Nassarius Snail Question

jb61264 · 07/22/2009, 10:30 AM

I have a 75 with a SSB and am wondering how many nassarius snails I should add to my tank...I currently have a few astreas and turbos in there (but not nearly enough)...wanted to have the nassarius snails to help keep the sand moving and heard they are good for that.

Anybody have any experience with them? Will they mess with any LPS corals I have in the sand (open brain, etc) or clams?

jimsplace · 07/22/2009, 10:59 AM

I have a few in my tank and have not had any problems with them messing with anything sitting on the sand. They are fun to watch at feeding time because they pop out of the sand and head in the direction of the food. If anything dies in the tank they will help clean it up too. My hermits are wearing a few shells so I don't think I have as many as I started with, but I think I started with about 6 in my 90.

surge19us · 07/22/2009, 11:06 AM

They won't bother anything. Start with 6-8. If there isn't enough to eat some will die.

saf1 · 07/22/2009, 11:08 AM

Idsf has a lot of good info on those little guys - or did when I ordered mine from them. Only issue I have with them is if you also house hermit crabs - aka - their mini's.

While I dig the mini hermits - these snails become fodder for them. Their shells are perfect for their new homes.

cloak · 07/22/2009, 11:23 AM

I'd start off with about 6-8 also. In a SSB though, you can always just use your finger to turn the sand over every now and then. It's pretty much the same thing the snails will be doing for you, only on a larger scale. Just hook up a filter sock and do a water change right after and your good to go.

Beaun · 07/22/2009, 11:45 AM

Reefcleaners.org suggested 9 for me in my 65 gallon, and more if need be. I think a lot of it depends on the number of fish you have and how often/much you feed them.

rick99vt · 07/22/2009, 11:48 AM

Like one of the previous posts said, if your sand bed isn't very well developed they may just not have enough food. I initially added some to a tank that was 3 months old and they all eventually disappeared. I added some more after the tank had been up over a year, and they mostly have survived since then (2 yrs).

jb61264 · 07/22/2009, 12:38 PM

Any comments about other CUC additions?...how many other types of snails do you have if you have 8-10 Nassarius and how many hermits do you have as well?

saf1 · 07/22/2009, 01:45 PM

Idsf should have been IPSF - Indo-Pacific-Sea-Farms.

Sorry.

07/22/2009, 10:30 AM	#1
jb61264 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 1,112	Nassarius Snail Question I have a 75 with a SSB and am wondering how many nassarius snails I should add to my tank...I currently have a few astreas and turbos in there (but not nearly enough)...wanted to have the nassarius snails to help keep the sand moving and heard they are good for that. Anybody have any experience with them? Will they mess with any LPS corals I have in the sand (open brain, etc) or clams? __________________ In the end (and the begining) we're all just stardust anyway... Current Tank Info: 75 gallon SPS reef/55 gallon sump/6x54W TEK T5HO/Reef Octopus 200 Extreme Skimmer/Reef Octopus Single Chamber Calcium Reactor/RKL

07/22/2009, 10:59 AM	#2
jimsplace Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, Tx Posts: 633	I have a few in my tank and have not had any problems with them messing with anything sitting on the sand. They are fun to watch at feeding time because they pop out of the sand and head in the direction of the food. If anything dies in the tank they will help clean it up too. My hermits are wearing a few shells so I don't think I have as many as I started with, but I think I started with about 6 in my 90. __________________ Jim Current Tank Information; - 90 Gallon DT / 30 Gallon Sump - SPS Dominate - IC VHO Lighting

07/22/2009, 11:06 AM	#3
surge19us Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Willard, Oh Posts: 656	They won't bother anything. Start with 6-8. If there isn't enough to eat some will die. __________________ Sean Current Tank Info: 120 gal 30 gal sump/fuge, ATB Econo 840 skimmer, 2 Vortech MP40w, AC Jr., 2-250watt MH 20K Radiums, Lumen Max 2 reflectors, 2 tek T5 retro actinic, Prime chiller, ATO/kalk reactor, drews dosers on two part.

07/22/2009, 11:08 AM	#4
saf1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: California Posts: 2,259	Idsf has a lot of good info on those little guys - or did when I ordered mine from them. Only issue I have with them is if you also house hermit crabs - aka - their mini's. While I dig the mini hermits - these snails become fodder for them. Their shells are perfect for their new homes. __________________ -saf1 Current Tank Info: 210 gallon mixed reef

07/22/2009, 11:45 AM	#6
Beaun It's pronounced Bone Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Hampton, NY Posts: 1,967	Reefcleaners.org suggested 9 for me in my 65 gallon, and more if need be. I think a lot of it depends on the number of fish you have and how often/much you feed them. __________________ -Tyler "The only legitimate use of a computer is to play games." -Eugene Jarvis Current Tank Info: None

07/22/2009, 11:23 AM	#5
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I'd start off with about 6-8 also. In a SSB though, you can always just use your finger to turn the sand over every now and then. It's pretty much the same thing the snails will be doing for you, only on a larger scale. Just hook up a filter sock and do a water change right after and your good to go.

07/22/2009, 11:48 AM	#7
rick99vt Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 38	Like one of the previous posts said, if your sand bed isn't very well developed they may just not have enough food. I initially added some to a tank that was 3 months old and they all eventually disappeared. I added some more after the tank had been up over a year, and they mostly have survived since then (2 yrs).

07/22/2009, 12:38 PM	#8
jb61264 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 1,112	Any comments about other CUC additions?...how many other types of snails do you have if you have 8-10 Nassarius and how many hermits do you have as well? __________________ In the end (and the begining) we're all just stardust anyway... Current Tank Info: 75 gallon SPS reef/55 gallon sump/6x54W TEK T5HO/Reef Octopus 200 Extreme Skimmer/Reef Octopus Single Chamber Calcium Reactor/RKL

07/22/2009, 01:45 PM	#9
saf1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: California Posts: 2,259	Idsf should have been IPSF - Indo-Pacific-Sea-Farms. Sorry. __________________ -saf1 Current Tank Info: 210 gallon mixed reef