Invasion Of The Cerith Snails!

FLricordia · 10/31/2006, 10:01 PM

I am posting this here so I can maybe get some feedback though I also posted on invert page. I need to find out if it is going to cause future problems.
I just got back from checking on a friends 240 I am maintaining. I set it up approx 4 months ago and except for some diatom on the sand and glass it has done pretty good. Mushrooms, blasos, hammer, green canycanes, coco worms, brains, all have grown and are doing great.
I noticed tonight about 500-1000 (I kid you not) tiny pinhead sized cerith snails have appeared. They are all over the sand and glass. None I could see on any corals. What will happen? Do I need to syphone some out?
I have no idea where they could have come from. I check on the tank once a week and didn't see them last time but numers could have been low so I didn't notice them.

IPowderBlueTang · 10/31/2006, 10:47 PM

Why siphon them out, just let them grow! They will benifit the tank. When they get bigger the owner can sell them.

Paintbug · 11/01/2006, 08:22 AM

i wouldnt say for sure they are ceriths. they are probably Rissoid or Pyramid snails. it could be ceriths, but rarely do the make it past the larval stage after hatching. here some info on Rissoids and Pyramids. http://www.reefland.com/rho/2006/05/...lid_snails.php

RGV · 11/01/2006, 11:12 AM

I recently had an outbreak of Pyramidellid snails and they destroyed my tridacnid clam before I knew what was happening.

Travis L. Stevens · 11/01/2006, 11:19 AM

I'm leaning on Rissoid Snails. Do you have any mollusks in the tank other than snails? Do you notice any of these tiny guys on the larger snails?

tibbs2 · 11/01/2006, 01:15 PM

You need a picture for anyone to have any chance of identification.

My ceriths mutliply very quickly. I have hundreds in my tank.

FLricordia · 11/01/2006, 08:19 PM

They are pretty small to get a good pic of.I took some to the LRS and he said they were cerith and would give .10 each for whatever I could get past 1/16" size. He said they wouldn't do any harm to anything in the tank and many probably wouldn't make it anyway.

DrBegalke · 11/01/2006, 08:21 PM

i've had a few survive in a 12g, unless something is eating them, i think they'll make it.

greenbean36191 · 11/01/2006, 08:37 PM

I wouldn't trust the LFS to accurately identify anything, much less snails, which can be pretty difficult to ID. They probably concluded they were ceriths just because of the general shape of the shell rather than based on any of the truly important characteristics, which they probably aren't too familiar with. Take a look at the link paintbug posted.

It is possible that they really are ceriths, but the odds are much better that they are something else.

Meisen · 11/01/2006, 10:10 PM

I have had ceriths and some other related species (no id on them but they often get sold as "Florida ceriths") reproduce repeatedly in my tanks and several others I know of over the years. Apparently they dont know they cant make it through the larval stage in an aquarium

Anyway, there is a good chance these are just ceriths (or something similar), especially if thats what they look like. Are they all over the substrate? Any on the glass? Can you make out a radula working the glass?

I realize its fairly obvious but if you see substantial growth in the snails over time (and arent losing anything you value), you probably have your answer anyway.

FLricordia · 11/01/2006, 11:01 PM

yes, there are hundreds and hundreds on the sand and glass, none on the turbos, astreas, corals. It had me worried till I talked with my LRS dealer. He assured me that they were OK and the overpopulation wouldn't cause any harm to the reef inhabitants. On the glass with a magnifier you can see them working the diatom.

FLricordia · 11/01/2006, 11:19 PM

It really doesn't suprise me. We have always had good luck with reef systems. Don't know if it's the water or what but the coral growth is unreal. She has some hairy mushrooms that have gone from 3-4 inches to almost 8 inches across in 3 moths since setup. A green brain that is show piece quality, frogspawns that have grown from $10 frags to $50 full sized and rock that has gone from newly gray fiji to intense purple. 3 red blastos that heads that are now 1.5" and appeared from a rock that has a frogspawn on it. They weren't there when we got the frogspawn. These were in the old 75gl. She got the frogspawn appro 8 months ago. Haven't lost a coral yet though she has lost all the anemones she has bought. I can't get over the orange and the greenish-yello plates. They are balloon-puffed with long tenticles. I will get pics maybe this weekend when I am over there again.
You should see the growth in my 20 nano. I've had over 10 new red, purple and green shrooms in the last 2 weeks appear and polyps are out of control. Ricordias have almost doubled in size since setup in Aug.

merk1_99 · 11/02/2006, 10:54 AM

I have a 55 gal and my ceriths reproduce all the time. At any given time when the lights go out there are at least 100 on the glass....

