Bad Snails?

[tangman99]

I'm getting ready to purchase my first clam. I have been reading all the information on this site and was checking my tank last night for the small pyramid shaped snails. I have ton's of small snails on my glass at night. Some have little round shells and some look like the pyramid shaped snails. I've never had any clams before or hard corals. Are these probably the bad snails or could it be another type? How can I tell? I don't want to put a clam in if I have these and know how to get rid of them.

Thanks

 

[The steven liu]

You can get a six lined wrasse and then you can tell cause they'll take care of the exposed pyramid snails and leave the good snails alone.

 

[tangman99]

I have a six line wrass in my tank. He has been in there for about 4 months. Does this mean that these snails are probably ok? Are there other very small pyramid looking snails that are ok?

 

[critterkeeper]

Pyrams are rather prey-specific, so you shouldn't worry. In other words, a particular species that preys on tridacnids won't prey on anything else. Having no tridacnid means they starve. So, if this is your first clam, then any clam attackers would have starved off already.

 

[tangman99]

That is good news! I've never had a clam and my tank is 8 years old so I think I'm ok then. Just added my Halides and starting to get my parameter where they need to be so I'm getting pumped looking forward to my first clam!

Thanks for the help