SAND CLEARNERS 101?

[Folta]

Alex,

 

I bought nassarius snails off of ebay last week and was quite happy with them. It was for 25, but the guy packed extras so I actually got about 30... and didn't have a single doa. If you want, I can pm you the seller's id, he was really friendly and kept me updated about the package (and it arrived 2 days after the end of the auction, and was sent from florida, priority mail). I don't quite recall the price, but I think it came out to about $0.90 a snail or something, after shipping.

 

As far as store bought water, don't buy spring water, that will have stuff in it.. you need to buy distilled. But it sounds like your ro/di unit is working well as far as TDS is concerned.

[Jarosh]

I found that that the red tip hermits from aquaticisland.com are the best when it comes to not bothering the snails. They seem totally disinterested in snails and also when I'm feeding. While the blue legs I have start to go for any left over meaty food the fish don't eat. They do tend to wrestle a bit amongst themselves, but so far I have zero hermit losses The main reason I think they are so good with the snails is because they are full grown, I have yet to see one move into any of the larger shells that are in my tank.

 

Howard are you having the same luck with them?

[HowardofNOVA]

Alex and Folta,

Check out my order going in on Monday. 35 cents for Nassarius plus delivery!

We have 200+ ordered so far.

 

Ok, So for a recap IMHO:

RECOMMENDED SAND CLEANING CREWS:

#1 Nassarius Snails at about .35cents/100 at AquaticsIsland

#2 Fighting Conch

#3A Black Atlantic at Centreville Aquarium for about $5.00

#3B Tiger Tail Cucumber (Holothuria hilla) - Size: 2

[Folta]

Ok, I realized i could to go myEbay and look up what I paid:

 

it was $15.99 (thats INCLUDING shipping), for 30 snails, all arrived alive, which works out to just over $0.50 per snail.. a great deal, especially seeing as how I didn't have to go anywhere to pick them up (ie. no gas money).

[HowardofNOVA]

Post the link to the supplier, that way for those at a distance, will work out better for them?

[Folta]

I'd be happy to!

 

Here's a link to his feedback/profie:

 

Marineaquaria ebay link

 

On the right hand side is a link to his auctions. The auction I did was for 25 nass. vibex snails, and as I mentioned he packed extras, no doas Also, he messaged me to thank me for payment, and to give me a tracking number when he shipped it. Good feeback score as well.

[davelin315]

I agree with Dave's post way back about cucumbers being detrivores. They are not poisonous although if they die they definitely can foul your water. Also, I don't think the small black cucubmers expel their innards (not fatal) unless severely provoked. I haven't seen mine do a thing yet despite picking them up and moving them around. Cucumbers in nature, however, that I have seen, definitely spit out their innards. Not sure which kind, but I remember being at the beach, knowing what they did, and stepping on all of them to see them expel their insides and watching fish swim up to have a free snack (yes, I'm very mischievous when it comes to observing the habits and mechanisms of nature, but no harm done to the cucumbers!).

 

For those e-bay nassarius snails, are they the ones that come from cold water? There are two kinds that are generally available. The better kind are the warm water ones. I have heard that the ones that are sold bulk are not warm water and tend not to do as well in our warmer reef tanks as far as longevity is concerned.

 

Another aside/thread highjacking/beggars-can't-be-choosers-plea, if you are dumping your crabs, please consider donating them to me for my school tanks!

 

Dave

[xeon]

For those e-bay nassarius snails, are they the ones that come from cold water?  There are two kinds that are generally available.  The better kind are the warm water ones.  I have heard that the ones that are sold bulk are not warm water and tend not to do as well in our warmer reef tanks as far as longevity is concerned.

 

The "other" Nassarius snails I believe you are thinking about were at one time called Nassarius Obsoletta. They have since been described as Ilynassa Obsoleta. I have read the temperature concerns of the Obsoletas, but in my personal experience they do just fine in a reef tank. My temps float at 79-80F.

 

I bought 50 about two years ago and received over 100 from a guy who collects them in the mud flats of coastal NC. Most are still around. Some have become snacks for my Peppermint shrimp that gets a taste for snail sometimes and I used to toss them in sand bags when swapping with others... 100 or better of the little buggers was too much in a 75.

 

The "other" Nassarius snail I believe you may be thinking of is the Nass. Vibex. IMO they are less useful in terms of their tank coverage. The Ilynassa are all over the glass, rocks and sand. The Vibex are good sand stirrers and sand detrivores... but that is all they do IME. I think a little of both makes for a good combination since the Vibex seem to spend more time on the sand due to the wider range of the Ilynassa.

[Guest alex wlazlak]

i would like to have some, and i would pay you, but i dont know how i could get them to my house. cause i dont think im going to be at my moms house for a couple of weeks. what is the site that your getting them from?