I have noticed "baby" snails in my 120 gallon reef before, went to clean the filter and found about 20 of them in there. Are these just the same as my normal snails, just waiting to grow up? Or is this something else. Should I throw the babies I removed from the filter back in the tank?

Sorry, not 120 gallon, but 120 liters. (37 gallons)
The top of their shells is like a conical asian hat.

Can't really tell much from the picture or description, but I have some ideas. Google "Collonista snail". They look like baby turbo snails.

Dave

Oh...and if they are, then leave them alone. They are more than harmless, they are beneficial grazers.

Also look up "sundial snails" which are flat looking with a checkered kind of sundial appearance. They are a problem if you have zoanthids. They like to much on them. However, they don't show up much in tanks. Not as much as the collonista.

There's information on the collonista at our buddies pages on project DIBS, Project DIBS (http://www.projectdibs.com). OR.. hit the link on the left side of our pages, under "Site Partners"

Dave

Thanks guys, but they really look different. Sorry that the picture isn't great. (gonna have to get that waterproof cell phone they just came out with here!)

They don't have the spiral turning back on themselves look of a snail. It is just a cone with a little mouth underneath on the glass. Could they be barnacles? They don't seem to move hardly at all.

Ahah... okay... google "Limpet"

OR... "Stomatella"

A piccy of a limpet from wet web media..

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/MolluscPIX/Gastropods/Prosobranch%20PIX/wwwmlimpet.jpg

Dave

Stomatella V.

http://bp1.blogger.com/_-I2R3HdTIkY/Ri7hgLYZ0YI/AAAAAAAAAWo/Vce-cfeXC20/s400/little+weird+guy.jpg

Dave

I never thought about it but the limpets in my tank do look like conical Asian hats!

I live in Japan so that was the first description to come to mind. Limpet it is. So what do they do besides work their way into my canister filter and make it very difficult to open? Good, bad, ugly?

They are actually good aglae grazers and are, for the most part, harmless. Some say that they've been known to scratch acrylic tanks, but when I ask, nobody is able to show me a picture of said damage :)

I think, since you now have some in your charge, that you read up some more on them. The more you know about them, the betterr you'll understand how they affect your sytem. Also, if you've finally "had it" with them, you may, through your research, be able to find a natural predator to control them.

I love sites such as Wetwebmedia, Aquarium, Pond, Marine and Freshwater Fish, reef tanks, and Aquatics Information (http://www.wetwebmedia.com) and project DIBS. I LOVE researching the "whatzit" questitons. You'll probably find some good info at wet web media to start you on your way in research.

Dave