Something growing on a snail

[Joe31415]

This snail has had some black 'things' on it since I got and I never thought much of it. However, I just noticed the the black things on it have something sticking out of them. I grabbed a few videos. As the white parts get longer and shorter, that's not just them blowing around, they're actually extending and retracting.
(here's the album if you can't see the video or you want to see more videos)

 

[blaxsun]

Nice job with the video! No idea, but I'm sure someone else has an idea...

 

[Karen00]

Bump. I have no idea but I'm curious as well. That's a great video!

 

[Mrsjesrobertson]

I believe these are vermetid snails. Someone more experienced than me may be able to give a second opinion. I know bumblebee snails are often suggested, but manual removal (when possible) has been the best for our tank.
They put out a little web at the end of that tube to catch food. And the mucus type web can irritate corals.

 

[eggplantparrot]

Vermetid snails.

I hate them with a passion and will do everything to keep them out of my tanks.

If you leave them and feed heavily, you could end up with an infestation.

Physical removal is best, scrape them off with a tool

 

[Joe31415]

Vermetid snails.

I hate them with a passion and will do everything to keep them out of my tanks.

If you leave them and feed heavily, you could end up with an infestation.

Physical removal is best, scrape them off with a tool

Is that what it is? Every time I've run across them they've been encapsulated (for lack of a better word), I've never seen one like that. I did pull the snail out this morning but I couldn't break off any of them off. I ended up cover them with superglue and tossing it back in the tank. I wish I had more time to pick at them...or at least let the glue dry, but I had to leave.

 

[eggplantparrot]

Is that what it is? Every time I've run across them they've been encapsulated (for lack of a better word), I've never seen one like that. I did pull the snail out this morning but I couldn't break off any of them off. I ended up cover them with superglue and tossing it back in the tank. I wish I had more time to pick at them...or at least let the glue dry, but I had to leave.

there are different species. some get huge, some encrust close to the substrate they grow on, some are small and grow a long tube out into the water column.

I just use a hemostat and crush/scrape them off.

 

[Joe31415]

I just use a hemostat and crush/scrape them off.

Well that's the problem. I was using the hemostat to hold the snail and trying to snap the vermited snail off with a dental pick (without anywhere near enough light). If it wasn't just going to climb out, I would have left it in a measuring cup with some water, hooked over the inside of the tank (to maintain temp), until I got home to deal with it.
Oh well, not much I can do about it now. We'll see how it looks when I get home.

PS. Really and truly, I probably should have just thrown it out, but I couldn't bring myself to throw out a live snail.
It would be nice if the hermit crabs would go after these vermiteds for a while. They've been on a killing spree for the last few days. They've killed off more nassarius snails in the last few days than they have in the last few months, all with shells smaller than the ones they're currently in.
Maybe they're trying to send me a message. All the now empty shells are piled up in one spot right in the front of the tank.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Definitely vermetid snails and as others have pointed out the best way to deal with them is manual removal. Bumblebee snails are not guaranteed to eat them but it can be worth a try. I have a huge infestation in my tank as they exploded in population over a few months. Honestly, while they are unsightly, they generally don't bother my corals. (However, there are different species as someone else pointed out and some are more harmful than others.)

Occasionally, I'll see one growing in between some zoas and will remove it, but I've learned to live with them. Now that doesn't mean you shouldn't be proactive in trying to remove them or keeping them out of your tank, but I've found that once they get in it's really more about mitigating their impact as full eradication is pretty much impossible. They simply grow in places you can't remove them like deep in the rock work, in your sump, within your plumbing, on snails, etc.

 

[eggplantparrot]

Snail shells are tougher than you think. Don't bother trying to delicately scrape with a dental pick.

Just hold the snail with your hand and and crush with the hemostat.

 

[Joe31415]

I was looking at the snail today to check my work and noticed something. At first I thought it might just be the way the glue reacted with the water when I put the snail back, but upon closer inspection, it's "something". I don't know if it's something benign, like some algae, or something that I need to worry about like....aiptasia.

And the obligatory link to the album in case you can't see the video here.