Is that Nessarius or Whelk ?

[Lobophyton]

Hello, i introduced nerite snail in my tank, and the snail i believe are nessarius are eating them, could they be whelk ? thx

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Nassarius you will mostly see in the sand bed, unless right after feeding or at night.

Nassarius "glide" across the glass and sand, whelks typically move slower.

Nassarius snails shouldn't eat other live snails. The only way for a nassarius snails to eat other snails, would be if the snail died.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

The snail in your photo is definitely a nassarius, but as Walker Loves_The Ocean said, nassarius only eat what is already dead. I have several in my tank, and they do not go after anything but detritus, and something that has died. Never anything living, it is not their nature.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Also, nassarius snails only tend to climb the glass when they are extremely hungry. Is this the case?

 

[Lobophyton]

Also, nassarius snails only tend to climb the glass when they are extremely hungry. Is this the case?

thanks guys, yes they climb the glass

 

[kevgib67]

It does not look like the nassarius snails I’ve had in my tank for over two years. I did have a whelk hitchhiker in my tank. I noticed 3 empty bumble bee snail shells and then caught it eating a fourth. They are typically nocturnal.

 

[Lobophyton]

It does not look like the nassarius snails I’ve had in my tank for over two years. I did have a whelk hitchhiker in my tank. I noticed 3 empty bumble bee snail shells and then caught it eating a fourth. They are typically nocturnal.

Excuse me if it sound wrong, english is not my main langage, you think the snail on my picture is a whelk ?

 

[kevgib67]

Excuse me if it sound wrong, english is not my main langage, you think the snail on my picture is a whelk ?

There are many types of whelks, technically nassarius snails are whelks but not all whelks are predators. It looks similar but not exactly like the one I had but it is hard to tell from a picture. Perhaps the nerites died of something else and those snails were doing their job of cleaning up the carcass. However whatever would kill the nerites in the water would do the same to the other inverts. My whelk did not go under the sand like my nassarius snails, keep an eye out for that. We have a saying, when in doubt pull it out.

 

[kjkszpj9]

Bad whelks dont glide they move like bumblebee snails. Good whelks the sand snails glide on the sand and glass. Although im not 100% certain all bad whelks move like bumblebee snails likewise with the good snails but atleast whst ive seen.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is nassarius. Sand is a maybe. Whelks get larger, have a tattooed snout and spend most of their time on the glass or rocks
The pic show a trailing tail which whelks do not have