Preventing pyramid snails from coming in on other snails??

[jlinzmaier]

In my current 180 I have three med to large sized clams and in the last several months I've never seen a single pyramid snail on any of the three. I just learned a few months ago that pyramid snails actually prey on other snails in addition to clams. I've checked a few of my snails and there are dozens of pyramid snails on each one of my astrea snails (these are the current primary snails in my CUC). I even have a large 6 line wrasse but I never see him picking anything off the snails.

I'm nearly ready to start stocking my freshly set up 420 gal DT and I'm just wondering how I go about making sure the hundreds of hermits and snails I plan to add won't carry in any unwanted pests.

I can QT everything that comes in but QT on 600 tiny blue leg hermits, a few hundred ceriths, and a few hundred other various snails and inverts makes visualization of being free of pests quite difficult.

Can I do a FW dip, revive dip, or iodine dip without harming the snails and hermits?? Will any dip be effective on pyramid snails without harming the snails their preying on??

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated??

Jeremy

 

[lgreeeeeen]

Any dip that is effective in killing pyramid snails is mostly likely going to kill your ceriths too. They are both snails. I wouldn't recommend revive or iodine personally.

Best bet is just to quarantine for a while and keep your eyes out for them on the glass.

 

[jlinzmaier]

Any dip that is effective in killing pyramid snails is mostly likely going to kill your ceriths too. They are both snails. I wouldn't recommend revive or iodine personally.

That's what I suspected.

Best bet is just to quarantine for a while and keep your eyes out for them on the glass.

I hear you, but that's a whole lot easier said than done. At minimum I'll be buying around 600 small snails (various species) to stock my 420. I have a 55 gal for QT and that can easily house all the CUC as long as needed. The problem is if/when I find a pyamid snail. I suspect the chances of getting a few snails (out of 600) with pyramids on them is going to be a pretty high liklihood. What do I do then??

Jeremy

 

[mscarpena]

Visual inspection of the snails. You will see them one the snails flesh. Put them in QT and observe them and if there are no pyramid snails move the to the DT.

 

[jlinzmaier]

Visual inspection of the snails. You will see them one the snails flesh. Put them in QT and observe them and if there are no pyramid snails move the to the DT.

Is that really the only option?? Wow, 600 snails is going to be quite an endeavor.

Jeremy

 

[Elysia]

Are you certain that what you are seeing are pyramids? There are those herbivore snails that are pyramid look a likes. We are still in the process of moving and I still don't have my actual computer here, but I know that I have references for this somewhere, and there is a way of telling the two apart. IIRC, the harmless ones will be found on the shells of other herbivore snails, eating the algae growning on their backs. I think that seeing the pyramid-looking snails during the day is one likely sign that they are NOT actual pyramids. But do look into this. You may be able to save yourself some trouble as far as having to hand pick dozens of small snails. Sorry if I am just repeating stuff you already know.