Snails on maxima clam identification (PMD Outbreak)

[Miami Reef]

Most of my maxima clams have PMD or some sort of disease.

During the freshwater dip, I saw many of these small snails. Another freshwater dip a week later showed the same snails.

It’s not pyramidal, but I wanted to know if these could be parasitic? They really seem to hang out on the clams.

@minus9

I had a major loss of my clam collection. Most have perished. I haven’t added a clam in several months, so I’m not sure why it’s happening, but I’ve been noticing lack of growth for a while.

 

[Cthulukelele]

To me they look like sun dial snails which are another parasitic clam eating snail type

 

[Cthulukelele]

They will also eat other snails

 

[Miami Reef]

To me they look like sun dial snails which are another parasitic clam eating snail type

I did some searching, and I found a thread that shows a picture very similar to mine: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sundial-snail.181703/

The majority identified it as collonista.

What do you think?

 

[Cthulukelele]

I did some searching, and I found a thread that shows a picture very similar to mine: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sundial-snail.181703/

The majority identified it as collonista.

What do you think?

Collonista snails and sundial snails can be hard to tell apart aside from the little stabby tail on the underside of the sundials when they aren't retracted.

Given the context of them all hanging out on the clam and not elsewhere is what had me leaning more sundial snail, but I hope they're collonista as those are beneficial algae eaters

 

[Cthulukelele]

They'd also give a nice and clean (if frustrating) explanation of your lost clams and current PMD

 

[Cthulukelele]

If they are sundials, they can be hard to get rid of/control without adding a fish that would be quite taxing on your cleanup crew like a melanarus wrasse

 

[Miami Reef]

It just doesn’t look like a sundial to me. Sundials have a distinctive pattern with ridges that look like corn kernels.

After googling, it looks like a colonista to me. Apparently sundials prefer zoanthids, but the Zoa I have is growing fast and happy.

I’m thinking it’s PMD. I took me a long time to realize something was wrong. I haven’t seen shell growth for a while and assumed something was wrong with the water. It’s only when I started losing clams back-to-back did I realize it was PMD.

 

[Cthulukelele]

It just doesn’t look like a sundial to me. Sundials have a distinctive pattern with ridges that look like corn kernels.

After googling, it looks like a colonista to me. Apparently sundials prefer zoanthids, but the Zoa I have is growing fast and happy.

I’m thinking it’s PMD. I took me a long time to realize something was wrong. I haven’t seen shell growth for a while and assumed something was wrong with the water. It’s only when I started losing clams back-to-back did I realize something was wrong.

You'll definitely be able to tell in person better than me!

 

[minus9]

Most of my maxima clams have PMD or some sort of disease.

During the freshwater dip, I saw many of these small snails. Another freshwater dip a week later showed the same snails.

It’s not pyramidal, but I wanted to know if these could be parasitic? They really seem to hang out on the clams.

@minus9

I had a major loss of my clam collection. Most have perished. I haven’t added a clam in several months, so I’m not sure why it’s happening, but I’ve been noticing lack of growth for a while.

Those are harmless collonista snails, think of them as miniature trochus. Sorry, been busy doing other things.

 

[minus9]

Also, if you're treating for pmd, I recommend that you place the clams in another system or QT separate from your main system for a while. But, if you're treating all of the clams you may be okay. This just eliminates the possibility of reinfection from any residual pathogen(s).

 

[ccole]

Those are harmless collonista snails, think of them as miniature trochus. Sorry, been busy doing other things.

I agree! I have those as well and they don’t seem to bother my clams.

Do you have a picture of the affected clams? Did you see any improvement/mantle extension after the dips?

 

[minus9]

Sundial snails are pretty distinctive and easy to separate from others. The operculum will have a protective covering in the shape of a cone and most other snails that we keep are completely devoid of an operculum.

 

[Miami Reef]

Also, if you're treating for pmd, I recommend that you place the clams in another system or QT separate from your main system for a while. But, if you're treating all of the clams you may be okay. This just eliminates the possibility of reinfection from any residual pathogen(s).

Thank you.