Sctn4Elk Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Has anyone even ever heard of this? Thursday night, right before heading to bed, I checked my tank and found several Nass snails feeding on my Emerald. Apparently, the crab molted (I found the molt nearby) and they must have caught him in the soft shelled state (mmmmmmm soft shelled crab...ahhh but I digress)...And that's not all, what really blew me away was that one of the snails was HUGE . He was easily 3/4 - 1 inch long. Here is a pic, notice the other Nass snail and the hermit nearby. I added 3 Nass snails when I first started my tank, all the same size, about 3/8 inch long...this one obviously got hit with some Nuclear radiation or something....maybe the radiation from the MH has accelerated his growth like the Hulk... I am going to catch him and move him to my 35 FOLR tank as he is just too big for my 5. Link to comment
thecowkid Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 ha ha it's like they got the big brother to do their dirty work for them. Shame the crab was the target, but I am sure that he has picked on their snorkles once or twice. Little pincher may have had it coming. But seriously that is one big Nas. He has been hitting the weight gainers a little hard. Link to comment
Sctn4Elk Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 I think he is part of the nano hit squad and maybe the crab wasn't payin for "insurance" (if you know what I mean)...he did after all only move in 3 days ago and maybe he was buckin the system... Link to comment
Sctn4Elk Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 I know they are carnivorous, but ??? Anyone have a similar experience? Link to comment
eklikewhoa Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 They are scavengers...they go after sea hares too, as soon as it hits the water they come up like zombies. Link to comment
dsoz Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 They are scavengers...they go after sea hares too, as soon as it hits the water they come up like zombies. Maybe that is what did in my new sea hare. I only had it for less than 12 hours before it turned up dead!!! It didn't even get any of the hair algae off the rock. $24 down the tubes. dsoz Link to comment
Sctn4Elk Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 Maybe that is what did in my new sea hare. I only had it for less than 12 hours before it turned up dead!!! It didn't even get any of the hair algae off the rock. $24 down the tubes. dsoz Well, these guys did not leave any evidence behind except the molt....they completely devastated the crab. Had I not actually have seen it happen, I would have never known of his demise. I would have just woke up the next day, completely blind to the terror of the previous night, saw the molt and said "huh, the crab molted, well I guess I won't see him for a few days". but then a few days would turn into a few weeks, etc... Now that I think of it, about two weeks ago, I found my Fire Shrimp molt stuck to the drain, but I have not seen the shrimp since....another victim? Link to comment
jeremai Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 And you're sure that rogue snail is a Nassarius, and not whelk or some other type of predatory snail? Link to comment
Diatome Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Whelks look a lot like Nassarius adn they are amazing hunters. I would look closely. On one piece of Florida aquacultured rock I saw a Whelk that was 4 inches, a Cowerie and two brittle stars. You would be amazed what can hitchike. That rock was only about 2 and a half pounds. Link to comment
Sctn4Elk Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 You would be amazed what can hitchike. Not sure it isn't a whelk, but I bought 3 of these same ones from the LFS, all advertised as Nass. They all look the same, except the size difference now. They all have that creamy yellow brown shell and as far as I can tell they are the same. How do you tell the difference? Link to comment
jeremai Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 One eats dead stuff, one eats live stuff. Link to comment
joer3 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I've witnessed two nassarius snails gang up on an astrea snail in my nano. I thought the astrea was dead until several hours later he peaked out and started climbing on the glass of the aquarium. Link to comment
jamesnmandy Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 nass smell death in a not yet dead but weak and dying animal, it's how they survive, look at their friggin nose would ya? how could they not pick up on it before anyone else? nass snails are NOT the predatory animal you think they are, they are opportunists who take advantage of their senses to find meals before the other scavengers Link to comment
shroomhead Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 That looks like the Nassarius snails that I have, they are called Tongan Super Nassarius snails because of their size. http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_displa...amp;pcatid=1763 However, I doubt yours killed the crab they are very clumsy and mine at least don't seem capable of killing something like a crab. Usually it is the other way around when they try to steal food from something, they get the crap beaten out of them and run away. Oh and they do get bigger then 3/4" the larger of the two I have is easily 1 1/2 inches. Link to comment
