Nasarius Snail

Nassarius snails are small, plain-shelled marine scavengers that spend almost all their time buried in the sand with only a siphon showing. The moment food hits the water they erupt out of the substrate and move across the sand bed with surprising speed. They are one of the more useful sand-bed animals in a marine tank, and watching a dozen of them surface at feeding time is oddly satisfying.

Aquarium care

• Typically 1 to 3 cm depending on the species supplied.
• A detritivore and scavenger — it eats leftover meaty food and waste, not algae.
• Requires a sand bed deep enough to burrow into; it will not thrive on bare bottom.
• Helps keep the top layer of sand turned over and free of trapped food.
• Sensitive to copper-based medication and to sudden salinity changes.
• Drip acclimate on arrival rather than pouring it straight in.

They suit any established marine tank with a sand bed and peaceful stock, and pair well with algae-grazing snails that handle the surfaces they ignore. Stock a number that matches the amount of food actually reaching the sand. Avoid keeping them with pufferfish, triggerfish or large hermit crabs.

Stock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is available for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. More in the saltwater collection.