Slipper Snail Invasion...?

cwrenge · 03-20-2005, 07:55 AM

Hi to You all at ReefScantuary...! ( what a great group ) I hope some one can help me... I have an Explosion of a type of snail that seem to have a oval shell ( off- white ) and elongated - trailing tail... " There Everywhere ! " they appear sometime after the lights go off... excep, now they are in my clear tubing... most are about the size of a small eraser... some (30 % ) arelike a large felt tip marker..... my worry is , i dont want them to die-off at some point and cause my Reef Tank ( 55 gal ) to crash... I wonder what to do ? my tank has been up 2 years...... live-rock an soft corals, fish.... seems that i will have to break-down my plumbing and Chiller to remove most of them....i don't want to exterminate them...GGGGGGGGGeeeeeshhhhh... "what to do ??? " thanks for any insite to a soultion... cwrenge from NJ USA

Gina · 03-20-2005, 08:08 AM

Snail

Could it possibly be a limpet? Found this in our Knowledgebase see if it matches anything here. There are more articles on snails there if you don't see it here. Limpets are the first ones that come to mind whos shells are oval. We have probably 50 in our tank. One large one, the others are babies.

Gina · 03-20-2005, 08:13 AM

Slipper Snail

I found this about the Slipper Snail and noticed that it says it stays in one place for most of it's life.

Do the snails you have move around or stay in one place?

Is there any way you can post a pic of one of the snails you have in your tank?

nickt · 03-20-2005, 08:46 AM

If there is alot of them, they are probably babies of whatever type of snail you already have. Maybe their shell isn't developed fully yet?

NaH2O · 03-20-2005, 09:20 AM

Sounds like they might be Stomatella varia. Do they resemble this picture at all?

These are great to have. Because of the shape of the shell, Stomatella have a special defense mechanism (instead of hiding in the shell). They can break off the rear portion of their foot when threatened. The broken piece then wiggles to distract the predator, while the main body tries to get away.

Hope it helps!

cwrenge · 03-23-2005, 07:50 PM

Thanks for the prompt reply....and yes Gina , they do move around ..slowly..yet appearing to be in different locations..and to NaH2o...Yes... except the shell is more Oval an a pearl (whiteish) color....i discoverd yesterday one the size of my pinkie nail... others are as small as a pencil lead.. quite a few of them.. i wonder if my " UV " will effect them in a negative way...? ? ? because some are moving along my tubing hose thru the chiller and then thru the UV...back into the tank... i appreciate the feed-back very much..! thanks again to you all at " RS "... cwrenge

03-20-2005, 07:55 AM	#1 (permalink)
cwrenge Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Neptune,NJ. Posts: 11 View Gallery Karma Komment	Slipper Snail Invasion...? Hi to You all at ReefScantuary...! ( what a great group ) I hope some one can help me... I have an Explosion of a type of snail that seem to have a oval shell ( off- white ) and elongated - trailing tail... " There Everywhere ! " they appear sometime after the lights go off... excep, now they are in my clear tubing... most are about the size of a small eraser... some (30 % ) arelike a large felt tip marker..... my worry is , i dont want them to die-off at some point and cause my Reef Tank ( 55 gal ) to crash... I wonder what to do ? my tank has been up 2 years...... live-rock an soft corals, fish.... seems that i will have to break-down my plumbing and Chiller to remove most of them....i don't want to exterminate them...GGGGGGGGGeeeeeshhhhh... "what to do ??? " thanks for any insite to a soultion... cwrenge from NJ USA

03-20-2005, 08:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
Gina Moderator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,842 View Gallery Karma Komment	Snail Could it possibly be a limpet? Found this in our Knowledgebase see if it matches anything here. There are more articles on snails there if you don't see it here. Limpets are the first ones that come to mind whos shells are oval. We have probably 50 in our tank. One large one, the others are babies. __________________ Gina and Mark's 75 Visit Our Sponsors Gina's Cube Gina

03-20-2005, 08:13 AM	#3 (permalink)
Gina Moderator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,842 View Gallery Karma Komment	Slipper Snail I found this about the Slipper Snail and noticed that it says it stays in one place for most of it's life. Do the snails you have move around or stay in one place? Is there any way you can post a pic of one of the snails you have in your tank? __________________ Gina and Mark's 75 Visit Our Sponsors Gina's Cube Gina

03-20-2005, 09:20 AM	#5 (permalink)
NaH2O Contributing Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 1,929 View Gallery Karma Komment	Sounds like they might be Stomatella varia. Do they resemble this picture at all? These are great to have. Because of the shape of the shell, Stomatella have a special defense mechanism (instead of hiding in the shell). They can break off the rear portion of their foot when threatened. The broken piece then wiggles to distract the predator, while the main body tries to get away. Hope it helps! __________________ ~Nikki~

03-20-2005, 08:46 AM	#4 (permalink)
nickt Midas Blenny Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 118 View Gallery Karma Komment	If there is alot of them, they are probably babies of whatever type of snail you already have. Maybe their shell isn't developed fully yet?

03-23-2005, 07:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
cwrenge Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Neptune,NJ. Posts: 11 View Gallery Karma Komment	Thanks for the prompt reply....and yes Gina , they do move around ..slowly..yet appearing to be in different locations..and to NaH2o...Yes... except the shell is more Oval an a pearl (whiteish) color....i discoverd yesterday one the size of my pinkie nail... others are as small as a pencil lead.. quite a few of them.. i wonder if my " UV " will effect them in a negative way...? ? ? because some are moving along my tubing hose thru the chiller and then thru the UV...back into the tank... i appreciate the feed-back very much..! thanks again to you all at " RS "... cwrenge

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