Snail ID

Thatmeganchickk · Dec 17, 2019

I apparently have snail hitchhikers... they multiplied very quickly so I’m assuming they’re not good? I have removed as many as I could tonight but want to make sure they are bad before letting them die.
I have a clownfish, a wrasse, and a soon-to-hatch bamboo shark so I don’t want anything that would bother them. My coral is Kenya trees, some mushroom, and one devil claw (I think that’s the name?). I was given this established tank so I’m fuzzy on what exactly is in here. Sorry!

Mickle · Dec 18, 2019

Thatmeganchickk said:
I apparently have snail hitchhikers... they multiplied very quickly so I’m assuming they’re not good? I have removed as many as I could tonight but want to make sure they are bad before letting them die.
I have a clownfish, a wrasse, and a soon-to-hatch bamboo shark so I don’t want anything that would bother them. My coral is Kenya trees, some mushroom, and one devil claw (I think that’s the name?). I was given this established tank so I’m fuzzy on what exactly is in here. Sorry!

Collonista snail, they eat algae

Westoncase · Dec 18, 2019

Sundial snails I believe. A foe not a friend

Mickle · Dec 18, 2019

Sundial vs Collonista

Topekoms · Dec 18, 2019

Collonista

vetteguy53081 · Dec 18, 2019

+1 on collanista and great grazers

Westoncase · Dec 18, 2019

Mickle said:
Sundial vs Collonista

Ahhh i see now

Thatmeganchickk · Dec 18, 2019

I showed a photo to the guy at my LFS and he said they’re bad and will bother my shark. He said any snails that breed easily in saltwater tanks are pests?

IKD · Dec 18, 2019

Thatmeganchickk said:
I showed a photo to the guy at my LFS and he said they’re bad and will bother my shark. He said any snails that breed easily in saltwater tanks are pests?

The trochus snail (good snail) breeds fairly easily when established

What kind of shark do you have? I thought a shark would make a meal of them?

flsalty · Dec 18, 2019

Thatmeganchickk said:
I showed a photo to the guy at my LFS and he said they’re bad and will bother my shark. He said any snails that breed easily in saltwater tanks are pests?

He's an idiot.

minus9 · Dec 18, 2019

flsalty said:
He's an idiot.

Yeah, that's some pretty ignorant advice coming from someone at a LFS.
To the OP, kudos for posting here before you made a decision. Collonista for sure. Also, I have Strombus maculatus that reproduce like crazy and I absolutely love it.

flsalty · Dec 18, 2019

minus9 said:
Yeah, that's some pretty ignorant advice coming from someone at a LFS.
To the OP, kudos for posting here before you made a decision. Collonista for sure. Also, I have Strombus maculatus that reproduce like crazy and I absolutely love it.

My guess is he is aware of pest snails in freshwater and assumed it applied to salt as well. I would not ask that guy for any more advice.

eschaton · Dec 19, 2019

flsalty said:
My guess is he is aware of pest snails in freshwater and assumed it applied to salt as well. I would not ask that guy for any more advice.

Pest snails in FW aren't even anywhere near of as big of a deal as people make out. Some - like Malyasian Trumpet Snails - are actually beneficial to the tank. Even the more common ramshorn and pond snails aren't actually bad - it's just a lot of people overfeed which causes population explosions (similar to bristleworms in saltwater tanks).

flsalty · Dec 19, 2019

eschaton said:
Pest snails in FW aren't even anywhere near of as big of a deal as people make out. Some - like Malyasian Trumpet Snails - are actually beneficial to the tank. Even the more common ramshorn and pond snails aren't actually bad - it's just a lot of people overfeed which causes population explosions (similar to bristleworms in saltwater tanks).

I had a problem with bladder snails that hitched a ride on some plants I got from Petco once. They didn't eat the plants but they did enough damage to kill them. They sort of remind me of asterinas. Most of the time they are fine, but sometimes they take bites out of stuff you don't want them to.

Thatmeganchickk · Dec 26, 2019

IKD said:
The trochus snail (good snail) breeds fairly easily when established

What kind of shark do you have? I thought a shark would make a meal of them?

I just hatched a black banded cat shark. He’s about 4 or 5 inches long and has a small mouth so he can’t do anything to my two other fish. I don’t think he will eat the snails, but I won’t be mad if he does!