White snails??

[Iron Crab]

A few weeks ago I saw about a dozen tiny white snails on my LR and haven't seen them since. Spent some time looking to I.D. them and found something while reading up on Tridacnid Clams. According to what I have read they are from the Pyramidellidae Family and attack the clam's mantle. Not good for the clams. Then I just read in the March issue of FAMA in Julian Sprung's reef notes that they are harmless herbivores that seem to congregate on the shells of Tridacnid clams. Is there a need to worry? Has anyone found these snails in their systems. I had the LR for two years now and only saw these snails for about three hours. Bill

[SKRIZ]

did you see them at night with the lights off?

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It seems like the more I know, the less I want to know.

[Iron Crab]

Hi SKRIZ,
No, we saw them during full lights. The next morning they were gone. Don't think I have anything in the tank that would have eaten them. Had a problem a little while ago of something drilling holes in my rock so the rock they were on looks like swiss cheese so I think they are in the rock. Bill

[dsb1829]

I have a bunch of these little guys. No clams though. Are they small (=1/16-1/8") and have pointy shells?



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[Iron Crab]

dsb1829,
I think you have the same. White, 1/16" , shells pointy like a sugar cone for ice cream. I don't have any clams but will when I upgrade and don't want to put something that will not be good in my new system if I can help it. Bill

[REAL BIG FISH]

Bill

I had the same snails for a year in my reef. I never bought a clam because of them. The stayed on my snails most of the time. A snail could have had 50 or more on it at a time.

I got a leopard wrasse to see if he would eat them. After 20 min. in the tank he was busy eating the rice sized snails. After a week I had no snails. He would pluck them off the snails shell and roll it around in his mouth and spit out the shell! Very cool to watch!

I now have 3 clams and no Pyramidellidae snails!

Jamey[img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

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[MarkS]

Are they white, pointy with black spots? If so, I have a couple of those and have been wondering what species they are.

Mark

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[Iron Crab]

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies. Jamey, I'll try the leopard wrasse if that time comes- thanks. Mark, mine didn't have any spots on them. Bill