pros/cons of bumblebee snails

motlot77 · 01/31/2007, 12:15 AM

i like the look of them but don't think i've run across anyone talking about them the short while i've been on this forum.

good for cleaning crew?

bertoni · 01/31/2007, 12:21 AM

They might eat some leftover food, but they are primarily predatory on small animals in the sand, if they're the usual bumblebee snails. I wouldn't stock them.

jer77 · 01/31/2007, 12:44 AM

I agree, especially in a 20 gallon tank, don't stock them. They don't eat algae, they only eat mostly beneficial life in the sand. Don't get me wrong, they won't cause any problems in your tank, but there are many other choices of snails that will benefit your tank.

scrmbld33 · 01/31/2007, 06:00 AM

the bumble bee snails i have are almost never on the sand, the just sit on the rocks during the day, and crawl around at night on the rocks, also if you getting them for the shells, you cant see the yellow stripes cause they get corriline covered

steri · 01/31/2007, 08:08 AM

I don't know this for certain, but I have heard that Bumblebbe snails are not reef safe, and can at times damage corals.

Like I said, I don't KNOW this for certain b/c I've never had them, but I have heard it before.

J. Montgomery · 01/31/2007, 08:21 AM

I often find my bumble bee snails (all LR hitchhikers) working their way in between zoas, they seem to do a nice job of keeping the zoas clean (I haven't noticed any unhappy or damaged zoas either). I almost never see them on the sand. I haven't personally witnessed them causing any problems.

greenbean36191 · 01/31/2007, 08:55 AM

They don't eat corals, but they don't do anything useful either. Like Bertoni said, they feed on small animals like worms and "pods." They generally don't cause any noticable damage though since they're so small. As far as getting them for their shells, I wouldn't count on ever seeing them again. I know I have at least two of them somewhere in my tank, but I never see them during the day, and only rarely at night.

Trip 22 · 01/31/2007, 09:36 AM

I have 3 in my biocube. They came with the tank. One has gotten bigger however they just sit in the rocks and hide. I haven't had them damage anything....yet.

dippin61 · 01/31/2007, 08:25 PM

got 1 in mine.. see him all the time, all hours of day. like someone else said, mine stays mostly in between my zoas, but never has harmed them, or anything else that i can tell.

and no, his shell does not get covered in coralline for some reason.

ive had him for about 3 years

ionredline0260 · 01/31/2007, 08:33 PM

get a bumble bee shell and let a hermit colonize it, same thing right?

ALittleSalty · 01/31/2007, 08:38 PM

I have had four of them in my tank and they have done fine. I see them mainly on my rock and the back wall. Every now and then I will see them on my zoo's and in the sand. Peacefull snails and add a little color to the tank. (My fiance calls them our purdue snails due to their color) Jon

01/31/2007, 12:15 AM	#1
motlot77 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: bay area Posts: 355	pros/cons of bumblebee snails i like the look of them but don't think i've run across anyone talking about them the short while i've been on this forum. good for cleaning crew?

01/31/2007, 12:21 AM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	They might eat some leftover food, but they are primarily predatory on small animals in the sand, if they're the usual bumblebee snails. I wouldn't stock them. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

01/31/2007, 12:44 AM	#3
jer77 Phish Lover Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,642	I agree, especially in a 20 gallon tank, don't stock them. They don't eat algae, they only eat mostly beneficial life in the sand. Don't get me wrong, they won't cause any problems in your tank, but there are many other choices of snails that will benefit your tank. __________________ - Jonny -, 120g 5 Year Old Reef w/ SPS, BTA, Zoos & some Softies. 40g Frag Tank. 40g Sump. Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 External Cone Skimmer. 250W Radiums. TaoTronics LED. PanWorld 200PS w/SQWD

01/31/2007, 06:00 AM	#4
scrmbld33 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: south jersey 08050 Posts: 2,394	the bumble bee snails i have are almost never on the sand, the just sit on the rocks during the day, and crawl around at night on the rocks, also if you getting them for the shells, you cant see the yellow stripes cause they get corriline covered __________________ a left over shrimp shedding is not "a sicilian message meaning luca brasi sleeps with the fishes" fish are friends, not food Current Tank Info: 90gal salt, 2 250mh 14k hamiltons 2 110 actinic, 127lbs LR,50lbs tonga 70lbs indonesia 7lbs tonga branch asm g3

01/31/2007, 08:08 AM	#5
steri Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Aurora, IL. Posts: 2,361	I don't know this for certain, but I have heard that Bumblebbe snails are not reef safe, and can at times damage corals. Like I said, I don't KNOW this for certain b/c I've never had them, but I have heard it before. __________________ 220g: French Angel, Emperor Angel, Passer Anger, Blue Tang, Yellow Tang, Snowflake Moray Eel, Lunar Wrasse Current Tank Info: 220 with T5HO lighting. ETSS skimmer.

01/31/2007, 08:21 AM	#6
J. Montgomery Mouth Pipetting Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 6,278	I often find my bumble bee snails (all LR hitchhikers) working their way in between zoas, they seem to do a nice job of keeping the zoas clean (I haven't noticed any unhappy or damaged zoas either). I almost never see them on the sand. I haven't personally witnessed them causing any problems. __________________ Josh

01/31/2007, 08:55 AM	#7
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	They don't eat corals, but they don't do anything useful either. Like Bertoni said, they feed on small animals like worms and "pods." They generally don't cause any noticable damage though since they're so small. As far as getting them for their shells, I wouldn't count on ever seeing them again. I know I have at least two of them somewhere in my tank, but I never see them during the day, and only rarely at night. __________________ 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

01/31/2007, 09:36 AM	#8
Trip 22 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Connecticut Posts: 313	I have 3 in my biocube. They came with the tank. One has gotten bigger however they just sit in the rocks and hide. I haven't had them damage anything....yet.

01/31/2007, 08:25 PM	#9
dippin61 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,897	got 1 in mine.. see him all the time, all hours of day. like someone else said, mine stays mostly in between my zoas, but never has harmed them, or anything else that i can tell. and no, his shell does not get covered in coralline for some reason. ive had him for about 3 years __________________ Reefers Law: It can take about 48 hours to brown, and 48 weeks to color back up! Current Tank Info: 55 Gallon BB Low Iron Glass, Dual 110w VHO Actinics, 250w PFO MH 20k XM

01/31/2007, 08:33 PM	#10
ionredline0260 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Box Around the Corner Posts: 747	get a bumble bee shell and let a hermit colonize it, same thing right?

01/31/2007, 08:38 PM	#11
ALittleSalty Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Lafayette, IN Posts: 119	I have had four of them in my tank and they have done fine. I see them mainly on my rock and the back wall. Every now and then I will see them on my zoo's and in the sand. Peacefull snails and add a little color to the tank. (My fiance calls them our purdue snails due to their color) Jon