What’s this on my Nassarius snail shell?

[litsoh]

Just noticed these possibly aiptasia looking things on the shell of my nassarius snail. Can anyone help ID? I haven’t seen anything like this on other shells or anywhere in the rockwork/glass.

 

[fishguy242]

Looks like hydroids to me

 

[GlassMunky]

Hydroids

 

[litsoh]

Are they something I should get rid of or are they safe to leave be?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Are they something I should get rid of or are they safe to leave be?

Get rid of them before they infest your tank.

 

[litsoh]

Get rid of them before they infest your tank.

Is it safe to just scrub them off the shell?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Is it safe to just scrub them off the shell?

Personally I'd sacrifice the snail...

 

[I never finish anythi]

Pointless just getting rid of the snail. They will be somewhere else . Highly doubt they are just contained to the snails shell .

 

[litsoh]

Personally I'd sacrifice the snail...

I'd like to avoid that if possible, it's a little tough getting inverts where I'm at

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Pointless just getting rid of the snail. They will be somewhere else . Highly doubt they are just contained to the snails shell .

So there's no point in getting rid of an obvious source of colonial hydroids if there might be others already in the tank? Not sure I understand the logic

 

[litsoh]

Pointless just getting rid of the snail. They will be somewhere else . Highly doubt they are just contained to the snails shell .

That's what I'm assuming as well, but at the very least I haven't seen them anywhere else

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I'd like to avoid that if possible, it's a little tough getting inverts where I'm at

Then do the best you can to scrape them off the shell...
I will say that in all my time running reef tanks, the only time I had to completely break one down due to a pest was when I had these...

 

[I never finish anythi]

So there's no point in getting rid of an obvious source of colonial hydroids if there might be others already in the tank? Not sure I understand the logic

Well I can't see them just being on the snails shell tbh .

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Well I can't see them just being on the snails shell tbh .

Again, if its something that can harm corals, why wouldn't you want to remove any that you can, regardless of whether or not more pop up?
Are you advocating the OP just throw in the towel and break down the tank?

 

[litsoh]

Again, if its something that can harm corals, why wouldn't you want to remove any that you can, regardless of whether or not more pop up?
Are you advocating the OP just throw in the towel and break down the tank?

I will say, this is in a fowlr so I don't have any coral that would be threatened. Not too sure if that changes things a bit.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I will say, this is in a fowlr so I don't have any coral that would be threatened. Not too sure if that changes things a bit.

It does... The hydroids could still take over the tank, but if there are not going to possibly bother corals, it would just be an aesthetic issue.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Get rid of them before they infest your tank.

I have these all over my tank, the extremely tiny ones have never been a problem to me, they grow under shaded ledges and never bother my corals (even when they're right up against them) corals never show any signs of irritation

 

[litsoh]

It does... The hydroids could still take over the tank, but if there are not going to possibly bother corals, it would just be an aesthetic issue.

I could try to just manually scrub them off in this case. I'm not too sure when I'd be able to get any more nassarius (or any other snails for that matter). Would things like peppermint shrimp help?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I'm generally pretty conservative dealing with pests, but after my experience with colonial hydroids, I always recommend immediate removal at all costs. Like I said, I had to do a complete teardown because of these. Luckily it was a temporary frag tank and not the display.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I could try to just manually scrub them off in this case. I'm not too sure when I'd be able to get any more nassarius (or any other snails for that matter). Would things like peppermint shrimp help?

Not really.