Pyramid Snail control

[reefdwellr]

I have searched through postings but I don't see any types of control other than certain kinds of wrasses. My Gigas has several snails on it which I picked off already but I noticed literally hundereds of baby snails around the the edges of the clam. Here are a couple of options I was thinking of doing but I'd like some other recommendations if you have them. I probably will get a wrasse to help prevent this in the future but right now I consider this an infestation that needs a remedy.

1.) Remove the clam from the main tank and place it in a bucket of aquarium water and lightly brush the snails off. Keep repeating this maybe once a week until the are gone.

2.) Some kind of dip or FW dip. The owner of the clam before did this with no ill effects to the clam but I'm not a big fan of dipping clams in FW. If I know it is going to work then I'd consider doing it just as long as I know how long for.

 

[B Pierce]

IMO option 1 is the only way I know of. Some wrasses will only eat he snails they see and pyramid snails are nocturnal so it will not really do much damage to the population.

I would brush the snails off of the clam(and all the eggs cases) in a seprtate bucked then every night pick off the remainder and add a 6 line wrasse.

 

[reefdwellr]

B.Pierce-

Thanks. I think I will use this method then.

 

[B Pierce]

no problem

Good Luck!

 

[reefann]

A freshwater dip would also help
I have seen large 12" squamosa's get a freshwater dip and that took care of the snails. Week or so later he was back to normal

 

[manderx]

i used to scrub mine with a toothbrush under running water in the sink once a week or more. just match the temp. haven't seen any in 2 months i think, so it must have worked.

 

[reefdwellr]

I have been pulling the clam out and putting him into a large plastic bowl with aquarium water in it. Then I've scrubbed with a tooth brush and also using a dental pick to pull the hard to reach ones. This seems to be working pretty good.

The only problem I see with dpping is that it does shock the clam for a few days while brushing the clam in the tank water seems to only bother him for a couple of hours. The snails also live in the sand around and underneath the clam so I figured that they would keep coming back until they were gone.

I still need to pick up a predator for these snails. I've been out looking for a six-line wrasse in the LFS but haven't found anything decent yet. I know it may be hit or miss with these guys so is there any other species that you might recomend?

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[thepudge]

I just got a six-line last night.. Very cute little guy. Happily, he decided to make his home right under my derasa, and I don't see any more snails on the clam, so I am hopeful he is going to be a big help against the little buggers.

 

[SuperNerd]

how do the egg masses look?

 

[reefdwellr]

They looked like patches of small black poppy seeds. Maybe about the size of a dime. The way that the clam was sitting in the tank, I couldn't see them until I picked him up out of the sand.

 

[SuperNerd]

Hmm...I've never seen them...and haven't had any clams in my tank for over a year now, yet I still see some snails eating algae off the glass and sand!!!! Can they resort to a herbivorous diet or are there snails that eat algae that resemble pyramidal snails?

 

[hwynboy]

There are people who have studied these snails out there that suggests that these snails can live for a year by eating off other things in the tank..they are scavengers and prefer clams/snails.

 

[moumda]

Golden wrasse (Yellow "Coris") is good to. Clams direct uses this fish too.