something ate my snail!!

so iv noticed my turbo snail not moving for a couple days, this perticular one has always been less active than the others but i figured it was just the way it was. today i turned it over and GASP! there was nothing in the shell aside a little amphipod! i had noticed a crab on one of my rocks but was unable to poke him out im guessing he is the murderer. im gonna try and put the rock in bucket (of corse the crab HAS to be on the biggest rock i have...URGH) i have al ot of life on this rock and i don't want to lose it.

every friday i do a 10% (20l of my 180l) water change, going to use this water to put in the bucket. any tips on how i can get him out, iv read suspending the rock and placing some food in the bucket could work, what food? small piece of meat could work?

p.s i dont have anything else in the tank yet aside some more snails and whatever life pops up while the tank cycles.

 

To label the crab as a murderer & start tearign rocks out might be a hasty desicion. There is a very important thing to remember about SW sea life. The sick and weak get recycled so to speak. If that snail was slow & slugish it could be a sign it was sick or old or what everever, in fact it may have even died without you knowing. This is where nature steps in takes the weak out of thier misery (and ouy of rotting in your tank) ate it, and recycled it. Its just the way things work. Do you know what type of crab you have? It could still be a fairly safe crab to have just playing its part in nature.

 

khowst, im actually glad your telling me this, i have a passion for nature and have some knowledge on predator pray relations and what you have stated has indeed crossed my mind in fact there was a moment where i was considering bringing the snail back but decided to keep it.
honestly i would rather leave the crab if i can, im not planning to have a reef tank (least not now) only a FOWLR so far but i fear for my other snails.

i guess ill let this one pass and monitor the situation, i also have a little squat lobster than came free with one of my rocks and if it were to become supper id be quite upset.

 

Thread title changed. Please keep in mind that this is a family forum. Thanks.

 

I agree here. Turbos need lots of food to survive. They are better in a well established tank. I bet it was sick to begin with or it died from lack of food. I have "naughty" crabs in my reef tankard the only one that ever killed a snail was the hermit cause he needed a new shell. (I have since remedied this problem by putting "new" shells in the tank for him to pick from when he out grows his home.) Best of luck with your tank cycle!
Heidi

 

+2

Also, just a thought but now that you know the crab is in your tank, you might want to try feeding him- that may help protect your snails. Anything that can walk and has claws will kill for food if necessary, regardless whether or not it's their normal behavior.

 

right thank you guys, and sorry for the tittle. ill do some research on what common hitch hiker crabs eat. and is it just me or does the internet tend to exaggerate when it comes to potential parasites and crabs. in the sense that not many sites rarely say that things will balance out most tend to promote extermination

 

There are some myths and exaggerations concerning hitchhikers, but the large percentage of info comes from years of experience and studying the various creatures. While most don't do much harm to a reef, they can be quite destructive in a confined environment without their natural food source as well as their own natural predators.

 

Something to consider, at least -- I have a queen conch hitchhiker who destroyed nearly my entire reefcleaners order of ceriths and similar small snails. He's huge now, and has spawned gobs of little conchs.

"food" for thought.

 

If it killed your snails it's not a conch. It's a whelk. Conch are incapable of eating flesh. Easiest way to tell is the eyes. If they are on the end of long stalks = conch. Conch are the only snail with these types of eyes.

I was in my LFS and they had a "queen" conch for sale. Picked it up just so I could photo it for this article.