Please ID (pics)

RFC · 05/20/2006, 09:24 PM

I have these white snails crawling on my glass at night. They are .5mm long. They look like pyramidal snails but I have no clams in my tank. Do I have to worry about these little critters?

My tank currently has the following snails.....Astraea Conehead Snails, and Super Tongan Nassarius Snails.

I also have come across this white fleshing thing that pops out a rock every night. When you shine a light on it in goes back into the rock. The object shown is is appox 6mm x 3mm. I have no idea what it is.

Thanks in advance

RFC

TWallace · 05/20/2006, 10:51 PM

I saw something similar to the second pic in my tank a few weeks ago, but it was pink. Looks rather like a tongue, it retracted when I shined a flashlight on it. It was inside a zoanthid frag. The zoanthids on the rock seem to be doing fine, so I didn't bother trying to remove it.

First pic kinda looks like a cerith snail, but I don't think they're nocturnal and mine prefer to stay on rocks/gravel. Never see them on the glass.

omni2226 · 05/20/2006, 11:09 PM

Second pic looks a little like a nudibranch yes? Try looking it up at seaslug website. They have tons of pictures/ids on slugs.

RFC · 05/20/2006, 11:37 PM

Here are some new pics of the unk retreating into its rock. What is it???

TIA

RFC

LeslieH · 05/21/2006, 02:03 AM

The second one is a chiton in the genus Cryptoplax. You can see some of the 8 plates that are largely covered by the mantle. Harmless grazer.

paulallen · 05/21/2006, 03:59 AM

The generic term i have heard for them is slipper snails, they arent nudibranches. harmless, if you see them get going they really move. I would say I have at least 50 of them in my tank and fuge, all from hitch hikers.

Sir Crabby · 05/21/2006, 06:54 AM

the first pic looks like Pyrimid snail. If you have turbo snails look around the bottom of the snail and see if there are any of those snail on them. I have the same looking snail in my tank and no clams. They dont get any bigger and they breed like crazy. They hide in the dark areas of the turbo and at night come out and inject a spike into the snail and draw the blood. There are only 2 ways to get rid of them which is wrasses(my 6 lined dont touch them) and a certain crab that clam farmers use but I haven't been able to find them anywhere. I have been taking the turbos out and taking off the pyrimids by hand which after a few months the population is very low. Hope this helps. Also it dont matter if you dont have clams I dont have clams, they come in on live rock or turbos.

Anemonebuff · 05/21/2006, 08:29 AM

The first one does look like a pyramid snail. The second kinda looks like a ribbon worm.

RFC · 05/21/2006, 11:25 AM

Thanks everyone for the comments. LeslieH you were correct as always

. I looked up chiton on google and that is exactly what it is.

Thanks again

RFC

05/20/2006, 09:24 PM	#1
RFC Moved On Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 157	Please ID (pics) I have these white snails crawling on my glass at night. They are .5mm long. They look like pyramidal snails but I have no clams in my tank. Do I have to worry about these little critters? My tank currently has the following snails.....Astraea Conehead Snails, and Super Tongan Nassarius Snails. I also have come across this white fleshing thing that pops out a rock every night. When you shine a light on it in goes back into the rock. The object shown is is appox 6mm x 3mm. I have no idea what it is. Thanks in advance RFC

05/20/2006, 11:09 PM	#3
omni2226 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Middle Florida Posts: 774	Second pic looks a little like a nudibranch yes? Try looking it up at seaslug website. They have tons of pictures/ids on slugs. __________________ I know enough to know I know nothing. Current Tank Info: 55 Marine. 29 Freshwater planted.

05/21/2006, 02:03 AM	#5
LeslieH Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,178	The second one is a chiton in the genus Cryptoplax. You can see some of the 8 plates that are largely covered by the mantle. Harmless grazer. __________________ Cheers, Leslie So many worms, so little time... Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

05/21/2006, 06:54 AM	#7
Sir Crabby Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 186	the first pic looks like Pyrimid snail. If you have turbo snails look around the bottom of the snail and see if there are any of those snail on them. I have the same looking snail in my tank and no clams. They dont get any bigger and they breed like crazy. They hide in the dark areas of the turbo and at night come out and inject a spike into the snail and draw the blood. There are only 2 ways to get rid of them which is wrasses(my 6 lined dont touch them) and a certain crab that clam farmers use but I haven't been able to find them anywhere. I have been taking the turbos out and taking off the pyrimids by hand which after a few months the population is very low. Hope this helps. Also it dont matter if you dont have clams I dont have clams, they come in on live rock or turbos. __________________ "For a wounded man shall say to his assailant, if I live I will kill you, if I die you are forgiven, such is the rule of Honor." Lamb of God Current Tank Info: 350 gal reef w/ 30gal refugium, 3" sandbed in main tank and refugium, 250 lbs LR, macro algae in fuge & 1lb of LR, assort. SPS, LPS, and zoos, 24 fish in main tank. Dwarf golden eel in fuge.

05/20/2006, 10:51 PM	#2
TWallace Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,464	I saw something similar to the second pic in my tank a few weeks ago, but it was pink. Looks rather like a tongue, it retracted when I shined a flashlight on it. It was inside a zoanthid frag. The zoanthids on the rock seem to be doing fine, so I didn't bother trying to remove it. First pic kinda looks like a cerith snail, but I don't think they're nocturnal and mine prefer to stay on rocks/gravel. Never see them on the glass.

05/20/2006, 11:37 PM	#4
RFC Moved On Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 157	Here are some new pics of the unk retreating into its rock. What is it??? TIA RFC

05/21/2006, 03:59 AM	#6
paulallen Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 344	The generic term i have heard for them is slipper snails, they arent nudibranches. harmless, if you see them get going they really move. I would say I have at least 50 of them in my tank and fuge, all from hitch hikers.

05/21/2006, 08:29 AM	#8
Anemonebuff Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: LI,NY Posts: 3,877	The first one does look like a pyramid snail. The second kinda looks like a ribbon worm.

05/21/2006, 11:25 AM	#9
RFC Moved On Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 157	Thanks everyone for the comments. LeslieH you were correct as always . I looked up chiton on google and that is exactly what it is. Thanks again RFC