Pyramid snails...the little bastards! >> False Alarm...they're Rissoids.

Myka · #1 04-09-2008, 05:27 AM

Good thing I didn't pick up that clam I was drooling over a couple months back!! I have a lovely little infestation of Pyramid snails!! I think I may pull my hair out...

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EDIT: I was quite sure they are Pyramid snails, but due to not having any clams, and noy having any parasitic issues with my other snails, I enquired for ID on Reef Central. Alas, they are Rissoids, not Pyramids. The secret is in a good magnifying glass!

bv_reefer · #2 04-09-2008, 06:01 AM

hey myka I've heard countless times that yellow wrasse are efficient at keeping those at bay as there always picking them off clam shells, in fact i'm gonna go pick one up this week. keep in mind they also tend to eat feather dusters, wild shrimp, tubeworms, and flatworms; consider

Myka · #3 04-09-2008, 06:19 AM

Hey thanks! I have heard this too, but I have no plans of adding a Yellow Coris Wrasse to my tank, although I should be getting a Blue Flasher Wrasse next week, so I'm hoping that he may do the trick.

Shipwreck · #4 04-09-2008, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bv_reefer

hey myka I've heard countless times that yellow wrasse are efficient at keeping those at bay as there always picking them off clam shells, in fact i'm gonna go pick one up this week. keep in mind they also tend to eat feather dusters, wild shrimp, tubeworms, and flatworms; consider

Both yellow and green wrasses are good at picking on bugs, flatworms, pyramid snails, etc. The only issues with them is that they require a decent sand bed as they will bury themselves when stressed or at night. My green wrase will also pick up mouthfulls of sand or small rocks looking for food, but then spits it into the water column and creates mini sand storms.

fkshiu · #5 04-09-2008, 05:13 PM

I've found that wrasses cannot eliminate pyramidal snails from a tank. This is because the snails are nocturnal whereas wrasses are diurnal (sleep at night like us). So your wrasse is having sweet dreams when most of the snails are out and causing havoc.

The only way to eliminate the snails is careful manual removal over the course of several weeks.

Take the clam out with some tank water after lights out for a few nights in a row and scrub/remove as many of the little buggers as you can as quickly as you can. Be sure to get their eggs as well. Continue doing this every so often until no further snails are present. It took me a few months to get rid of everything (knock on wood) and I still do a check every few weeks or so.

Myka · #6 04-10-2008, 04:18 AM

You see, the funny thing is...I don't have any clams. My other snails (Astrea, Nassarius, Margarita) are not affected. I checked every one of them.

I posted up an ID on Reef Central, and they all seem to think they are Rissoid snails, and in fact not Pyramids. I'll keep a close eye on my other snails for parasitic action. I've never heard of Rissoid snails... here's a pic of the snails in my tank: