snail problems?

[bianca90]

I have like 20 snails and some of them have cracks in their shells. Is this how they outgrow the smaller shell? Or is it something eating the shell?

Thanks

 

[bianca90]

What are this white things on my glass? Snail Eggs? Are the snails eating each other.?

 

[mr_X]

those appear to be nassarius snails. they will need to be fed. they do not eat algae. they eat meaty foods. i can't tell what the things on the glass are.
snail shells will grow with the snail, they don't crack to grow. i don't know what the cracks are from.

 

[bianca90]

Thank you!

 

[momo]

Snails need calcium to grow healthy. I heard kail (spell check) is great. Also feed them lettuce and they will be happy campers. Plus if theres no kail. Or... Kale? I think you can get calcium supplement for fish ane you mid it in water.


P.s. Lack of calcium causes cracks ane divits. Sorry i didnt state up there.

 

[mr_X]

those snails will not eat kale or lettuce.

 

[momo]

Really? I didnt know that. My expirience is with mystery snails. My bad.

But the calcium still stands

 

[willy0508]

mr. x what do you recommend to feed the nassarius, i have about 10 and love the little guys.

 

[PrettyFishies]

Yes, do you actively feed them or are we talking leftovers?

 

[XxVooDooxX]

Mine eat leftovers. I haven't found a way to target feed them with the flow in my tank. Any advice on that?

 

[mr_X]

they eat left over food that hits the bottom. you could use sinking pellets if you are concerned about them getting enough food. a few of them in a tank won't need much target feeding, but 20 of them in a new tank will definitely need to be fed.
i believe when they crawl up the tank walls like that they are searching for food. they generally stay in the sand bed for protection otherwise.

 

[bianca90]

Great to knw! Thank you all

 

[XxVooDooxX]

+1
For sure!

 

[Gti_Leo]

nassarius will also eat detritus won't they, but when you put mysis shrimp in the water watch them all come out of the sand for meals

they might be my favorite type of snails they are so cool to watch while they enter and leave the sand and move rather quickly for snails

 

[mr_X]

hmm...quoted from wikipedia- "In biology, detritus is non-living particulate organic material (as opposed to dissolved organic material). It typically includes the bodies or fragments of dead organisms as well as fecal material."

i have never seen a nassarius snail make haste to a lump of fish poop or accumulated gunk in a low flow area of the sand bed. only left over fish food and freshly dead carcasses are of interest to them IME.