Nassarius Snail (Nassarius sp.)

The Nassarius Snail (Nassarius sp.) is the sand bed's night shift. It spends the day buried with only a snorkel-like siphon poking out, then erupts from the sand the moment food hits the water, racing across the bottom faster than a snail has any right to move. As a dedicated scavenger it clears uneaten food, detritus, and anything that dies unseen behind the rockwork, and its constant burrowing keeps the sand bed turned and aerated. Completely reef safe and a must-have for any tank with a sand bottom. Build the rest of your crew from our saltwater livestock and supplies.

Care Guide

• Sand bed required: at least an inch of sand or fine substrate. They live buried and will not thrive in bare-bottom tanks.
• Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, salinity 1.023 to 1.026, pH 8.1 to 8.4. Like all inverts they are sensitive to swings, so drip acclimate and keep copper-based medications far away.
• Diet: carnivorous scavenger. In a stocked tank, leftover fish food and natural detritus usually cover it. In very clean or lightly stocked tanks, drop in a small piece of frozen meaty food once or twice a week.
• Stocking: roughly 1 snail per 5 to 10 gallons is plenty. More than that and they can run short of food.
• Not an algae eater: pair them with grazers like Turbo Snails for algae control; the Nassarius handles the meaty leftovers side of the job.

Choose Your Size

Specifications

Compatibility

Safe with corals, fish, shrimp, and every peaceful tank mate; it wants nothing but leftovers. Round out a balanced cleanup crew with algae-grazing Mexican Turbo Snails, Bumble Bee Snails for the rockwork crevices, Red Leg Hermit Crabs, and a Pincushion Urchin for film algae. Skip them in tanks with snail hunters like triggers, puffers, and larger predatory wrasses, and watch hermit crabs if shells are scarce, they occasionally evict a snail to steal its home.

Recommended Crew Mates & Supplies

• Mexican Turbo Snail for algae duty
• Mexican Red Leg Hermit Crab
• Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
• Ocean Nutrition Frozen Brine Shrimp Plus for supplemental feeding

FAQ

My snails disappeared into the sand. Are they dead?
Almost certainly not. Buried is their default state. Drop in a pinch of food and watch the sand come alive within a minute or two.

Will they eat algae?
No. Nassarius are meat-eating scavengers. For algae you want grazers like Turbo, Astraea, or Trochus snails; the two types work best together.

How many do I need?
About one per 5 to 10 gallons. A 40 gallon tank does great with 4 to 6, heavier-fed tanks can support more.

Which size should I pick?
S/M fits nano tanks and shallow beds. Supers move more sand and handle bigger leftovers, ideal for 50 gallons and up or deep sand beds. Mixing sizes works great too.