Onyx Nassarius Snail, Black Mud Snail

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Misc. Invertebrates

You are here: Home » Invertebrates » Snails » Onyx Nassarius Snail

Onyx Nassarius Snail

Scientific Name

Ilyanassa spp.

Reef Compatible

Yes

Care Level

Beginner

Disposition

Beginner

Minimum Tank Size

10 gallons

Mature Size

0.5 inches

Placement in tank

Sand

Diet

Omnivore

Range

Western Atlantic

Size Class

view chart

Curator's Note

Onyx Nassarius snails are very good at keeping sand beds completely clean of algae as well as other organics. Sometimes too good in fact. They may occasionally strip a sand bed of enough nutrients that there will be none left to support copepod or amphipod populations. If you keep dragonets, such as Green Mandarins, that rely on healthy populations of copepods and amphipods.

Other Common Names

Black Mud Snail, Black Nassarius Snail

Description

Onyx Nassarius Snails are a must have if you have fish-only tanks with live rock. They will keep your sand bed virtually spotless of algae and detritus. These snails are similar to Nassarius with the exception that they will eat hair algae. The Onyx Nassarius Snail will mow through your aquariums substrate and rockwork scaveging left over fish food and other meaty bits. It has been observed that if there is a lack in supply of meaty bits of food or other detritus, these snails will also gladly mow through problematic hair algae on rockwork, too! Onyx Nassarius Snails are great for dark substrates or just for a different look.

Diet

Will stay mostly on glass and hard surfaces eating extra fish food and other meaty bits. Will go on rockwork but will eventually return to substrate to burrow. Supplimental feedings are welcome and appreciated in the way of raw table shrimp, mysis shrimp, silversides, mussel, clam, scallop, Nori Seaweed, and other meaty bits.