no bigger than a dime on the rock. i have been watching them pretty closely and it looks like theyre eating the polyps. Are they Or what?????? If not what do they eat?????

 

[mr . salty]

They eat algae and stuff. I dont think they will mess with the corals....STEVE

 

[laneki]

I have noticed the same thing, but all the snails are doing is cleaning the nuisance algae away from the polyps.

 

[niteshift]

algea.
Chelle

 

[jimi]

Depends on the type of snail there are many predatory snails. There are at least four that you may pick up on live rock that eat corals.

 

[fishycouple]

Hi..my snails love algae...but I bought a rock from my LFS with Yellow Polops all over it $29.00 ..and my Yellow Tang thinks I've invited him out to dinner!
It was covered with them...now there are maybe 10 left...My Tang seems to be kinda hard of seeing...as he has a hard time chasing food down sometimes...Maybe he thinks the polops are some kind of hair algae or something....I don't know...I do know I am not going to put polops in my tank with him again!
Yelling at him doesnt work!
The adventure continues.
Rick

 

[krazzydart]

They were probly just cleaning off the area that alga was growing on.

 

[diane4]

I am wondering the same thing. I have 2 small rock patches with beautiful yellow polyps. Yesterday, I saw a very large snail on top of the rock and he was moving right over the polyp. I definately have less polyps on the rock piece now.
I do think they are eating the soft corals. Anyone else finding this to be true too. The yellow polyps have been healthy, thriving and growing. but I now have bare patches.