Help.....snail infestation???? Bad snails???

karnst · 12/19/2009, 10:28 PM

I bought a 57 gallon aquarium with a refugium in late October. We purchased live sand (caribsea), a small amount of cured fiji live rock, and some algae.
All we noticed in the first month were some copepods. Then in the beginning of november, we purchased some damsels. The beginning of this month we bought some partially cured live rock (they said it would be OK in the tank), a trochus snail, turbo snail, fire shrimp, and sand sifting goby and returned some of the damsels. Everything seemed fine until this week. I saw a few decent sized snail/slug things that i assumed came from the live sand (a little to small to really see well) because i didn't add calcium until about three weeks ago and i figured it was fine because the sand was caribsea. Then I noticed one or two in the top tank, which I again figured was no big deal, because we put the remainder of the live sand into that tank. Today I saw one of the snail/slug things on the turbo, and it seemed as if he was riding underneath the turbo's shell...which I thought was disturbing (the turbo was much larger)...also, I then noticed about 30 (THIRTY) very small snails, which on most of which I do see shells (i didn't examine each one) and they all look similar. I am assuming these came from the partially cured live rock (which is also doing well, and seems to have a sponge.....which is another issue in itself because i don't know what to do with it and/or feed it).

WHAT DO I DO????

thegrun · 12/19/2009, 10:32 PM

Well, without a picture it is impossible to tell if they are good or bad. I'll attach a couple of websites and you may be able to find the snails in question.
http://www.peteducation.com/category.cfm?c=16+2158
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchhikers.html

bertoni · 12/19/2009, 10:43 PM

Sponges tend to be filter feeders, often on bacteria and smaller items. It will survive on its own or not. The snails could be any of a larger number of species.

singold · 12/20/2009, 12:18 AM

Do the snails look like these: Stomatella Snails - harmless, very beneficial, and good scavengers to have in tank.

Frick-n-Frags · 12/20/2009, 01:03 AM

yeah, we really need pics. there are several species of parasitic snails too(on snail parasites, i know of 2: pyramidellaes, and those sort of curved limpet things that attach to the shell and drill for escargot), plus general meat eaters like whelks, etc.

and a whole bunch of good guys like strombus and collonistas and stomatella

karnst · 12/20/2009, 01:16 AM

I am currently trying to take pictures....I will update if i pull it off. My cameras are having a hard time focusing. I guess it will just take some fiddling. I haven't tried this before. I'll try again tomorrow. I have a underwater that does macro, if i get really desperate.

karnst · 12/20/2009, 01:22 AM

oh, on this page: http://www.chucksaddiction.com/Hitchsnails.html I saw something under the limpets that does look like the one on the snail...the one that looks like the snail w/ the branches on the back.....but these have no branches. I got it off, but it seems like it did no harm. Sorry I know nothing about any of this...
I will try for pics tomorrow.

Frick-n-Frags · 12/20/2009, 01:40 AM

......relax

...ahhhh

... you will get the pictures eventually.

..picture hint...these many megapixel cameras can take a huge pixel count picture. step back, use the highest pixel count setting, and get an uber clear,in-focus shot. then in a photo editor, you can zoom and crop out everything else for the closeup

..picture hint..mess around with shooting through a magnifying glass too for more possibilities

karnst · 12/20/2009, 08:24 PM

The snail type in question: sorry, these are from yesterday and poor photos. He has a flatish shell with a smallish lump in the middle. the shell-looking thing has small bumps, etc. I know the pictures probably won't be able to be id-d.

karnst · 12/20/2009, 08:32 PM

My diamond watchman goby loves to eat the tiny snails...their numbers are already dwindling.

Frick-n-Frags · 12/20/2009, 08:42 PM

those look very much like stomatellas..the slug with the too small shell on its back

edit: stomatellas are one of the good guys

Lightsluvr · 12/20/2009, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karnst

My diamond watchman goby loves to eat the tiny snails...their numbers are already dwindling.

That's interesting...

Yes, they look like stomatella... algae eaters that will breed prolifically in most tanks...

I have a Diamond Watchman who has never shown any interest in eating stomatella, or any other kind of snail...

Good luck with your tank...

LL

DJREEF · 12/20/2009, 08:59 PM

I concur. Stomatellas. I actually had one of our local reefers give me some out of his system. Great for keeping hair algae under control, plus they reproduce in the tank.

