LFS had pyramid snail

[Loki]

I went to a LFS earlier and there was a pyramid snail on the shell of a beautiful squamosa. When I saw this I told the people about it and we then looked it over and that was the only visible snail on and around the clam.

They have a clam that I have had my eye on right next to it. So, my question is what would the proper precautions be to bringing a clam home from a known tank with pyramid snails?

 

[wysiwyg]

leave it at your lfs would be my advise

 

[Electrobes]

Really depends on the amount of damage to the clam. If the clam looks fairly healthy, removing the snails isn't the end of the world impossible. I've dealt with them before, a loooong time ago when I was way into clams. Manual removal and keeping a close eye will work.

 

[skinz78]

As stated above they aren't all that bad to remove. I keep a yellow Coris Wrasse and it does wonders for removing them.

 

[Loki]

I went back to the store and had another good look at their clams. I didn't see a pyramid snail at all.

I just did a little research and they seem to be nocturnal. So chances are that we wouldn't see them during the day anyway. This is the lfs that has a clam I really want and have been keeping an eye on. I know a wrasse was mentioned earlier, what else can be done between the store and my tank?

 

[skinz78]

Nothing other than manual removal.

 

[chort55]

Nothing other than manual removal.

Yup, and as mentioned already a yellow coris (I am sure there are other types that would work too, but yellow's seem to be the #1 choice) will generally help out as well.

 

[Steelerfan747]

Good luck with it and hope all goes well

 

[CJO]

You could also put it in a hospital tank until you're sure that they are all gone (i.e., can't hide in the live rock). What about a fresh water dip? I know that croceas and maximas handle them well, but I'm not sure about squamosas. I would also think that a fresh water dip would do wonders as the clam should easily adjusts to the temporary salinity change whereas snails usually die from it....

CJ

 

[robert]

pyramid snails can be tough to eliminate. Manual removal will keep them in check - keep your clam alive - but they can and do go after snails - turbos and astrea snails particularly - which they frequently kill.
A yellow coris wrasse may eat them - but the snail being nocturnal - their paths may not cross sufficiently often for them to be eliminated.

Its better to avoid them then try and cure them.

 

[Loki]

pyramid snails can be tough to eliminate. Manual removal will keep them in check - keep your clam alive - but they can and do go after snails - turbos and astrea snails particularly - which they frequently kill.
A yellow coris wrasse may eat them - but the snail being nocturnal - their paths may not cross sufficiently often for them to be eliminated.

Its better to avoid them then try and cure them.

I agree. I have three clams and turbo and astrea snails in my tank now and I would rather not risk all of them for one clam, but then again it is a decent deal on a blue squamosa..... I think I will probably pass on this until I can feel confident enough that the clam does not have these.

You could also put it in a hospital tank until you're sure that they are all gone (i.e., can't hide in the live rock). What about a fresh water dip? I know that croceas and maximas handle them well, but I'm not sure about squamosas. I would also think that a fresh water dip would do wonders as the clam should easily adjusts to the temporary salinity change whereas snails usually die from it....

CJ

I was kind of hoping that someone has had experience with dipping clams for this reason. I would rather have my first time dipping a clam be guided by someone. I will just keep on staring at it every time I go into the store them!!

 

[bct15]

I had pyramid snails at one point, they are next to impossible to get rid of. I had the species that goes after snails, and I literally pulled out 50+ a day for a month straight. Eventually my snail population died off, I have a yellow coris wrasse but it didn't eat all of them. Once established, they are a nightmare. The pyramid snails are gone now, but so are all of my Astraea snails.

 

[skinz78]

You could also put it in a hospital tank until you're sure that they are all gone (i.e., can't hide in the live rock). What about a fresh water dip? I know that croceas and maximas handle them well, but I'm not sure about squamosas. I would also think that a fresh water dip would do wonders as the clam should easily adjusts to the temporary salinity change whereas snails usually die from it....

CJ

FWD is not a good choice for removing snails as it will do more harm than good, it'll kill the snails but not the eggs and they are extremely stressful on clams.

 

[skinz78]

I had pyramid snails at one point, they are next to impossible to get rid of. I had the species that goes after snails, and I literally pulled out 50+ a day for a month straight. Eventually my snail population died off, I have a yellow coris wrasse but it didn't eat all of them. Once established, they are a nightmare. The pyramid snails are gone now, but so are all of my Astraea snails.

I've had the type that go after snails as well, they never crossed over to my clams but I agree they are a pain to get off of snails.

 

[Loki]

I will just leave this guy at the LFS then. I have a 5 gallon tank I could use as a hospital tank but I would need to find 18" T5's to give the clam a chance. So it looks as though it is out of the picture. Bummer.

 

[Loki]

I have gone back several times and each time I look at this tank. I have yet to see another and the one I saw was maybe 1/2" long. Do they get this big? From reading around and seeing pictures they all seem to be 1/8" or so. Is it possible that what I saw was not a pyramid snail? I would love to have this blue squamosa

 

[Loki]

Also the clam is attached to the container it is in. It is not something I want to try to pull off to take a look at its foot.

 

[cdness]

Make sure you go back and look at it when the store is closing and they can turn down the tank lights... They become active at night and are extremely hard to see in the daylight.

 

[Loki]

Well they have radions that are on timers with the sun. Maybe I could convince them to turn off the lights to sell the clam though.

So lights off and just look the clam over?

 

[skinz78]

Honestly, if you want the clam you should get it. Just buy a yellow Coris Raised too and you shouldn't have any issues. How much are they asking? Maybe you can get it for a discounted price?

The snails can get up to 1/4" long. If the snails you saw were 1/2" then I doubt they were Pyramids.

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