Do nessarius snails eat other snails?

[jmatt]

I put a variety of snails in my new tank and a few days later it looks like the nessarius snails are ganging up on and attacking a trochus. Three of them had him flipped over and were on top. So thinking he couldn't get right side up, I brushed them aside and flipped him over and they immediately went right back after him.

So, do they eat other snails? It didn't look like a tickle fight.

 

[Mikedawg]

Maybe your Trochus was already dead and they were scavenging.

 

[rtparty]

They sure can

 

[TnFishwater98]

You could have whelks

Whelk versus Nassarius | Melev's Reef

www.melevsreef.com

 

[TnFishwater98]

Some vendors accidentally or maybe knowingly have whelks mixed in with their nassarius snail orders

 

[jmatt]

I just saw it again. One stumbled on a different trochus, flipped it on its side... and called for his buddies. Another nessarius about eight inches away raised his proboscis and immediately made a bee-line straight toward them.

And now that I'm looking around some more I see small shells that may have had a small blue leg hermit.

 

[jabberwock]

Do they have a leopard print? That would be a whelk.

 

[jmatt]

I don't know why my pictures come out this way, the tank is not nearly this blue to the eye.

 

[jabberwock]

Looks like hungry Nessarius snails.

 

[tbrown3589]

I put a variety of snails in my new tank and a few days later it looks like the nessarius snails are ganging up on and attacking a trochus. Three of them had him flipped over and were on top. So thinking he couldn't get right side up, I brushed them aside and flipped him over and they immediately went right back after him.

So, do they eat other snails? It didn't look like a tickle fight.

True nassarius don't. Do you have a picture of them? You may have ended up getting sold a whelk instead.

 

[jmatt]

Do they have a leopard print? That would be a whelk.
View attachment 3026255

No, none that I can see.

 

[tbrown3589]

Do they go under the sand?

 

[jmatt]

Looks like hungry Nessarius snails.

The tank is only six weeks old and I have very little in it (3 very small banggai cardinals). I went out and picked up 15 snails (5 trochus, 5 astrea, 5 nessarius) and 5 very small blue leg hermits. I have brown algae starting to show, which is why I wanted to introduce a few CUC members.

It's very possible there's not enough for them to eat. What would one feed a snail? lol

 

[jmatt]

Do they go under the sand?

Yes, periscope up.

 

[jabberwock]

Anything. My Nessarius "arise" from the sand for pellets or mysis. It's kind of creepy. How big is the tank?

 

[907_Reefer]

Over feed with whatever! Likely just not enough junk in there for them yet!

 

[vetteguy53081]

I put a variety of snails in my new tank and a few days later it looks like the nessarius snails are ganging up on and attacking a trochus. Three of them had him flipped over and were on top. So thinking he couldn't get right side up, I brushed them aside and flipped him over and they immediately went right back after him.

So, do they eat other snails? It didn't look like a tickle fight.

Generally not but similar known as whelk will. Also confused with Nassarius vibex. The whelk will have a snout that looks like it has tattoo patterns as in pic below:

Whelk is the one on top but you can see similarity

 

[Cthulukelele]

Yeah they're likely starving to death and in need of a meal desperately. I'd imagine same with those snails or they'd be able to thwart the aggression. IMO LFS push people to get clean up crews way too quick

 

[AydenLincoln]

Yes those are nassarius and they are probably hungry and there isn’t enough food for them since it’s a new tank. I’d recommend burying some food like pellets in the sand. And no they shouldn’t kill or eat other snails they could have been dead already.

 

[jmatt]

Anything. My Nessarius "arise" from the sand for pellets or mysis. It's kind of creepy. How big is the tank?

106 gallons with a 30"x48" footprint. It's not a lot of CUC for something this size, I wouldn't think.