Whelk?

[Cujo#31]

Pretty sure this is one I don’t want in my tank

[Cujo#31]

Not sure why pics didn’t post..

[Cujo#31]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180916/ae2eb7690b108a602bd450ea847ae539.jpg


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[Frogger]

Hi Gary

I can't be sure, I am no Malacologist. They look to me like Euplica scripta often sold as strombus (conch) I have 500 hundred or more of these in my tank they keep the algae off the glass, the rocks and reproduce quite well in the tank. Never seen them on a coral unless they fall off the glass. I have sold hundreds of these to fellow reefers.

Got them from Tim Tessier in Chilliwack before he moved to the island.

They are very similar in looks to whelks. My Euplica's have that zig zag pattern on their backs just like the one you got.

Send a picture to Ron Shimek he would know

[Frogger]

See link. It explains the difference between Euphica (described as beneficial) and whelks (predatory).

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-11/rs/index.php

[Cujo#31]

I’m pretty sure you are right on that one. Call me paranoid. The ones I have I only find on the overflow, Glass and rock working the algae. Once I started really looking for them...holy crap. I literally pulled 150 of them out of the tank in an hour. Being nocturnal and me going to bed early for work all the time I’ve never really seen them before. The odd one I would see was grazing, but I HAD to ID before relaxing a bit. A bunch more reading pretty much confirms them not being whelks because whelks are strictly carnivores and I haven’t lost any other snails, as well my abalone and urchin are both in tact and doing well, and I have enough small, slower moving fish like mandarin that I’m sure would have been overwhelmed by now had I actually had 150 whelks in the tank. But.... if there is one thing i have learned about reefing it’s this; “The only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked”

[Frogger]

They are nocturnal. They are hard to find during the day at night they are everywhere.

Biggest issue with them is they get stuck in my gyre's and damage the blades. I have to make sure I have the fine mess filter on my gyres to keep them out.

They go over the overflow and also get stuck in the ball valve. I have to open it up fully once a week to clean out the ball valve

[Frogger]

They retail for $2 each. I sell them at $1.5 each. So don't be flushing them

[Cujo#31]

Yup. Gotta be the ones for sure. Same issues except when I did my re-built the new tank my overflows and my emergency flows are all 2” so I am pretty wide open all the way. Get the odd one in the Gyre though.

[Frogger]

I wonder how many beneficial life forms in our reef tanks have been wiped out for fear of having something bad.

I can see it easily with these snail as they look a lot like whelks.