Jestersix

Losing my clam - I hate pyramid snail

Elite

Elite

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There were some pyramid snails on the shelf and I brushed them off with the toothbrush. I didn't see any on the bottom at that time. Today the clam looks pretty bad. I took it out and found ton of them attacking the foot of the clam :-[ .. I really like this clam. It would be really suck if I lose this guy :'( ..

clamki0.jpg
 
Here is a pic of those damn snail. What is the best way to kill these guy?? Should I let them dry out under MH or use a torch?? >:(
snaildo5.jpg
 
[quote author=Elite link=topic=1796.msg16928#msg16928 date=1173157936]
Here is a pic of those damn snail. What is the best way to kill these guy?? Should I let them dry out under MH or use a torch?? >:(
snaildo5.jpg

[/quote]
Too Quick....... I like to just leave them out slow...........death. :)
But I had the same problem a few years ago and those snails will live on any other snail larger then itself. So I can't seem to get rid of them.
 
I don't have a lot of snails. I can take them all out and leave the tank without snail for a while. Anyone know how long it takes for these bastards to die??
 
The members of the genus Pseudocheilinus are well known for their habit of feeding on pyramidellid snails (small gastropods that are parasites of Tridacna clams). The parasitic snails are nocturnal, spending the day near the base of the clam or between the scutes of certain species of clams (Delbeek and Sprung, 1994). As a result, these wrasses are neither likely to encounter the snails very often nor have the opportunity to prey upon them. Delbeek and Sprung (1994) suggest manual removal is still the most effective way to rid clams of these parasites. The Pseudocheilinus spp. will also feed on noxious flatworms. That said, do not expect any of them to eradicate these pests if your tank is already infested with them!



http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/hcs3/index2.htm
 
Pyramidellid snails rarely grow over 10 mm and are more of a problem to small or juvenile giant clams. For this reason, they are usually only affect smaller broodstock such as T. maxima and T. crocea. They feed by using a trunk to suck body fluids from the mantle of the clam. Pyramidellid snail larvae do not spend any time in the plankton but hatch from the egg as juveniles at the site where they were laid. Consequently, an infestation of Pyramidellid snails can proliferate very quickly in land-based tanks. Pyramedellid snails reproduce every 90-120 days. Hatcheries in areas where these snails commonly occur can control infection by breaking the reproductive cycle of the snails. Every three months, the clams should be removed from the tank or offshore holding area and thoroughly cleaned. They should then be returned to a clean offshore cage or land-based tank.




http://library.kcc.hawaii.edu/external/ctsa/publications/GCManual.html
 
sorry elite, that is a beautiful clam.

i had a rice snail problem about a year ago.. heard that they are really hard to get rid of. i haven't heard of nash's idea of them living on other, larger snails, though once a while back i think i saw what looked like them all up on a trochus snail i have. do they eat off the larger snails then, or is it just for mobility/protection? i'd really like to hear other ideas on how to rid a tank of pyramid snails.

when i was trying to research a while back, i think i read something about them living mostly in the sandbed and lr and being most active at night. standard biological cleaners aside (lined and coris wrasses) i don't know of much else, though i haven't noticed anything in the last 4 months since i put in my yellow coris. i currently have one baby maxima and take it out monthly to check for snails. i used to do a monthly freshwater dip with my check, while turkey basting, as most inverts, like snails seem to not hold on as tight with that.. and reading the rc article freshwater dip at times seems potentially harmless/beneficial to clams.

just my way of checking before potentially moving in a more expensive clam..
 
Here a picture of a pyramid snail feeding on a Astraea Turbo Snail. I had over 50 of these before now I can count about 2-3.
coral6_edited.jpg
 
I have them in my small 10g tank at work. Luckily, I don't have any at home and my big clam is in QT until I feel he should get promoted to "big tank".

If I were you, I'd do this;
1) take clam and brush off the snails
2) take the clam out and put it in a barebottom QT tank (with appropriate lighting)
3) vigilantly hunt them in the QT tank
4) leave the main tank fallow of snails and clams and wait out the pyrams
5) Possibly get a 6-line wrasse to help slaughter them in your main tank.
6) after you assure yourself that the pyrams are gone (might take weeks or months),
put el clammo back into the tank.

Alternatively, put the clam in a BB QT tank with a 6-line or other pyram predator.

V
 
[quote author=Vincerama2 link=topic=1796.msg16954#msg16954 date=1173167920]
I have them in my small 10g tank at work. Luckily, I don't have any at home and my big clam is in QT until I feel he should get promoted to "big tank".

If I were you, I'd do this;
1) take clam and brush off the snails
2) take the clam out and put it in a barebottom QT tank (with appropriate lighting)
3) vigilantly hunt them in the QT tank
4) leave the main tank fallow of snails and clams and wait out the pyrams
5) Possibly get a 6-line wrasse to help slaughter them in your main tank.
6) after you assure yourself that the pyrams are gone (might take weeks or months),
put el clammo back into the tank.

Alternatively, put the clam in a BB QT tank with a 6-line or other pyram predator.

V

[/quote]
I have had a six-line for years and I still have them. 2 different ones too since one went in to a tube and was killed.
 
make sure you get the eggs too. I keep a 6 line in the tank incase any get in, but I agree with Vince. I have had clams die, but never to snails.
 
There is no way you can see the eggs as they are almost invisible. I did took out the clam and removed all the snails that I can see. I will need to get a 6 lines for my tank. I don't have a QT tank. I can set one up but I don't have any extra MH light to support the clam. I put the clam on the frag rack up high in the tank. Hopefully snail can't get to it. It looks pretty bad yesterday. I don't even know if it's going to make it :( ..
Thanks for all the info guys!!!
 
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