Stinging snail?
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Invertebrates
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions about invertebrates.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10046
Printed Date: February 25 2026 at 2:50pm
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Topic: Stinging snail?
Posted By: aquablue
Subject: Stinging snail?
Date Posted: January 18 2006 at 3:49am
I know this is a crazy question but i'm only asking it as I couldn't find any information about it online, I purchased some liverock from a tank that was being torn down at a business due to it flooding they're waiting room and the rock contained a few good sized conch-like snails on it, and oddly enough the person getting the rock for me told me they sting so I should kill them off. I have the snails quarantined in a cup currently until I figure out if there even is a snail that stings or if these sting, it may be a really dumb question for me to ask so I apologise if it is, can anyone shed some light on this for me? I vaugly recall the person mentioning the name strombus snail also. 
------------- 12G Nano Cube | DIY LED Member of GCFB |
Replies:
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 18 2006 at 9:14am
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Have you searched that name on the www? Were there any other snails in the tank? There are some like you described, that eat other snails and they even spear fish. If in question, give them to someone else or throw them out. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: aquablue
Date Posted: January 18 2006 at 10:47am
 heres what they look like if that helps, I'd just hate to kill them if they turn out to be harmless.
------------- 12G Nano Cube | DIY LED Member of GCFB |
Posted By: jeffras
Date Posted: January 18 2006 at 11:03am
From those pics they look like tongan fighting conch. I have one and they are quite cool. Keep them or I'll take them from you if you don't want them.  ------------- Jeff Rasmussen |
Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: January 18 2006 at 11:45am
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It is not a conch, but most likely a Nassarius sp. They are good. I would not remove them. ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 18 2006 at 7:42pm
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For me, it would depend on whether that person you bought the tank from actually saw them eating other snails or fish. If not then from the pic, I agree with Jake. Nassarius are great scavengers. I did have one of those bad boys once. I actually saw it eat two snails. The good thing was, it only ate about once a week. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: aquablue
Date Posted: January 18 2006 at 9:58pm
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These snails do come out with a body shaped like a nassarius but very colorfull compared to the white nas's I've seen in other tanks, these have a leopard spotted body with white antennas, the siphon tube is also white leopard spotted with a white tip, right now they are happily roaming around my nano tank. I put them in there to watch and see what they do since it's a small tank and I can easily pull them out if they become a problem, I do like the colors though, they're bodies even seem to have a bit of blue to them also.
------------- 12G Nano Cube | DIY LED Member of GCFB |
Posted By: aquablue
Date Posted: January 20 2006 at 9:00pm
These snails eat other snails! they ate most of the snails in my seahorse tank while I was gone today, I came back and saw them muching on another one of them, looks like it's going to be execution for these snails or if anyone wants some free snail eating snails they're yours lol.------------- 12G Nano Cube | DIY LED Member of GCFB |
Posted By: seti007
Date Posted: January 21 2006 at 12:14pm
| Those are predatory whelks not nasarrius snails. THey will reprodue very fast and try to kill other snails and clams in your tank. I got some on my tank as hitchhikers on sone florida rock. They seem to have the most accute sense of smell of anything Ive seen in the tank, usually the first ones to show up on anything dead. The most humane way to kill them is to put them in the freezer for a few minutes. Here is an article on how to tell the diff. http://www.melevsreef.com/id/whats_a_whelk.html - http://www.melevsreef.com/id/whats_a_whelk.html |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 21 2006 at 3:00pm
Thanks Asad.  (and Marc Elev...)------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: January 21 2006 at 3:10pm
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I've never heard anyone call him that. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Mark Peterson wrote:
From now on I'm going to.Posted By: aquablue
Date Posted: January 23 2006 at 9:49am
My fault for giving the little guys a chance, the least they could've done was wait a day or so before going on a spree of snail killing mayhem.  ------------- 12G Nano Cube | DIY LED Member of GCFB |