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Pyramid Snails??

SirFragalot

SirFragalot

For the first time in a while, I looked at my tank a couple hours after lights out. I noticed a huge gathering of tiny white long spiral shelled snails on the back right side of the tank that I had not seen before. Of course I was amazed to see them because I do not have any larger snails that look like that. Upon closer inspection, there were ton of them where the glass meets the substrate along the whole parameter of the tank. I noticed that there was one of my two turbo snails in the back right corner where the gathering on the glass was and realized that after 1 and a half years in the tank, it had kicked the bucket and the tiny snails where on, and around the shell. It's normal that they live 1 and a half to two years. Anyways, after doing some research, I found that these things look just like the pics of Pyramid snails that cause issues with clams. I don't have any clams. Never have. I also do not have any Cerith snails that look simillar to Pyramid snails as babies.

Link to google pics of Pyramid Snails: http://images.google.com/images?hl=...&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4

My question is this... If I dont have any clams, can these things die out themselves? I dont see any info on them eating corals, just clams. I dont even know how they got in there in the first place.
 
SirFragalot

SirFragalot

Dave said:
That big ???

Pyramid Snails are very small. Can fit many on a dime.

Might be Cerith snails.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure where the confusion is. What do you mean "That big?"

I thought I clearly stated that they were "tiny" and looked just like the ones in the pics in that link. The pics of the ones that are on dimes are the exact same size as the ones that are in my tank.
 
D

ds4x4

they are the pest snails NOT cerith. wrasses best way to get rid of them. you should post on RC about if they would die with no snails in the tank
 
SirFragalot

SirFragalot

Thanks. The only other snails in the tank are two margarita and one mex turbo. I will post on RC like you said. Are these common hitchikers?
 
D

Dave

SirFragalot said:
I was amazed to see them because I do not have any larger snails that look like that.
Click to expand...

My error, I misintrepetted this sentence incorrectly. And scanned right past the "tiny" in the preceeding sentence.

Six and Eight Lined Wrasse (P. hexataenia and P. octotaenia) and the Green Wrasse (H. chloropterus)are natural predators.

You can remove them by hand if possible.

I would try to get them out. It is my understanding the population will grow and not die out. Clam not required.
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

i have the same thing - they appear to be a parasite on snails. My maxima clam is fine - I was a freak watching it every night the first 2 weeks i put the clam in. It's been growing now for the past 7 months.

I went snail less in my tank for 4 weeks (when I first intro'd the LR) and noticed two hitchers: asterina stars and these tiny rice like snails. Even though there were no big snails they still survived. Not much else I can do.

The problem with the wrasses is that they work in the daytime and daytime is when these snails are not out and about.

if you find the cure - let me know. They appear to prefer larger snails vs nassarius/nerite type snails.
 
SirFragalot

SirFragalot

Hawkeye said:
i have the same thing - they appear to be a parasite on snails. My maxima clam is fine - I was a freak watching it every night the first 2 weeks i put the clam in. It's been growing now for the past 7 months.

I went snail less in my tank for 4 weeks (when I first intro'd the LR) and noticed two hitchers: asterina stars and these tiny rice like snails. Even though there were no big snails they still survived. Not much else I can do.

The problem with the wrasses is that they work in the daytime and daytime is when these snails are not out and about.

if you find the cure - let me know. They appear to prefer larger snails vs nassarius/nerite type snails.
Click to expand...

I dont think I ever noticed them on my big turbo's. Then again, I didnt look. The remaining turbo does not have any of these on or around its shell.
 
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ds4x4

the sixline that i had would pick during the day and all of my snails were pest free. it was interesting to watch it peck the astrea snails. but you are correct the Pyramid snails are nocturnal and manual removal will help keep there population down.
 
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