Hitch hiker snails ID, friend or foe...?

rovster · 09/10/2011, 05:21 PM

I have these hitch hiker snails that came on the same rock I posted on the other thread. I caught the big one creeping on a Zoa patch the other night, and was a little concerned. The smaller one is much lighter in color. The larger one is much darker. They look like snails but have no shell. More like a slug really. Just wondering if these guys are anything to worry about and if they should be removed from the tank. Thanks in advance.....

Here's the bigger one. I siphoned him out accidentally in today's water change, so I snapped some close-ups...

Thanks again!

thebkramer · 09/10/2011, 05:27 PM

Stomatella Snails

very good!!! very beneficial little buggers!!! Many reefers wish they would hitchhike in!!!

CONGRATS!!!!

aerie2008 · 09/10/2011, 05:30 PM

+1 on Stomatella, they are harmless algae grazers.

For snail question, I also recommend pagojoe on this site ;-)

rovster · 09/10/2011, 06:35 PM

Cool, thanks guys. I'll research them some so I can familiarlize myself with them. There was another small snail that hitch hiked on that rock. It was black with a white spot on his back. Haven't seen him since.

So far, that rock was full of hitch hikers, snails, pods, feather dusters, star polyps, Bryopsis, another macro, halimeda, and a 4 inch Starry Blenny, LOL. Yes, free fish in a rock....Thanks again!

mdeleon1 · 09/10/2011, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebkramer

Stomatella Snails

very good!!! very beneficial little buggers!!! Many reefers wish they would hitchhike in!!!

CONGRATS!!!!

+1

I started out with 2 of these hitchhikers and now have about 8 of them.

Reefers Digest · 02/28/2012, 10:59 PM

The black and white "snail" you saw was likely a "Ducksbill Limpit".

They are herbivores (and occasional eat sponges) so I'd say you're in luck there too.

http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=scutus

Jbrodys · 07/15/2012, 11:33 AM

I just saw a big one in one of my corals. He looked like he was puffing out some kind of smoke. He was big too no shell and about half inch

maymania6 · 07/15/2012, 02:55 PM

They have a shell but they can cover it, I have many of these in my tank, they are pretty cool, and get big

Yomidr19 · 07/15/2012, 06:54 PM

i had one of those guys on top of a peppermint shrimp. the shrimp wetn CRAZY! lol

bills tank · 07/15/2012, 07:58 PM

I have thousands of these snails and started with just a few of them as hitch hickers about a year ago . They r very good cleaners and when they r puffing that smoke its not smoke its sperm and if u watch closely when u have more of these multipling in ur tank when one of them puffs the sperm outbull c another do it and another and than u will c others sprayen eggs out and before u know it itll b a storm in ur reef ya kinda gross but it makes corals fish and everything else in the tank happy cuz they have some free food . I witness this at leastbonce a week and its crazy to c . Thats why i have more of these snails than sand in my tank .

danielle84 · 03/23/2015, 08:13 AM

So glad i found this forum I just got a live rock yesterday and found one those little boogers in my tank this morning i was freaking out a bit trying to figure out what it was. Sooo Happy its a good little hitch hiker.

09/10/2011, 05:21 PM	#1
rovster Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Miramar, FL Posts: 7,518	Hitch hiker snails ID, friend or foe...? I have these hitch hiker snails that came on the same rock I posted on the other thread. I caught the big one creeping on a Zoa patch the other night, and was a little concerned. The smaller one is much lighter in color. The larger one is much darker. They look like snails but have no shell. More like a slug really. Just wondering if these guys are anything to worry about and if they should be removed from the tank. Thanks in advance..... Here's the bigger one. I siphoned him out accidentally in today's water change, so I snapped some close-ups... Thanks again!

09/10/2011, 05:27 PM	#2
thebkramer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 3,198	Stomatella Snails very good!!! very beneficial little buggers!!! Many reefers wish they would hitchhike in!!! CONGRATS!!!! __________________ Rhonda There is NO such things as Dumb Questions!! There are However.. Dumb Answers!!! ;) ____________ Current Tank Info: 55g reef....Current Orbit SunPaq Lights, HOB Eshopps, HOB AquaClear 110, 2-1400 Koralia Powerheads & 1 Nano Koralia, 40+ lbs LR, 2" LS

09/10/2011, 05:30 PM	#3
aerie2008 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Germany Posts: 141	+1 on Stomatella, they are harmless algae grazers. For snail question, I also recommend pagojoe on this site ;-) __________________ 14 g tank since Sept2009. Koralia Nano + AquaClear 50. Solaris Marine 18 W (10.000 K). Mushrooms, Palys, Xenia, and Actinia equina. Avatar by KURT ZIMMERMANN

07/15/2012, 07:58 PM	#10
bills tank Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: north olmsted ohio Posts: 388	I have thousands of these snails and started with just a few of them as hitch hickers about a year ago . They r very good cleaners and when they r puffing that smoke its not smoke its sperm and if u watch closely when u have more of these multipling in ur tank when one of them puffs the sperm outbull c another do it and another and than u will c others sprayen eggs out and before u know it itll b a storm in ur reef ya kinda gross but it makes corals fish and everything else in the tank happy cuz they have some free food . I witness this at leastbonce a week and its crazy to c . Thats why i have more of these snails than sand in my tank . __________________ My tanks might cost my marriage . But they were here first Current Tank Info: 40 breeder sps dominated mixed reef with a black and white ocellaris and cleveland ocellaris (mix between black and white and reg its brown black orange and white ) mated pair , mated pair of bangii cardinals , green manderan and fire blood shrimp.

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09/10/2011, 06:35 PM	#4
rovster Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Miramar, FL Posts: 7,518	Cool, thanks guys. I'll research them some so I can familiarlize myself with them. There was another small snail that hitch hiked on that rock. It was black with a white spot on his back. Haven't seen him since. So far, that rock was full of hitch hikers, snails, pods, feather dusters, star polyps, Bryopsis, another macro, halimeda, and a 4 inch Starry Blenny, LOL. Yes, free fish in a rock....Thanks again!

02/28/2012, 10:59 PM	#6
Reefers Digest Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Port Credit, Ontario Posts: 111	The black and white "snail" you saw was likely a "Ducksbill Limpit". They are herbivores (and occasional eat sponges) so I'd say you're in luck there too. http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=scutus

07/15/2012, 11:33 AM	#7
Jbrodys Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Langhorne Posts: 51	I just saw a big one in one of my corals. He looked like he was puffing out some kind of smoke. He was big too no shell and about half inch

07/15/2012, 02:55 PM	#8
maymania6 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 111	They have a shell but they can cover it, I have many of these in my tank, they are pretty cool, and get big

07/15/2012, 06:54 PM	#9
Yomidr19 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: gwinnett GA Posts: 56	i had one of those guys on top of a peppermint shrimp. the shrimp wetn CRAZY! lol

03/23/2015, 08:13 AM	#11
danielle84 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 6	So glad i found this forum I just got a live rock yesterday and found one those little boogers in my tank this morning i was freaking out a bit trying to figure out what it was. Sooo Happy its a good little hitch hiker.