WilD Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I know they are carnivorous, but ??? Anyone have a similar experience? Yes, I have witnessed my large Nas snails attacking and indeed consuming freshly molted hermits. They are scavengers...they go after sea hares too, as soon as it hits the water they come up like zombies. Interesting they do this to sea hares. I had a "lettuce nudi" that seemed to attract the snails as well. I witnessed this and watched it all unfold: The nudi was crawling accross the sand bed and passed over a nas snail. After a couple seconds the snail came up out of the sand and chased down the nudi and I was alarmed to see it actually eat a chunk out of its body. I pushed the snail away allowing more space between the two but the snail tracked down the nudi and chased him again. I had to remove the nas snail and the nudi lived for quite some time after that (at least a month) before being sucked into a powerhead and meeting his untimely demise. I have also seen a Nas chase a stomatella up and down the glass but he was able to eventually outrun and evade on his own. That looks like the Nassarius snails that I have, they are called Tongan Super Nassarius snails because of their size. http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_displa...amp;pcatid=1763 However, I doubt yours killed the crab they are very clumsy and mine at least don't seem capable of killing something like a crab. Usually it is the other way around when they try to steal food from something, they get the crap beaten out of them and run away. Oh and they do get bigger then 3/4" the larger of the two I have is easily 1 1/2 inches. These are the very same snails I have seen kill my hermits, and attack other snails and nudis. Link to comment
shroomhead Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 I can't really imagine the Nassarius being able to kill a hermit crab, unless you have some really hardcore ninja like snails. I have a very large one who gets bullied by a hermit crab 1/2 it's size. I think that either you have a whelk instead of the Nassarius or maybe yours are just super aggressive or something. Link to comment
WilD Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 For those of you who think a hermit is too tough to be killed by a Nassarius, please also research hermit crabs. Hermits are extremely vulnerable during and after a molt. They will be in an extremely weekend state and very soft. The molting process also releases an odor that is extemely attractive to other crabs, and apparantly snails. Being eaten in this weakend state is a real danger and a fairly common occurence. Even crabs that typically cohabitate will sometimes turn cannibal during another crabs molt period. Anyone who has kept more than one land hermit crab (and knows that they are doing) knows how critical this time is. Link to comment
new2reef Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I had a similar problem with a large Nassarius snail who killed my Porcelain crab! I noticed the crab out in an odd spot, but still feeding. A few minutes later, the Nassarius is on it trying to eat it! I picked the snail off and put on other side of tank. That night things seemed fine, thru crab seemed low energy. Next morning, I find the snail on the crab again and crab is a goner! Both that crab and hermit crab had molted without any attention from Nassarius. I'm assuming crab was sick/dying and snail sensed/smelled it. The snail was large, at least an inch. When I pulled snail from tank - I was surprised on how strong the body was, as it struggled. Returned it to LFS - it was too big for my tank anyway. May try a smaller Nassarius. Link to comment
Todesengel Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I just saw 5 of my nassarius snails attacking my blue spooted sea hare. He got beat like he was in the wrong part of town lol. He has a good chunk missing out of the side of him, but I broke it up and moved him quite far away and we will see what happens. I just researched and found this thread, i didn't know nasasrius were carnivores, thought they were strictly scavengers. Link to comment
Deleted User 6 Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 My nass ate one of my sexy shrimp - though it might have been dead beforehand. Link to comment
coralcor Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 that thing is huge! and i love you avitar that your dog wicked cute Link to comment
johnmaloney Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 If you had a killer "nassarius" that was an inch and a half you had an Ilynnassa Obsoltea or maybe a Western mud whelk if it looked paler. Maybe a few other species, but Nassarius vibex maxes out at 3/4 of an inch. Is this one of those Tongan Super Nassarius? On another note, these animals were probably dead already if they couldn't escape from a snail. Link to comment
Laura6686 Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 They are scavengers...they go after sea hares too, as soon as it hits the water they come up like zombies. Reminds me of the movie ghost and those grim reapers. Scary..... I was going to buy some but now they are off my list. I have a porcelain crab to protect. That looks like the Nassarius snails that I have, they are called Tongan Super Nassarius snails because of their size. http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_displa...amp;pcatid=1763 However, I doubt yours killed the crab they are very clumsy and mine at least don't seem capable of killing something like a crab. Usually it is the other way around when they try to steal food from something, they get the crap beaten out of them and run away. Oh and they do get bigger then 3/4" the larger of the two I have is easily 1 1/2 inches. Well, I had blue hermit crabs eat a fire shrimp that just molted. The poor fella never had a chance ;-( Link to comment
iamborg Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I have one of this super togan nass. The other night I saw it pull one of my cerith snail under the sand and completely bury the poor snail. I thought it was a goner, but it survived... I think this type of nass snail is very aggressive, I have seen it climb LR and walls of aquar to get food. Luckily my emb crab is also as big... RIP Link to comment
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