DJ

karnst · 12/20/2009, 09:00 PM

thanks! GO TOBY THE GOBY!!!!! :>

12/19/2009, 10:28 PM	#1
karnst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 7	Help.....snail infestation???? Bad snails??? I bought a 57 gallon aquarium with a refugium in late October. We purchased live sand (caribsea), a small amount of cured fiji live rock, and some algae. All we noticed in the first month were some copepods. Then in the beginning of november, we purchased some damsels. The beginning of this month we bought some partially cured live rock (they said it would be OK in the tank), a trochus snail, turbo snail, fire shrimp, and sand sifting goby and returned some of the damsels. Everything seemed fine until this week. I saw a few decent sized snail/slug things that i assumed came from the live sand (a little to small to really see well) because i didn't add calcium until about three weeks ago and i figured it was fine because the sand was caribsea. Then I noticed one or two in the top tank, which I again figured was no big deal, because we put the remainder of the live sand into that tank. Today I saw one of the snail/slug things on the turbo, and it seemed as if he was riding underneath the turbo's shell...which I thought was disturbing (the turbo was much larger)...also, I then noticed about 30 (THIRTY) very small snails, which on most of which I do see shells (i didn't examine each one) and they all look similar. I am assuming these came from the partially cured live rock (which is also doing well, and seems to have a sponge.....which is another issue in itself because i don't know what to do with it and/or feed it). WHAT DO I DO????

12/19/2009, 10:43 PM	#3
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Sponges tend to be filter feeders, often on bacteria and smaller items. It will survive on its own or not. The snails could be any of a larger number of species. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

12/20/2009, 12:18 AM	#4
singold Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Lake Saint Louis, Missouri Posts: 1,827	Do the snails look like these: Stomatella Snails - harmless, very beneficial, and good scavengers to have in tank. __________________ "If there is no wind.....row." Current Tank Info: 75gal Reef w/29gal Refugium

12/20/2009, 01:03 AM	#5
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	yeah, we really need pics. there are several species of parasitic snails too(on snail parasites, i know of 2: pyramidellaes, and those sort of curved limpet things that attach to the shell and drill for escargot), plus general meat eaters like whelks, etc. and a whole bunch of good guys like strombus and collonistas and stomatella __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB

12/20/2009, 01:16 AM	#6
karnst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 7	problems with cameras I am currently trying to take pictures....I will update if i pull it off. My cameras are having a hard time focusing. I guess it will just take some fiddling. I haven't tried this before. I'll try again tomorrow. I have a underwater that does macro, if i get really desperate. Last edited by karnst; 12/20/2009 at 01:24 AM. Reason: extra info

12/19/2009, 10:32 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Well, without a picture it is impossible to tell if they are good or bad. I'll attach a couple of websites and you may be able to find the snails in question. http://www.peteducation.com/category.cfm?c=16+2158 http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchhikers.html

12/20/2009, 01:22 AM	#7
karnst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 7	oh, on this page: http://www.chucksaddiction.com/Hitchsnails.html I saw something under the limpets that does look like the one on the snail...the one that looks like the snail w/ the branches on the back.....but these have no branches. I got it off, but it seems like it did no harm. Sorry I know nothing about any of this... I will try for pics tomorrow.

12/20/2009, 01:40 AM	#8
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	......relax ...ahhhh ... you will get the pictures eventually. ..picture hint...these many megapixel cameras can take a huge pixel count picture. step back, use the highest pixel count setting, and get an uber clear,in-focus shot. then in a photo editor, you can zoom and crop out everything else for the closeup ..picture hint..mess around with shooting through a magnifying glass too for more possibilities __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB

12/20/2009, 08:42 PM	#11
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	those look very much like stomatellas..the slug with the too small shell on its back edit: stomatellas are one of the good guys __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB

12/20/2009, 08:59 PM	#13
DJREEF 25 & Over Club Join Date: May 2000 Location: Conroe, TX Posts: 1,737	I concur. Stomatellas. I actually had one of our local reefers give me some out of his system. Great for keeping hair algae under control, plus they reproduce in the tank. DJ __________________ = 8-->{I> Current Tank Info: FOWLR&SPS

12/20/2009, 09:00 PM	#14
karnst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 7	thanks! GO TOBY THE GOBY!!!!! :>