Is this snail a carnivorous snail? I am losing mexican turbos.

basssnake · 01/18/2010, 12:26 AM

Does anyone know if this snail is carnivorous and maybe eating my live mexican turbo snails? I have seen him several times over the open end of mexican turbos in my tank eating them. I don't know if the mexican turbos are already dead and he is eating the dead snail or if he is killing my mexican turbos and then eating them. I can say that about 6 months ago i noticed he would sometimes ride on the back of one of mexican turbos sometimes for a day or two. I looked at this snail and i can't see a mouth. Let me know what anyone knows about this snail. If he is killing my mexican turbos, i want to get rid of it, if he isn't and just eating dead things, then i would guess he is good. thanks for any info.

DeezNutz · 01/18/2010, 01:34 AM

I think that I've heard that some whelks do prey on snails, and it kind of looks like a whelk shell. A page off Melev's Reef describes whelks as preying on clams though, take a look and see if this is what you saw/have.

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/whats_a_whelk.html

Edit: A page of pictures of shells with scientific names.

http://www.gastropods.com/Taxon_page...SANIINAE.shtml

ucantmakeme · 01/18/2010, 01:40 AM

I'd say toss it in the sump for now. If u still have snail deaths then you have another problem. That's what I would do as MY first step in "troubleshooting". GL

greenbean36191 · 01/18/2010, 06:55 AM

Yes, this snail is a predator.

techreef · 01/18/2010, 09:55 AM

I can't really tell from your pics (a bit blurry for me) but I'd trust greenbean's opinion. Also worth thinking about is the temp of your tank's water. IIRC, Mexican turbos are actually a cool water snail, and they slowly "cook" in the warm temps of our reef tanks. So while your mystery snail could very well be preying on your turbos, they might be weakening and/or dying from being in too warm water.

basssnake · 01/18/2010, 10:14 AM

Well, i am keeping that tank in the 76 degree range. I thought that the sea of cortez was fairly warm water.

Anyhow, should i throw this snail away? Or what should i do with him? I have serpent and brittle stars in my sump and blue leg hermits. I don't want him to eat them too, lol.........give me your thoughts. thanks

noahm · 01/18/2010, 10:51 AM

+ whelk. You can either keep him and feed him a batch of new snails every so often, or give him to some snail predator at the LFS. I had one actually take out a gorilla crab when he was hungry in he sump, but it shouldn't bother the stars.

Firefish76 · 01/18/2010, 11:12 AM

+1 on taking it to LFS or putting it in your sump

01/18/2010, 01:34 AM	#2
DeezNutz Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 46	I think that I've heard that some whelks do prey on snails, and it kind of looks like a whelk shell. A page off Melev's Reef describes whelks as preying on clams though, take a look and see if this is what you saw/have. http://www.melevsreef.com/id/whats_a_whelk.html Edit: A page of pictures of shells with scientific names. http://www.gastropods.com/Taxon_page...SANIINAE.shtml Last edited by DeezNutz; 01/18/2010 at 01:44 AM. Reason: More info

01/18/2010, 06:55 AM	#4
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	Yes, this snail is a predator. __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

01/18/2010, 01:40 AM	#3
ucantmakeme Moved On Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 38	I'd say toss it in the sump for now. If u still have snail deaths then you have another problem. That's what I would do as MY first step in "troubleshooting". GL

01/18/2010, 09:55 AM	#5
techreef Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montclair, NJ Posts: 1,046	I can't really tell from your pics (a bit blurry for me) but I'd trust greenbean's opinion. Also worth thinking about is the temp of your tank's water. IIRC, Mexican turbos are actually a cool water snail, and they slowly "cook" in the warm temps of our reef tanks. So while your mystery snail could very well be preying on your turbos, they might be weakening and/or dying from being in too warm water.

01/18/2010, 10:14 AM	#6
basssnake Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 838	Well, i am keeping that tank in the 76 degree range. I thought that the sea of cortez was fairly warm water. Anyhow, should i throw this snail away? Or what should i do with him? I have serpent and brittle stars in my sump and blue leg hermits. I don't want him to eat them too, lol.........give me your thoughts. thanks

01/18/2010, 10:51 AM	#7
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	+ whelk. You can either keep him and feed him a batch of new snails every so often, or give him to some snail predator at the LFS. I had one actually take out a gorilla crab when he was hungry in he sump, but it shouldn't bother the stars.

01/18/2010, 11:12 AM	#8
Firefish76 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 51	+1 on taking it to LFS or putting it in your sump