Strange snail behavior?

sheaD · 11/08/2011, 12:44 PM

So for the last couple of days my Dwarth Cerith Snails have been acting extremely strange. I have a 120 gallon display so I have hundreds of these little guys and the last day or two they have been all together and moving as one solid mass. Last night before I went to bed 90% of my cerith population were all congregated on the same rock together. Then when I woke up this morning they were all down in the middle of the tank on the sand crawling around each other, then today at lunch they were all huddled up together in a bottom corner moving vigorously around each other. Has anyone else seen this type of behavior or have any ideas as to why they are acting this way??

smellslikeTUNA · 11/08/2011, 12:56 PM

Interesting, kinda wish my dwarf ceriths would do this they might actually be efficient at cleaning then

sheaD · 11/08/2011, 01:06 PM

Not much cleaning going on really. Just hundreds of black snails moving as one. They do move quickly (for snails) but just circling around each other. It appears they ALL get to a spot in the aquarium that they like then just slither in circles around each other. One of the stranger things I've ever seen in an aquarium.

crabbyjoe · 11/09/2011, 01:07 AM

got any video? this would be interesting to see!!

sheaD · 11/09/2011, 07:18 AM

No video yet, I'll try and get some tonight. Here are some cell phone pics I took of them this morning. This is roughly 85% of my total population huddled around each other. I think I have stupid snails.

Green Chromis · 11/09/2011, 08:03 AM

Maybe they are mating.

sheaD · 11/09/2011, 08:06 AM

Is that natural snail behavior when mating? I know nothing about snail mating behavior.

Sugar Magnolia · 11/09/2011, 09:34 AM

It could be a spawning event.

11/08/2011, 12:44 PM	#1
sheaD Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 87	Strange snail behavior? So for the last couple of days my Dwarth Cerith Snails have been acting extremely strange. I have a 120 gallon display so I have hundreds of these little guys and the last day or two they have been all together and moving as one solid mass. Last night before I went to bed 90% of my cerith population were all congregated on the same rock together. Then when I woke up this morning they were all down in the middle of the tank on the sand crawling around each other, then today at lunch they were all huddled up together in a bottom corner moving vigorously around each other. Has anyone else seen this type of behavior or have any ideas as to why they are acting this way??

11/08/2011, 12:56 PM	#2
smellslikeTUNA Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 453	Interesting, kinda wish my dwarf ceriths would do this they might actually be efficient at cleaning then __________________ -Great minds don't think alike, they innovate!- 57g Oceanic Illuminata \| Kessil A150W 10K LED \| 1x 453nm Stunner \| Trigger Systems Sump/Refug \| Reef Octopus NWB-110 Skimmer \| RKL+ System \| 2X Evo 750gph \| BFS RO/DI

11/09/2011, 08:03 AM	#6
Green Chromis Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: miami,florida Posts: 640	Maybe they are mating. __________________ Natural Reefer Current Tank Info: 600 gallon Carribean Reef System, ETSS Protein Skimmer, 1.5HP Tradewinds Chiller, Reef Breeders Photon V2+ LED Lighting For The Refugium, Mitra LX7206 LED Lights For Display Tank

11/09/2011, 09:34 AM	#8
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	It could be a spawning event. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

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11/08/2011, 01:06 PM	#3
sheaD Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 87	Not much cleaning going on really. Just hundreds of black snails moving as one. They do move quickly (for snails) but just circling around each other. It appears they ALL get to a spot in the aquarium that they like then just slither in circles around each other. One of the stranger things I've ever seen in an aquarium.

11/09/2011, 01:07 AM	#4
crabbyjoe Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: canton ohio Posts: 158	got any video? this would be interesting to see!!

11/09/2011, 07:18 AM	#5
sheaD Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 87	No video yet, I'll try and get some tonight. Here are some cell phone pics I took of them this morning. This is roughly 85% of my total population huddled around each other. I think I have stupid snails.

11/09/2011, 08:06 AM	#7
sheaD Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 87	Is that natural snail behavior when mating? I know nothing about snail mating behavior.