snails, snails, snails

[Paul B]

(I know, stupid title)
I collected some mud this past october out east near Montauk Long Island. I use the mud to add bacteria to my tank.
The mud is in a 1/2 gallon container and the salinity is very high, off the chart.
Today I looked at it closely and it is filled with local mud snails about double the size of new born brine shrimp.
I can't believe they can live in such salty water. I adjusted the slainity a little and will release them in my reef as soon as they get a little larger. I still have some adults in there from last year.
These snails are so prolific that on some mud flats at low tide, you can't see the mud because of all the snails. They are reef safe and as far as I know, not protected by law. If anything, they are a pest as they clog water intakes all over the place.
I doubt they are great algae eaters as they live in the mud.
I have been keeping them for years and they seem to live on just bacterial slime with little else.
Paul

 

[returnofsid]

Great information Paul!! Any chance of a species name? Living in mud, they'll probably be good for keeping the sand bed stirred up, similar to a Nassarius.

 

[Paul B]

I guess I could look it up but here in NY they are mud snails. Extreamly common, so much that you can't get away from them. On a mud flat at low tide, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a thousand of them

 

[returnofsid]

Why would you wanna swing a dead cat? Must be another strange New York thing...lol. So have you noticed any problems with them in a reef tank since they are coming from more temperate environment?

 

[Paul B]

So have you noticed any problems with them in a reef tank since they are coming from more temperate environment

I haven't asked them yet how they feel but the fact that they hatched and have been living in a small container for two months means they are fine.
You really have to step on these things to kill them and even then it's dubious.
I throw all sorts of things in my reef, I just don't tell them it's a little too warm for them.
Most of them are in an unheated container now and it is about 68 degrees but the tide pools they come from go from the high ninetees down to about 35 degrees. Temperature does not mean much to them.
I bet if I went down to the sea now when it is 11 degrees they would all be hanging around a little fire with fur coats on singing "Under the Boardwalk"
http://www.assateague.com/mud-sn.html

 

[returnofsid]

As long as they don't start a beach bonfire in your aquarium!!! Although with the warmer temps, I highly doubt they'd feel the need to do so. As for singing "Under the Boardwalk," I wonder if they change their tune to "Yellow Submarine" when they make it into one of your in tank bottles!!!??? Oh wait, probably not...afterall, they're snail, not beatles. Very interesting and thanks for the link!!

 

[boosted306]

I like the humor in this thread. Lol...

 

[returnofsid]

Humor is the only way to make a "snail" conversation interesting!!

 

[burning2nd]

how dare you paul.... no picture..

i want some snails

 

[Paul B]

You want pictures of snails?
Here they are, all those black blobs on the bottom.
If you look close you will also see a blowfish, pipefish, minnoes, grass shrimp, and butterflies

 

[burning2nd]

my lfs has a tank with a bunch that look like that.....

i wounder if they are the same.

 

[returnofsid]

Burning, they're probably Strombus. Very common and breed like rabbits in our home tanks.

Paul, you must have taken the picture AFTER all the snail partying. Although, I don't see any of the beer bottles laying around, I know they're in there!!

 

[Paul B]

You don't!

 

[returnofsid]

There it is!! I knew it was in there somewhere. Those snails partied it up but good!!!

 

[sandollar]

Just curious as to why one would put mud in a tank over 30 years old to add bacteria? Shouldn't the tank be established by now?

 

[johnmaloney]

You want pictures of snails?....

looks like Ilyanassa Obsoleta, check it out:

http://www.gastropods.com/Shell_Images/G-L/Ilyanassa_obsoleta.jpg

 

[Paul B]

Just curious as to why one would put mud in a tank over 30 years old to add bacteria? Shouldn't the tank be established by now

Yes the tank is established but over time (IMO) you lose bacterial diversity and you end up with a few types of bacteria that may not be the best bacteria for our needs.
Being that I have been doing this for 38 years in the same tank kind of proves that it can't be that bad.
Do you know of any 39 year old tanks that do not add bacteria?
It is just one theory of mine that could be way off base. My tank and everything in it is an experiment.

 

[Reefbound]

Im always amazed at what you put in your tank. I have seen the very snail on Assateague Island as my family and I vacation there every summer. We stay at the Dove winds which has a nice little cottage we rent. This year it looks like a snail day will be in the plans.

 

[Paul B]

I like those little suckers and I never found them to hurt anything. The ones in my reef never go near the corals and seem to prefer the glass.