Snail Embedded in Clam Foot

[Joe LoPresti]

I need some advice/ help!!!

I have a Maxima and I noticed the other day that there appears to be a snail of some type embedded in the foot. I tried to gently pull on the snail and he seems to have inserted something into the foot of my clam!! I am afraid to pull too hard, I don't want to hurt my clam. Any advice on how to remove this snail??????
I really hope this thing won't kill my clam. What I can tell you about this snail is that it's round and appears to be kind of white and silvery in color. It's definitely bigger than those "rice" snails that I've read about, but I've been unable to find a picture of the snail that this one looks like.

 

[mbbuna]

are you sure that it is a live snail? clams will grab on to the substrate with there byssal threads and hold the substrate close.do you have shell's for substrate ?

 

[Joe LoPresti]

I'm almost positive it's a live snail. I have a live sand bed for my substrate and the clam is on a live rock shelf. Plus, it looks like snail "stuff" (does that make sense???) coming from inside the shell of the snail itself. I sure hope I can remove it, any ideas on how I might be able to do that??? I was thinking that maybe I could just cut it with a razorblade, but I don't know if I should do that. Help!!!!

 

[mbbuna]

I'm almost positive it's a live snail. I have a live sand bed for my substrate and the clam is on a live rock shelf. Plus, it looks like snail "stuff" (does that make sense???) coming from inside the shell of the snail itself. I sure hope I can remove it, any ideas on how I might be able to do that??? I was thinking that maybe I could just cut it with a razorblade, but I don't know if I should do that. Help!!!!

dont cut it. get a small bowl of tank water and tank the clam out of the tank and put it in the bowl. then get some ice cubes thake the clam out of the bowl and hold an ice cube up against the snail,every few min. see if you can gently remove the snail,just dont keep the clam out of the water for more then 1 minor so at a time.

 

[mbbuna]

when you get the snail off post a pic of it.

 

[Joe LoPresti]

Wow,
That's an interesting idea. I will try it and hopefully I will be successful. I will attempt to take a pic of it, but I might not be able to post it for a day or two (computer problems), but I will definitely post it once my comp problems are fixed. Thanks!!!

 

[mbbuna]

i meant to say 15min dont keep the clam out of the water for 15min(i have comp problems two sticky #5)