Bumble Bee Snails

Bumble Bee Snails are nocturnal hunters who excel at keeping bristle worm populations in check while adding color to your reef tank.

However, their carnivorous appetite sometimes makes them snack on other beneficial tank members.

Get the facts on Bumble Bee Snails below to see if they might fit your system well.

What Bumble Bee Snails Look Like

Bumble Bee Snails have a black and yellow banded shell that’s hard to miss. Their compact, conical shells typically max out at about an inch long, with a smooth texture that catches the light.

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The snail’s body is usually dark, peeking out from its shell as it glides along on a muscular foot.

You might confuse them with:

Nassarius Snails:

• Gray or brown elongated shells, not banded
• More active burrowers
• Primarily detritus eaters, less carnivorous

Cerith Snails:

• Long, spiral shells with a rough texture
• Typically brown or dark-colored
• Slow movers mainly stick to glass and substrate
• Herbivores, focusing on algae rather than small prey

Dove Snails:

• Long, smooth shells with muted colors (brown, tan, or cream) and subtle patterns
• Small, usually less than an inch in length, similar in size to Bumble Bee Snails
• Active scavengers, less carnivorous than Bumble Bee Snails

Diet And Feeding

Bumble Bee Snails are nocturnal carnivores with a taste for pest control. They’re not picky eaters, but they do have preferences:

• Small invertebrates (bristle worms, vermetid snails)
• Detritus and organic waste
• Leftover fish food

These snails come alive at night, patrolling your tank’s nooks and crannies for a meal. Their hunting strategy is more “slow and steady” than “lightning strike.” They’ll methodically search rock crevices and substrate, using chemoreceptors to sniff out their next snack.

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Bumble Bee Snails can develop a taste for beneficial creatures.

I’ve seen them go after:

• Other small snails
• Beneficial worms
• Even coral polyps, in rare cases

Keep an eye out if your clean-up crew starts mysteriously shrinking. While Bumble Bee Snails are generally reef-safe, their appetite can sometimes lead them astray, especially in tanks where food is scarce.

Bumble Bee Snails often find enough to eat on their own in a well-established tank. But if you notice them looking a bit thin, you can supplement them with:

• Finely chopped seafood
• Frozen mysis shrimp
• Sinking carnivore pellets

Tank Setup And Acclimation

Bumble Bee Snails thrive in reef tanks with a mix of sandy substrate and live rock. Aim for a 1-2 inch sand bed where they can forage and plenty of rocky crevices for daytime hiding.

They’re not picky about lighting, and you can’t go wrong with a moderate flow of water. As with most marine creatures, stable water parameters are key to their health.

When acclimating, I match temp and salinity before adding them to my tank. I’ve found adding them at night or turning the lights off reduces stress and encourages immediate exploration.

Avoid copper-based treatments at all costs – they’re lethal to these little guys. If you need to treat the tank, remove the snails first and quarantine if needed.

How many Bumble Bee Snails can you keep in a reef tank? In a mature 20-gallon tank, I’d start with 2 or 3 snails and observe their impact before adding more.

Behavior And Tank Mates

Bumble Bee Snails are nocturnal introverts with a peaceful demeanor. During the day, they’re hide-and-seek leaders tucked away in rocky crevices. Come lights out, they transform into slow-moving hunters, methodically combing your tank for tasty morsels.

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They’re solo operators, content to mind their own business as they patrol your tank, but will group where food is plenty.

Suitable tank mates:

• Clownfish
• Gobies
• Cleaner shrimp
• Hermit crabs
• Most corals

Species to avoid:

• Pufferfish
• Triggerfish
• Large wrasses
• Aggressive crabs

Will Bumble Bee Snails harm my clean-up crew? While generally peaceful, they may occasionally prey on smaller snails or beneficial worms if other food sources are scarce. Keep an eye on your clean-up crew’s numbers and provide supplemental feeding if needed to prevent unwanted snacking.

Breeding And Reproduction

I’ve seen Bumble Bee Snails lay eggs in my reef tank, but they never amounted to much. Successful reproduction in a reef tank is rare.

You might spot egg clusters on rocks or glass, but don’t get your hopes up – the babies are incredibly demanding.

The microscopic snail babies need specific conditions and food that are hard to replicate at home, like precise water parameters and specialized planktonic diets.

Bumble Bee Snail Tips

Keeping Bumble Bee Snails healthy is all about observation and prevention. Look for active movement at night and a vibrant shell color. Lethargy or a dull appearance can signal trouble.

Shell damage is a common issue – watch for cracks or chips, which can leave them vulnerable to infection.

Regular testing and stable parameters prevent stress-related issues. Check your water first if you notice a snail retreating into its shell for extended periods.

Parasites are rare but possible. Keep an eye out for any unusual growths or behavior changes.

Can You Keep Bumble Bee Snails In A Reef Jar?

Keeping Bumble Bee Snails in a reef jar (pico reef under 2 gallons) is possible, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Here’s why:

• Size matters: While these snails are small, they still need space to roam and forage. A single Bumble Bee Snail in a 2-gallon jar would be pushing it, leaving little room for other inhabitants or natural behavior.
• Stability issues: Water parameters can swing wildly, like during water changes, stressing out your snails.
• Limited food sources: These carnivorous cleaners need a steady supply of small invertebrates and detritus. A jar simply doesn’t have the ecosystem to support their dietary needs long-term.
• Potential over-predation: In such a confined space, a Bumble Bee Snail might quickly deplete beneficial microfauna, throwing the delicate balance of your pico reef out of whack.

They really need the space and stability of a larger reef tank. Trust me, your snails (and your sanity) will thank you for it.