kghowe
April 23rd, 2008, 01:16 PM
I'm giving some thought to ordering a large batch of Nassarius Vibex snails in the next little while. I can get up to 400 for the same shipping price (65 bucks) out of the states. I'm thinking the price is going to work out to about a buck a snail if I order 100, which is about half the going rate or thereabouts, but potentially cheaper the more ordered. These snails largely hang out in the sand, and if you have a deep bed, will pop out when they smell the food on the surface and quickly move in to try and get it. This is not the cheaper, and potentially dangerous carnivore ilyanassa obsoleta. What I'm looking at is the actual Vibex. I've attached a little info on them if you don't already know about them. I believe that this is also one of the snails that can right itself when toppled over. At the moment I just wanted to gauge the level of interest if any first. I'd feel a little guilty having the ability to order a whole ton, and not asking anyone else if they'd benefit from getting some as well.
Kevin
--------------
Here's a cool youtube video of the nassarius in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fUysEvs1z0
Nassarius Snails (Nassarius vibex) – Nassarius snails are excellent additions to a tank or refugium with a deep live sand bed. These snails will bury themselves under the substrate until feeding time when they quickly emerge. This activity provides excellent agitation to the sand bed and stirs the top layer time and time again. Nassarius snails feed on carrion and other natural waste in the aquarium and will also eat on brine and mysis shrimp when fed to the aquarium. The main purpose in the aquarium is to keep a sand bed agitated and to help remove waste that builds on the surface of the sand bed. These snails are often mistaken for Ilyanassa obsolete but this can be visually determined as the Nassarius snails have a groove in their aperture that the </I>Ilyanassa obsolete</I> does not have. The Ilyanassa obsolete are also larger than the Nassarius vibex. I would recommend 1 Nassarius vibex per 2 gallons of water, only in an aquarium with a deep live sand bed. Tall tanks would alter this recommendation.
Kevin
--------------
Here's a cool youtube video of the nassarius in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fUysEvs1z0
Nassarius Snails (Nassarius vibex) – Nassarius snails are excellent additions to a tank or refugium with a deep live sand bed. These snails will bury themselves under the substrate until feeding time when they quickly emerge. This activity provides excellent agitation to the sand bed and stirs the top layer time and time again. Nassarius snails feed on carrion and other natural waste in the aquarium and will also eat on brine and mysis shrimp when fed to the aquarium. The main purpose in the aquarium is to keep a sand bed agitated and to help remove waste that builds on the surface of the sand bed. These snails are often mistaken for Ilyanassa obsolete but this can be visually determined as the Nassarius snails have a groove in their aperture that the </I>Ilyanassa obsolete</I> does not have. The Ilyanassa obsolete are also larger than the Nassarius vibex. I would recommend 1 Nassarius vibex per 2 gallons of water, only in an aquarium with a deep live sand bed. Tall tanks would alter this recommendation.