Snail Feces or Something Else

[Vitaly]

So does anybody know what this is? I occasionally see these "trails" being left on the glass by the cerith snails.

<center>
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/stepensk/shared/Snail/1.JPG

https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/stepensk/shared/Snail/2.JPG
</center>

Thanks gang.

[philagothos]

They're laying eggs. I've currently got 4 such clusters in my little 10 gallon. I've never seen anything result from them though. I think my crabs or peppermints must be eating them. I've found several threads here on RC where people have had them survive, but I'm not sure what the requirements/timeframe are. Best of luck with them. If nothing else it'll make good free fish food.

[Vitaly]

Thanks <B>philagothos</B>. I have been scraping these of the glass, for months. I will leave them be and see what happens.

[soim34]

food is what happens.

[Vitaly]

Man...soon I will have a tank full of snail babies...you will be wicked jealous. Hey, you wanna trade snail eggs for some Anthelia?

On a serious note, if I were to transfer the egg clutch/trail into my sump where there are no predators (just pods) would there be a chance for them to develop into adulthood?

<B>P.S</B>. - The Monti I got from you is doing <I>awesome</I>

<B>P.P.S</B> - I curse you everyday for the Anthelia.

[philagothos]

Pods would likely count as predators for the little guys.

[Vitaly]

Man...one just cannot win in a reef tank :-)

[philagothos]

At least not when you are at the bottom of the food chain. ;)

[ChemE]

I have around 20 baby snails growing in my sump right now. I always read that they would not successfully breed in captivity but I can tell you with certainty that this is not true.

I've already transferred around 10 baby snails from my sump to my display and they too are doing great. The snails that I've transferred were pretty decent size and growing rapidly even still.

[medic29]

I have literally hundreds of baby snails growing in my display tank. It is pretty amazing. I was noticing last night how many there are and if they all survive to adulthood I'll either have to find a place to give them to or my corals! lol I don't know that there will be room for both!!

[syrinx]

stomatellas readily breed and survive in reef tanks. There is no reason other selected species could not.

[soim34]

Chem and medic, are you sure those aren't peppermint snails?

[medic29]

In Vitaly's pics you can see the snail is laying the eggs there. Mine aren't peppermint snails; actually, we are a little stumped as to the actualy ID is. I have shipped just over 3 dozen of them to a group in Texas for ID and they wanted to see if they could get them to spawn as well. Their Snail ID expert is a little stumped right now and has been working on the ID for a couple of months now. They are sure they are a type of trochus snail.

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9869030#post9869030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by soim34
Chem and medic, are you sure those aren't peppermint snails?

Dunno to tell you the truth. They came from F&S; do those guys sell peppermint snails?

Just looked on F&S; actually my snail babies look most like banded trochus snails. I'll try to get a decent picture before lights out tonight.

[jcavanaugh18]

I actually think I have two or three types of baby snails in my tank, two with the rounded shells, I believe to be nassarious or something, one of them is brown banded, the other is white, but not a spiral type. And I have seen a baby astrea snail too, the kind that dig in the sand, but that could have been a hitchhiker. who knows.