They are like slugs??

[twilliard]

They only come out at night. They look just like a slug with a flat shell on their back. Brown ugly things. Some are about 1/2" long.
What the heck are they?
I guess my biggest question are they harmful to my tank?
I would do a search, but on what if I dont know what it is?

 

[Aquatic Guru]

is it possible to take a pic of it at night?

 

[wrightme43]

probley a stomatella snail. Moves real fast when the light turns on?

 

[twilliard]

I knew that would have to happen. I will get you a picture of one. Usualy I can find one hiding out.

Thanks for the help

 

[Woodstock]

Look at the 'snail gallery' --> http://www.reeffrontiers.com/photos_corals/showgallery.php?cat=537

I'm guessing either a chiton, limpet keyhole or stometella

 

[twilliard]

ya they move realy fast when the lights come on. None of the pictures match what I have. I guess I will have to add one to the gallery.

I will go see if I can catch one!

 

[twilliard]

Well thanks guys, it is a stomatella snail. Well from what I am reading they are good to have in the tank, but dang they are UGLY and HUGE!

 

[NaH2O]

Excellent find! Here is some more info on them from our Hitchhiker section: Stomatella

 

[Beakerbob]

I just had a neat observation on the stomatella snails spawning. Like everyone, I usually only see them at night when they come out, crawling around. This one was standing on its foot, straight upwards off the rock.

I was walking past my tank the other day and saw what looked like a little cigar standing straight up on a rock with some smoke coming out of it! Looking closer, I saw that it was a Stomatella snail sitting straight up on a rock and spawning little puffs into the water column. I got my camera out and was only able to get a quick shot before my tang took a nip at it and it crawled away. Anyone ever seen anything like this?

Here it is standing straight up on its foot just before the stupid tang nipped it:

Here the snail is still standing on its foot, but starting to shrink down after being nipped:

And now it's crawling away from the light to a draker place:

 

[My2heartboys]

Look at the 'snail gallery' --> http://www.reeffrontiers.com/photos_corals/showgallery.php?cat=537

I'm guessing either a chiton, limpet keyhole or stometella

Thanks for the link. Finally think I have found out what was crawling around in my tank. Couple of hitchikkers that have gone without ID. One was a common chiton and the others were common limpets. Hope these things are not pests of some sort. I have not tried to pry them out of my tank.

Anne

 

[NaH2O]

Anne - you can just leave them be. I haven't found anything detrimental from limpets or chitons, although they can eat corraline, which isn't a bad thing. It actually helps the coralline to spore in the tank. Enjoy them as part of your tank diversity. Unless you've seen them munching on a prized coral?

Beakerbob - great shots! I know when my Trochus snails spawn the fish are usually hanging out around them. I've noticed once or twice the fish going after the cloud (from a distance, I'm not sure if they were going after the eggs or sperm). Perhaps your tang was just taking the opportunity to go in for a tasty treat. I suppose the Stomatella wasn't hurt to terribly bad if it was able to crawl away.