UPDATE 11/30/2009-

FIRST 5 PEOPLE TO PM ME THIS MORNING GET A BREEDER PACK OF NANO CONCH FOR ONLY $15, SHIPPING INCLUDED!
I AM TRYING TO LINE UP A FEW MORE SNAIL SHIPMENTS FOR TODAY... LET ME KNOW...
THX
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UPDATE, TUESDAY 11/17/09:
okay guys, i dont know how they freakin do it but i have more conch snails available already!
if i can count more than 30 in my 2.5g, i clear a few out
i can take 6 3 orders of 4 snails each.
please pm me.
thx!
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FRIDAY 11/13/09:
All of the shipments this week and last week survived
i will be shipping this next round of orders on monday of both snails and frags. '
ill pm you guys when the boxes are sent.
thanks, adam


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update monday 11/9:
i sent out a few packages today and will PM those who's stuff went out. it is veteran's day on wednesday, so i think i will postpone any further shipments until next monday. sorry guys i just want to make sure we give the snails their best shot at surviving the voyage,...


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update thursday 11/5:
okay, last two orders still available? anyone interested?
also, i will have more of these guys in a couple of weeks, so if you didnt get some this round there is always next time...


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update monday 11/2:
since i only have ~5 orders left before i need to let the colony regenerate, i am going to make a list of the remaining 5 orders. please pm me or post here if you want some...
shipping will be $5 priority usps and it will go out next monday (11/9/2009)
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NANO CONCH (COLUMBELLID SP.) SNAILS
4 for $5
wonderful addition to your reef-friendly clean up crew! eats everything from diatoms, to hair algae, to cyano!
breeds easily in aquarium setting -- no pelagic life-stage...
PM ME FOR MORE INFO OR WITH QUESTIONS...

details:
Columbellid sp.



Identification: These look similar to the snails available via Indo Pacific Sea Farms. However, the person I purchased them from did not know their original source. IPSF identifies these snails as Strombus maculatus, however Dr. Ron Shimek and others believe these are actually a Columbellid snail, of the Genus Euplica.

Size: Typical aquarium size is 0.5-0.75 inches (12-19mm) along the length of the shell for adults.

Reproduction: These snails mate and then lay egg masses on the glass or rocks, typically in dark areas of the tank. These snails will reproduce very rapidly in the absense of predators.

Lifespan: These snails appear to be short lived with an adult living anywhere from 6 months to 1 year. However, I have found no research that backs up this claim. This is an area that could be researched.

Sexual Maturity: It is unknown how long it takes these snails to reach sexual maturity. This is an area that could be researched.

Potential Benefits:
1. Their rapid reproduction means they will quickly produce babies, often within the first couple of months.
2. The juveniles grow rapidly and appear to reach sexual maturity in less than 6 months, but this needs to be researched.
3. Their small size makes them ideal for cleaning crevices and hard to reach places that other larger snails cannot reach.
4. Excellent film grazers on the glass and rocks.
5. One of the best snails for grazing settling tiles in the Breeder Challenge experiments. Snails larger than a nickel should not be allowed to graze settling tiles as they could potentially eat any newly settled polyps that many smaller snails will not eat.

Potential Problems:
1. They can get stuck in SEIO or other narrow powerhead intakes with strong suction and perish.
2. They are small enough that any top-off devices will need snail guards to prevent the top-off device from sticking in the on position and overflowing the tank.

Diet:
Mostly diatoms and other microalgae films on the glass and liverock. They are found more often on glass than liverock in my tank.

ISPF.com's information page mentions them as a species that will eat cyanobacteria. I have seen mine occasionally leave a small track through cyanobacteria, but they do not control it in my tank. They definitely prefer to eat other things in the tank, especially the light dusting of algae/diatoms on the tank glass near the end of the lighting cycle.

Additional Information:
The Grazing Snails, Part III: Conchs, Ceriths, Cowries, and Columbellids
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/rs/index.php

ISPF.com Information Page:
http://www.ipsf.com/strombusfaqs.html

Euplica Scripta shell examples at Gastropods.com, the likely species id of our columbellids.
http://www.gastropods.com/9/Shell_2239.html

YGPM

PMed

How well do they ship? If they do ship well and you are willing to ship, do you know how likely an order of 4 will actually reproduce and keep a stable population in a tank. More specifically a 29g tank.

PM's replied...


junior,
they ship quite well, although i like to recommend shipping overnight i have had great success with using USPS priority service for only $5...
i started with 4 snails about 8 weeks ago and now have breeding populations in all of my tanks, so i think 4 will be a good start for your 29g (or really for a 2.5g or a 250g -- these guys multiply very well). let me know if you want a few

Yes put me down for an order. I really wanted them when they were on fraggle reef but I couldn't justify spending $40 on shipping for a $5 purchase.

yea i got mine from them as well... threw them into an order of coral so i wasnt spending all that $ on shipping the 4 snails
pm me to let me know when/where to send em...

