Look out for these guys...

JumboShrimp · #1 08/15/2004, 11:36 PM

Well I found out whats been eating all my zoas... It was a Heliacus sp. snail... I just found out today that they eat zoas.... hes been in there for a while, hasent left my zoa rock... well I took him out today....

I figured he was harmless when I saw him.... oh well.

TippyToeX · #2 08/15/2004, 11:52 PM

There are a lot of SPS people who need those snails. Be sure to ask in the SPS forum if anyone needs it if you have not already gotten rid of it.

JumboShrimp · #3 08/16/2004, 12:04 AM

oops... lol Yea hes gone.... he might be alive, but I have no where to put him so hes been sitting in an empty bucket for around 10 hours

Ramero · #4 08/16/2004, 04:37 PM

why do SPS people need whelks?

MiddletonMark · #5 08/16/2004, 04:44 PM

Because they predate zoanthids. Which beyond being super pretty ... also will grow up the stalks of your nice Acropora and kill it off.

So people use whelks when they realize that covering their LR with zoanthids might not have been the best decision. Rather than get all new LR ... they get these and their zoanthid problem is gone.

JumboShrimp · #6 08/16/2004, 07:52 PM

ohhh.... well hes dead now, oh well

Ramero · #7 08/16/2004, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Because they predate zoanthids. Which beyond being super pretty ... also will grow up the stalks of your nice Acropora and kill it off.

So people use whelks when they realize that covering their LR with zoanthids might not have been the best decision. Rather than get all new LR ... they get these and their zoanthid problem is gone.

gotcha

sttaylor · #8 08/16/2004, 09:34 PM

Just saw one of these on my zoos today. Wasn't sure what it was. I'll have to go searching for him/her now.

Scott

xxaquanutxx · #9 08/16/2004, 09:48 PM

how do you make sure they only eat the zoo's that get close to the acro's instead of eating the zoo's that are where you like them.??

VolitanLioness · #10 08/16/2004, 10:11 PM

MiddletonMark I like reading your post you always explain things well.

That is a cool looking snail I like my zoos but now I know what to do if I want to get rid of them.

Kaye

JumboShrimp · #11 08/16/2004, 11:14 PM

Mine laid an egg sack

TippyToeX · #12 08/16/2004, 11:18 PM

Syphon the eggs out if you can.

JumboShrimp · #13 08/16/2004, 11:30 PM

and do what with them?

TippyToeX · #14 08/16/2004, 11:40 PM

Down the drain they go if it were me. I think they would only be viable for shipping (to someone who needs them) after they have hatched. Unless you want them to hatch in your tank, munch on your zoanthids until they are good enough to ship.

You could try to raise them in a separate vessel I suppose.

Do you have a picture of the eggs?

JumboShrimp · #15 08/17/2004, 12:07 AM

They are tucked away under a rock, I think its an egg sack....I cant really get a pic of it...

Oyster · #16 08/17/2004, 02:36 AM

Very neat looking snail...very geometric think i like them more than zoos

MiddletonMark · #17 08/17/2004, 06:28 AM

Just be really wary when trading with others that you don't pass them along.

Seems to me, in the last year there have been all too many pests getting passed along with frags [flatworms, red bugs, monti or zo-eating nudibranches, zo snails] ... enough so that people should really [IMO] make an effort to inspect every frag going out - and for sure every one coming in. QT might be wise as well ... I know with my dozen small colonies of zoanthids - I want more but will be wary about adding any.