Crap!! I've got pyramid snails!

[nickyblase]

At least I think I have pyramid snails. I found 4 small white things on one of my clams this morning that looked like a grain of rice. Am I right to think that they're the dreaded pyramid snails?

The only things I've added to my tank are a Rose BTA, and another clam - I checked the clam (that I got from a recent clam draft) and didn't see ANYTHING on it! Is it possible they came in on an RBTA? That sounds really odd.

I didn't have time to do the toothbrush scrub this morning before I left for work, so it's going to have to wait until I get home.

How long does it take for these guys to really do some damage? What exactly is it that they do??

 

[fanaglethebagle]

eek, I recomend getting a wrasse, they are supposed to eat them.

 

[cobraz]

First thing to do is - take both clams out of your tank in some tank water - get another small bowl of tank water and place one in it - take first clam and clean it - look at the base on botton - you will see them by the foot on the flesh part. pick them off by hand.

Rinse the clam and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then do it again.
Then do same for other clam - then once done put them back to display tank.
Make sure you - throw these little buggers away as soon as you find them.

 

[nickyblase]

thinking about it. I'm almost maxed out with fish though. My waste levels are almost indetectable though. We'll see.

 

[JohnK]

I got them on a maxima a year or so ago. I tried to remove them manually but couldn't keep up very well, they just kept coming. Eventually I pretty much gave up and crossed my fingers that my 6 line would help over time. I never saw the wrasse near the clams, but after several months the snails disappeared. I don't know if the wrasse got them or something else took care of them, but I haven't seen a single snail in months.

Not reccomneding doing nothing, but offering hope. I have read that running UV can help because the snails have a freefloating stage in their life cycle. Otherwise the only other reccomendations that I have heard are wrasses and manual removal.

 

[mloebl]

Are there any other wrasses besides a 6line that will eat them (and maybe fw)? Mine disappeared after 2 years (I suspect he jumped and the cat got him.) However I'd rather not get another 6line as he dessimated my shrimp when he grew up.

-Mike

 

[jovreef]

Alot of wrasses eat them.. check out live aquaria's wrasse section, they have discriptions of each one and what eats the snails

 

[RayD]

There is no evidence that a six line wrasse eats pyramid snails. Get a Yellow or Green Coris Wrasse. Thay bury themselves in the sand and eat the snails from underneath the clam.

There is written evidence that these fish are effective against these parasitic snails.

I saw a nice one cheap at Jay's Aquatics, Salem, NH just yesterday. You could also ask -B- at AG to order you one. They are really small and would probably have little or no affect on your bio-load.

Good luck ...

 

[seahorse1]

Nicky, do you have pics of the snails? What is the toothbrush scrub? Do clams and snails need to be QT'd before going into main tank?

 

[mloebl]

There is no evidence that a six line wrasse eats pyramid snails. Get a Yellow or Green Coris Wrasse. Thay bury themselves in the sand and eat the snails from underneath the clam.

There is written evidence that these fish are effective against these parasitic snails.

I saw a nice one cheap at Jay's Aquatics, Salem, NH just yesterday. You could also ask -B- at AG to order you one. They are really small and would probably have little or no affect on your bio-load.

Good luck ...

I see the Coris Wrasse requires sand. Is the finely crushed corals too abrasive for them? I've got the finely crushed coral, larger than a sand grain but still pretty small (small enough the sand sifting goby has no problems.)

Thanks,

-Mike

 

[RayD]

Nicky, do you have pics of the snails? What is the toothbrush scrub? Do clams and snails need to be QT'd before going into main tank?

The snails are unmistakable. They look like tiny little cone snails and they hang at the bottom of your clam.

The toothbrush method is ... Each night about an hour after lights out you should pick up the clam and check the bottom for pyramid snails. Manually remove any snails you see and look for slimy sacks on the shell of the clam. Those are the egg sacks. Use a toothbrush to clean off the sacks from the shell.

If you have multiple clams, I would QT any new clam until you're confident it does not have Pyr snails.

 

[JohnK]

"There is no evidence that a six line wrasse eats pyramid snails."

Agreed,

don't take my post as saying that they do eat them, I only said I have a 6 line and in may case the snails disappeared. I have no idea if there's any connection or not. I never saw the 6 line eat a snail or even look like it was thinking about it.

 

[nickyblase]

Thanks for the input - I will clean them both off tonight. Didn't see any on the new one I got from the clam draft, and I highly doubt that they came in on that clam anyway.

Could it actually be possible that they would come in on an anemone though? That's just seems too far fetched!

I'll look into the coris wrasses. For some reason I thought they got fairly large.

The 4 snails I saw this morning were actually on the top of the shell, right under the mantle (on the outside of the shell, not the inside). Have no idea if there are more around the foot.

 

[Mrs. Delta]

I'll look into the coris wrasses. For some reason I thought they got fairly large.

No, they stay around 4", and they are pretty peaceful tank inhabitants.

 

[RayD]

I read on Live Aquaria that the Coris Wrasse is not reef safe or it's reef safe "with caution". Read up on it before your purchase.

I bought a Molinaris <my spelling sucks> Wrasse from Aqua Addicts to pre emptively deal with the snails before it becomes a problem. The book said that this wrasse may eat small starfish and shrimp. But my shrimps are pretty big so they should be ok.

I lost 2 clams to pyramid snails. You have to check the clams nightly until the problem is irradicated and it could take a while.

 

[nickyblase]

just looked on liveaquaria, and Ray - that one you got is a nice looking fish! I've only got a 38 though, so I'm somewhat limited to the selection.

From what I can tell, a yellow coris may not be bad, or perhaps a scarlet pin stripe wrasse, or of course a mystery wrasse (but those are pretty expensive!). The rest are 50G or larger. Any other ideas/experiences??

 

[ReeferMedic]

Get yourself a Yellow Coris Wrasse, and within a few days, you'll see it hunting around the clam for the snails. They are on the cheaper side too. They are indeed reef safe, and very effective at ridding a tank of these snails. Christmas Wrasse work great also, as well as a bunch of others.

 

[FooManChoo]

We have a fairly small yellow coris wrasse at Lovely Pets in Quncy, healthy, good color... might want to check it out.

-j

 

[RayD]

just looked on liveaquaria, and Ray - that one you got is a nice looking fish! I've only got a 38 though, so I'm somewhat limited to the selection.

From what I can tell, a yellow coris may not be bad, or perhaps a scarlet pin stripe wrasse, or of course a mystery wrasse (but those are pretty expensive!). The rest are 50G or larger. Any other ideas/experiences??

I can't find it on Live Aquaria. Can you link me?

I just noticed mine doing what Don said they would, hunting around the clam. And I just got him yesterday and he's at work already. Cool!!

I wanted a Mystery Wrasse too! $90 ... Sheesh!!

 

[nickyblase]

Ray - where in the world did you see a mystery wrasse for $90? I thought they were more like 150-200!

Here's the link to the fish I believe you were talking about (although since I haven't seen it, I could be mistaken). They say it's a Melanurus, or a "Hoeven's Wrasse." Is that it??

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=2285&N=0