Pyramid Snails

[Pernelf]

After Jim's talk this weekend I'm wondering if I have pyramid snails. Does anyone have a pic of one and what's the scientific name so I can do some more research. Thanks

Leslea

[Chris]

Yay... our search function is actually good for something. This thread (http://www.maast.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpBB2&file=viewtopic& t=383&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=c lam%20snail) has a bit of information about removing them.

Don't know of the scientific name... but here's a pic of the shells...

http://users.rcn.com/jfox61/macro/pyramidelline2.jpg

[Pernelf]

Hmmm, not good. Kinda looks like what I have :roll: Next question then. How can they be surviving in a tank with no clams to eat on? The only snails in that tank are ceriths, nassarius and a few nerite. Thanks, I'm going to be pulling out the clams at lunch to have a look see.

[Chris]

Well.. I think Minh would know a whole lot more about them than me, so hopefully he might show up or you can send him a Private Message (http://www.maast.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpBB2&file=privmsg&mo de=post&u=37).

I read somewhere that they will also feed off of certain snails so that should answer the question on how they survived.

You could also try contacting Dr. Ron Shimek from ReefCentrals forums, he's collecting parasitic snail shells in this thread (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=e31ed5950bbe255fdb7600f1546a0084& threadid=57486). I'm sure he could positively ID them for you.

;)

[Jimnorris]

IME those little monsters will go after all types of snails. Remove some of your other snails from your tank and check them out. If you see any just scrub them off with a tooth brush.
Jim

[Pernelf]

I emailed Dr Ron and he said I could mail him a few snails to get an ID, now just have to wait for the lights to go out. Thanks for the help guys. Any my new pocillipora is doing just wonderful Jim. :D

Leslea

[Pernelf]

Oh happy day, I heard from Dr. Ron about my snails :-D Good news


They are not pyramidellids, but rather are members of a large group of small snails that are detritus or mud feeding animals. These particular animals are called rissoids and are probably quite beneficial in a reef aquarium.

Cheers, Ron



I'm so happy and so will be hubby, he wasn't to happy about the possibility of getting new fish.

Leslea

[fuzz]

I found pyramid snails on all three of my clams today, is there anything I can do (besides scrubbing the clams, done!) to get rid of these suckers? I think they have all but nuked one of my Gold Max's, he is not looking so hot.

-Greg

[fuzz]

Josh,
BTW the snails I found on the my clams were about the size of a seaseme seed and had black shells. I would look for them anywhere your clams mantle is not fully extended, that is what got me looking.

-Greg

[captexas]

I have a bad problem with some small white snails growing on my glass and a few pieces of live rock. They are very small (1/16in.), white, and like a round coil in shape. They have also attached to snail/hermit shells. Today I noticed a few on a large clove polyp frag. I have a six-line wrasse and he doesn't mess with them. Anyone know what these could be?

[fuzz]

I found mine right where the mantle and the shell meet. I took mine out of the tank and gave them a good scrub with a tooth brush in the sink. Hopefully you don't have any of these critters. I should have saved one and posted a picture.

-Greg

[fuzz]

I just checked out my tank and I have about 100 black seaseme seed size snails all over my tank, should I be freaked or not. Can anyone tell me if pyramid snails have black shells?

-Greg

[Jimnorris]

I have never seen or heard of the snails with black shells? This maybe a job for Dr. Ron. Can you get a good picture?
Jim

[OrionN]

There are many snails that looks just the same as Pyramid Snails that prey on Clams. Some are harmless herbervoirs free living snails. Others preys on snails. Some even prey on Vermetid snails.
From my observation, these snails are very specific regarding their preys. Snail parasites do not prey on Clams.
You should have your clams on the sand for at least the first month or two. During this time periord, you should check the clams for parasitic snails and remove them. I also break all the scales off my clams initially so I can removes all the snails. After a few weeks of doing this, all the parasitic snails should be gone. and you can leave the clams along and move them to where ever you want them.
Pyramid Snails of a differece species also infested snails. They are one of the major reason for snails to died in our tank. Every body look at the shell of you Turbo. Chances are you will find some there. In the past, before I know to look for these, my snail would all died within 2 years. When I wise up, I removed 20+ parasitic snails from one of my larger Turbo. I now have snails that live as long as three years and still going strong.
I also observed Parasitic snails that attack my Vermetid snails on the live rock. I got lots of Vermetid snails and wanted to keep the number down so they won't spin their web everywhere. Because of this reason, I do not remove the parasitic snails that infest these Vermetid snails. As far as I can tell, these there types of parasitic snails and the hunreds of free living tiny snails in my tank looks identical to the naked eyes. They don't cross infected. I have being Clams parasitic snails for several years. I also have been almost parasitic snails that infected Turpo snails free for a long time, but still have lots of other snails all over my tank.
I would not consider a snail a parasitic snail and sentence him to death unless i see him cloes to the mantel of my clams. I have not kill one from my tank for years, although I allways clean and remove all the snail that often come from newly bought Clams, even from first rate vendors.
For small tank, the only method of control is manual removal. In large tank, the only wrasse that I experence taht works well is the Harlequne Tuskfish.
I hope I have not being too long winded in my reply, but I think I mention all the relevence information on these parasitic snails as I experienced it.
Minh Nguyen