PMed but got no response.

strange! never got ur pm... but i just pm'ed you so check you inbox

bring some to the January NCRC swap.

no problem, just remind me of the date when it gets closer...my memory is not as sharp as it used to be

OKAY EVERYBODY I AM GOING TO CUT THE NANO CONCH SALES OFF AFTER THE NEXT 2 ORDERS TO LET MY COLONY REGENERATE THX

Hmm. I might be interested, I may have missed it but is there shipping?

we can try priority for $5 it has worked thus far so it should work

anyone want some? im shipping priority tomorrow...

can i get payment info i would love a order of them

since i only have ~5 orders left before i need to let the colony regenerate, i am going to make a list of the remaining 5 orders. please pm me or post here if you want some...
shipping will be $5 priority usps and it will go out next monday (11/9/2009)

I'd like an order, please send me your pp address.

katara,
pm sent

YGPM

Well I received my shipment just now. All 4 are alive and well atm. Hopefully that urine specimen cup was unused before the snails went in .

One question though, I'm assuming that these are just babies. Is this correct? They were very VERY small. I hope they are babies as I really do enjoy watching my livestock grow.

Now my issue is where do I release them? Should I put them in my fuge or in my display. I'm thinking the fuge will be better as they won't have to go far to look for a mate when that time comes around. But if some fall into the display that would suck having them separated like that before they had a chance to mature and spawn.

glad they arrived and are doing good!
yeah the urine cup was used by another NR member to ship me some frags... reduce reuse recycle!

yes they are juveniles, not quite babies, but not quite breeding age yet. they mature very quickly and given a good amount of food and a couple of weeks, they will be of breeding age and will lay eggs on your glass and rock in crevices.
as far as where to let em go, it really depends on what kind of fish you have, but i would opt for the fuge and let them hang in there until they are old enough to reproduce, so they will lay their eggs far from any potential predators.
either way it should be fine, and eventually they will no doubt travel from fuge to display, or vice versa.

pics??


pm replied

Click to view attachment

That's all I've got so far lol. I will see what I can do about getting pics of them in my AC110 fuge. I have to take some pics of it today for my weekly chaeto growth comparisons anyway.

lol ya thats what i meant...
but this works too... they look happy to be checking out their new home

I am also interested in an order, PM to follow,,,

Just got mine at work and I mean, seriously with this packing? I thought I was getting the most expensive frags ever... I'll have to order some frags from you to see the shipping treatment they get. Cali to Jersey in a day for 5 bucks shipped, can't beat that.

Thanks again!

-Jay

haha! thanks man! like i said i love these little buggers... just want them to make it safely to their new homes

and ur welcome to order some frags from me anytime ur ready! i have a "coral for sale" thread on the LS classifieds....

Here's the best I could get with the limited space I was in. New snails are outlined:


1st day of chaeto in new fuge:


Chaeto today at exactly 1 week old:

anyone else want an order? they are shipping on monday... please pm me. thanks

might be interested.....

you got any chaeto to sell too?

I would be interested in an order as well as some chaeto if you happen to have any extra of that. Shoot me a pm.

PM'S SENT

okay, last two orders still available? anyone interested?
also, i will have more of these guys in a couple of weeks, so if you didnt get some this round there is always next time...

any final orders? only one or two orders of 4 left...
i will ship MONDAY usps priority
$5 for 4 snails plus $5 shipping...

thanks

okay update!
i sent out a few packages today and will PM those who's stuff went out. it is veteran's day on wednesday, so i think i will postpone any further shipments until next monday. sorry guys i just want to make sure we give the snails their best shot at surviving the voyage,...

YGPM

hooray!

okay guys, i dont know how they freakin do it but i have more conch snails available already!
if i can count more than 30 in my 2.5g, i clear a few out
i can take 6 orders of 4 snails each.
please pm me.
thx!

first 6 reefers to pm me get these guys

boosh

i have two boxes to send out for tomorrow? anyone else?

ive got like 5 babies in my tank now. these snails grow FAST!!! i was watching them gobble up diatoms last night. definetly buy from adam!!

Lol thanks man! Yeah they definitely start popping up every where

Too late for tomorrow ship???

not at all, i will take orders up until i send them out tomorrow afternoon :-)

Cool, send me your pay pal if you would. Do you have a set amount per ship??? I will definately take some...

ygpm

Payment sent for 2 orders.......

i can take one last order of 4 snails today if anyone is interested pm me

oh and it will go out TODAY

Bump for Adam.

Anyone thinking about getting some of these should! They are great... his shipping is fast and packaged VERY well for the money... great snails too...

Thanks again Adam for the ones I got...