Olive Snail Conch

[Avgwarhawk]

I recently added a Olive Snail Conch to my aquarium. I'm getting a lot of conflicting information about this snail. It is predatory and herbivore. It will eat other snails, hermits, shrimp and emerald crabs, etc. It is not reef safe. Then there are other posts and links to the Olive Snails Conch that state it has been great. Eats algae and food that is not eaten by the fish. Has not been a problem at all. I'm at a loss. Is this snail reef safe?

As a side note, snail does surface from under the sand at fish feeding time. Then it promptly burrows back under the sand after food is gone. Assuming this is natural behavior.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I hear more about them being predators to other inverts than anything else

 

[Avgwarhawk]

I hear more about them being predators to other inverts than anything else

That is what I'm reading as well. But I'm also reading these snails are not a problem. Reef safe. We have had the snail now for 3 days. It pops up to eat shrimp pellets, Mysis and fish pellets. It submerges back under the sand. Very active at night sifting and eating whatever yuck it can find in the sand. Our 2 other snails are still hanging about doing their thing. Fire shrimp is always up under a cave and not easy access if the olive snail so desires to give it a try. For now I will keep an eye on the olive snail.

 

[Avgwarhawk]

I hear more about them being predators to other inverts than anything else

I purchased fresh raw shrimp at the grocery store. I cut a lettered Olive snail sized piece. Held it by the snail with tweezers. Snorkel poked out and the snail surfaced. Then proceeded to grab the piece of shrimp and submerged under the sand. That will keep it fat and happy.

 

[Avgwarhawk]

Today I fed the Letter Olive again. A small chunk of jumbo shrimp. The snail surfaced took the piece of shrimp and submerged again. He appears to like these feedings.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I recently added a Olive Snail Conch to my aquarium. I'm getting a lot of conflicting information about this snail. It is predatory and herbivore. It will eat other snails, hermits, shrimp and emerald crabs, etc. It is not reef safe. Then there are other posts and links to the Olive Snails Conch that state it has been great. Eats algae and food that is not eaten by the fish. Has not been a problem at all. I'm at a loss. Is this snail reef safe?

As a side note, snail does surface from under the sand at fish feeding time. Then it promptly burrows back under the sand after food is gone. Assuming this is natural behavior.

Yeah, to clarify here, Olive Snails are not conchs and are predatory; conchs (true conchs, not horse conchs) are harmless and helpful. I am not aware of a species known as an Olive Snail Conch, so I would assume you have an Olive Snail - to give an idea of diet for these, here's some info on one olive snail species:

To my knowledge, all of them are predatory (like with other kinds of snails, there may be a random oddball exception or two, but I certainly wouldn't expect it).

The snail pictured appears to be the Lettered Olive Snail, Oliva sayana, which reportedly feeds on bivalves (clams, oysters, mussels, etc.), pods/small crustaceans, and worms.

Edit: And detritus/dead animals of other varieties too.

 

[Avgwarhawk]

Yeah, to clarify here, Olive Snails are not conchs and are predatory; conchs (true conchs, not horse conchs) are harmless and helpful. I am not aware of a species known as an Olive Snail Conch, so I would assume you have an Olive Snail - to give an idea of diet for these, here's some info on one olive snail species:

In my short experience with this Lettered Olive Snail it has not been a problem at all. I feed it a piece of gulf jumbo shrimp I purchase at the grocery store. It surfaces and takes the shrimp. Then submerges under the sand again. It does an excellent job with turning the substrate. IMO it gets a bad rap.

 

[Avgwarhawk]

The Olive Snail gets a bad rap. It's great at turning substrate. Has not eaten any of my invertebrates. I feed it jumbo gulf shrimp.

 

[Avgwarhawk]

Watching the Olive snail and it's habits, it only surfaces when hungry and smelling mysis. It stayed under the sand for 5 days(since last feeding). It smelled mysis shrimp at today's feeding and surfaced . I fed it 2 large pieces of jumbo shrimp. It submerged to eat. It does not appear to have conducted any night hunting. All of my hermits and snails are present and accounted for. Curious aquarium inhabitant. Beautiful shell!