Sand sifting snail of some sort

DickCleveland · Dec 28, 2020

Can anyone ID? Must have been in the live rock somewhere

Mikedawg · Dec 28, 2020

Looks like a type of nasarrius; they usually live under sand and come out when they sense food

SHNICI · Dec 28, 2020

It don't look like nasarious at all, and looking on the proboscis/siphon, it look more like whelk snail. Which isn't good in that case to me.

Mikedawg · Dec 28, 2020

Whelk versus Nassarius | Melev's Reef

This may clarify what you have; a picture of the snails "face" would probably help with identification. These animals look very similar ime and require some study to distinguish them.

DickCleveland · Dec 28, 2020

Based on that article, thank you I believe it’s the snail based on its movements and it fully digging into my sand bed

SHNICI · Dec 28, 2020

Mikedawg said:
Whelk versus Nassarius | Melev's Reef

This may clarify what you have; a picture of the snails "face" would probably help with identification. These animals look very similar ime and require some study to distinguish them.

That's right

And the main there is if the one which is like siphon is like tattoo pattern and if you can't see feeding proboscis (from all what I know and read about) it's welk.
I think the best way to determine is to take it out of the water, and put it in separate smaller container, take some photos when it's upside down (if you can catch it when it go out of the shell), and when it's moving get few more photos (from different angles) and post them here. Like @Mikedawg say try to get photo of the front of it.

Mikedawg · Dec 28, 2020

DickCleveland said:
Based on that article, thank you I believe it’s the snail based on its movements and it fully digging into my sand bed

Hopefully so; whelks are voracious predators on other snails and bear watching. Good luck

SHNICI · Dec 28, 2020

DickCleveland said:
Based on that article, thank you I believe it’s the snail based on its movements and it fully digging into my sand bed

Have on mind the Whelks bury in the sand as well (like the nasarius), waiting for prey, something to catch.

Mikedawg · Dec 28, 2020

Whelk snail identification | REEF2REEF Saltwater and Reef Aquarium Forum

This post from ReefLover may help as well; I think the "attachment" of the trap door structure is an important distinction, not as sure of the relative importance of the skin patterns since there are several variants. Either way, you may want to remove it and not take the chance of it predating other snails you may have.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 28, 2020

Likely a whelk. The nassarius ans whelk have a front tube like that of an elephant trunk
The nassarius tube will be light and solid colored whereas the whelk with have a tube that lookslike its been tatooed and also have what looks like a second tail which is a flap

SHNICI · Dec 28, 2020

Mikedawg said:
Whelk snail identification | REEF2REEF Saltwater and Reef Aquarium Forum

This post from ReefLover may help as well; I think the "attachment" of the trap door structure is an important distinction, not as sure of the relative importance of the skin patterns since there are several variants. Either way, you may want to remove it and not take the chance of it predating other snails you may have.

that's right, or make more photos (if you can), post them here for positive ID, and if you don't have any animals in the sump toss it there waiting for ID

Nick Steele · Dec 28, 2020

I’m not a big snail guy but that looks like the lettered olives we have in Florida. They are predatory and shouldn’t be in a reef tank if I’m correct.

SHNICI · Dec 28, 2020

Nick Steele said:
I’m not a big snail guy but that looks like the lettered olives we have in Florida. They are predatory and shouldn’t be in a reef tank if I’m correct.

Can be, Don't know what's there, Also I have 2 different olive SP snails in my tank, but they are harmless (with that tattoo pattern)

clm65 · Dec 28, 2020

Nick Steele said:
I’m not a big snail guy but that looks like the lettered olives we have in Florida. They are predatory and shouldn’t be in a reef tank if I’m correct.

This would be my guess as well.

samnaz · Dec 28, 2020

Agree, looks like an Olive

Mikedawg · Dec 28, 2020

Yeah, more I look at shell's shape have to consider an Olive.

Isn't this hobby fun, lol?

jeffrey750750 · Dec 28, 2020

I would sump it

DickCleveland · Dec 29, 2020

At this point I am not going to stress, I am assuming the snail has been in the tank well over a month and the only losses I have had this far are one snail that was uneaten and two small hermits which I believe the tiger pistol I pared with a whiteish yellow watchman goby.

This snail seemed to some active after live brine feeding...it is in a 12 gal nano cube and came up out of the sand and nearly ran(for a snail) from one front corner of the tank to the other...I will get more pics when I find him active next.

As for the sump, this tank really doesn’t have a viable option as it’s built in the back of the tank. My Qt tanks are down as I am doing some painting and such in that room and my next tank (75 with a 29 sump won’t be up and running for another month or so.

Is there any behaviors I should be looking for other then maybe eating another tank mate?

Udest · Dec 29, 2020

If it is eating another tankmate it would most likey be a bivaulve if it is an olive snail , also they scavenge so if you want to put a clam in there it might be trouble otherwise it shouldn't cause much harm also they seem to be the fastest burrowers of all snails.