WTHeck?

[ColbyNTX]

Been out of town for 11 days. Came home and found this in my tank. It was moving across the rocks and eating like a snail. Moved pretty quickly when I tried to catch it with a turkey baster. It’s about an inch long. This tank has only been up since October. All dry rock but coral has been added. I do dip with Coral RX Pro but I know it doesn’t get everything. I don’t know if I should leave it or burn it with fire?!?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Maggie321]

Stomatella

 

[Tahoe61]

Stomatella, awesome hitch-hiker.

 

[Maggie321]

Yea, I wish I scored some of those, not yet.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Wow, so put it back?

 

[Maggie321]

Wow, so put it back?

Yep. It's a keeper!

 

[killr66tb]

Could you please elaborate on this guy

 

[Maggie321]

Could you please elaborate on this guy

Do a search on this forum and learn about them. Or search the internet. It's a stomatella snail. It has a large foot and a small shell that it will not fit inside of. They are a good part of a cleanup crew.

 

[TinyChocobo]

Stomatella are awesome. Put it back. Put it back.

 

[Maritimer]

They also come in decorator colors - hence the latin name, which, IIRC, is Stomatella varia. They feed like snails because that's what they are, of the algae-grazing variety. Be aware that they can drop their tails, kind of like lizards do.

~Bruce

 

[ColbyNTX]

I’m not sure mine had a shell at all? I did put it back in the tank. It can move pretty fast! I got home after being gone for 11 days and was inspecting everything in my tanks and I saw that thing and was like what the heck?!? Glad it’s not bad. I’ve been fighting nudibranches in this tank. They came in on a large zoa frag. Guess I didn’t kill all the eggs. I was like, what now???