HELP!!! Snails growing out of control!

[coralnut99]

We could guess on and on without a picture. These sound like pyramyllids now from Trip 22's description. If that's the case any clams in the tank are in trouble. One of the biggest pains they cause is getting stuck in pump intakes, screens, etc. Blue-leg hermits will go a long way in controlling them.

 

[Trip 22]

All I have in my tank is Blue Legs...however no reduction in snails as of yet.

 

[coralnut99]

Give them time. As they go through their first molt in your tank, they get "hungrier".

 

[Trip 22]

http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/hitchfaq.htm
This is what mine look like - COLLONISTA SNAILS

 

[coralnut99]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10358185#post10358185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Trip 22
http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/hitchfaq.htm
This is what mine look like - COLLONISTA SNAILS

That's one of the coolest links I've seen in a while. Someone went out of their way to gather a LOT of useful information in one place.

 

[bobafet1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10358185#post10358185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Trip 22
http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/hitchfaq.htm
This is what mine look like - COLLONISTA SNAILS

those are the exact same ones that I have..collinista...what a pain in the butt they are..it says they are beneficial but so far they have scratched my acrylic by getting stuck to the mag float...if they are multiplying this fast then Im afraid how many I will have in a few months...I gotta keep siphoning these suckers out..

 

[graveyardworm]

If you continue to remove them their population will always be on the rise. Discontinue removing them add some more variety of snails to compete for food and their population will stabilize and perhaps even decrease.

 

[Trip 22]

Every day I keep seeing the eggs "dragged" on the glass. Doesn't seem like they will ever go away.

 

[racrumrine]

Collonistas are good little algae eaters. Though, they breed like rabbits.

I had thousands of them. Then, their population sort of crashed. Now I only see them once in awhile.

I never saw any egg sacks for them.

Dr Ron had a nice write up on them in this article http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/index.php

Best of luck,

Roy

 

[ChrisB]

Where can one get some of these "Collonistas"?

 

[racrumrine]

They should be in a local tank in your area.

Post a request in your local reef club forum.

If not, I'm sure someone would be willing to ship them to you.

Best of luck,

Roy

 

[leggy]

I have a 20 imp gal snail tank which I bred snails for my porcupine puffer to help keep his teeth short. They were breeding very well and had hundreds running around.
One day my Skunk cleaner shrimps annoyed me a lil too far ..stealing food from my corals ..they were digging really deep into my corals mouth so I grabbed all 5 cleaners out and placed them in my snail tank.
Basically within three weeks these cleaner shrimps had killed and eaten every one of my snails .... they are very big and fat now ;;
Maybe they would work on your snails ???

 

[lion-clown]

I have the same snails I've had them for 2 yrs. they decrease slowly. I would say siphon a few but not two many and they will stabalize.