Granted I don't have anything predatorial in the tank that would pick off the larvae.

beetle-b · 11/02/2006, 01:30 PM

I too have had ceriths reproduce regulary, I consider it a bonus as they are one of the most expensive snails...since they sift sand so well at night and clean so thoroughly. I would hang on to them and when they get big enough sell to a LFS for a nice price!

RichConley · 11/02/2006, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paintbug
i wouldnt say for sure they are ceriths. they are probably Rissoid or Pyramid snails. it could be ceriths, but rarely do the make it past the larval stage after hatching. here some info on Rissoids and Pyramids. http://www.reefland.com/rho/2006/05/...lid_snails.php

Paintbug, from my experience, and many people I know, ceriths are VERY easy to get to reproduce.

Paintbug · 11/02/2006, 03:37 PM

some of you should document it with lots of close up pics. from baby snails up to adult. the predators in the tank, fish, inverts, etc., are not the worst for the larvae stage. the skimmers used in our systems usually take them out of the water column. as well as other filtration methods. im by far not a scientist, just a hobbyist like everyone else. i would be curious for info on everyone that have had ceriths breed in the tank. things like the exact species name, water parameters, filtration, other livestock in the tank, types of algae growing in the tank. things like that.

greenbean36191 · 11/02/2006, 06:38 PM

It is definitely easy to get ceriths to breed. Raising them to adulthood is another thing, though I know a few people who have done it. For some species, the problem probably is the fragility of the larvae like paintbug mentioned. AFAIK, most species in the hobby are direct developers though, so that's not an issue. It's probably predation on the juveniles.

I'm probably as skeptical as anyone here that all of these people reporting to see baby ceriths really are. How many even know what a rissoid is, let alone how to tell one from a juvenile cerith? If these guys are really breeding in the numbers people are seeing them, why aren't at least a few making it to adulthood? Why are the snails only active at night, when you would expect to see rissoids out?

FLricordia · 11/02/2006, 07:52 PM

If they really are or ane not I suppose it doesn't really matter to me as I was just concerned whether they would cause problems to the tank inhabitants. But they weren't on any of the corals so that is a good thing no matter what they really are-though the LRS owner says they are cerith-but he doesn't know everything.
As far as documenting and photographing them I am planning on scooping a bunch this weekend when I head back over there for tank maintanance, and putting them in my fuge. I will take the best pics I can and post them here, maybe Sunday.

Quote:

Originally posted by Paintbug
some of you should document it with lots of close up pics. from baby snails up to adult. the predators in the tank, fish, inverts, etc., are not the worst for the larvae stage. the skimmers used in our systems usually take them out of the water column. as well as other filtration methods. im by far not a scientist, just a hobbyist like everyone else. i would be curious for info on everyone that have had ceriths breed in the tank. things like the exact species name, water parameters, filtration, other livestock in the tank, types of algae growing in the tank. things like that.

Paintbug · 11/03/2006, 09:28 AM

that would be awesome! try to get some really clear pics of where the snail comes out of the shell.

10/31/2006, 10:01 PM	#1
FLricordia Moved On Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Pensacola Posts: 538	Invasion Of The Cerith Snails! I am posting this here so I can maybe get some feedback though I also posted on invert page. I need to find out if it is going to cause future problems. I just got back from checking on a friends 240 I am maintaining. I set it up approx 4 months ago and except for some diatom on the sand and glass it has done pretty good. Mushrooms, blasos, hammer, green canycanes, coco worms, brains, all have grown and are doing great. I noticed tonight about 500-1000 (I kid you not) tiny pinhead sized cerith snails have appeared. They are all over the sand and glass. None I could see on any corals. What will happen? Do I need to syphone some out? I have no idea where they could have come from. I check on the tank once a week and didn't see them last time but numers could have been low so I didn't notice them.

11/01/2006, 08:22 AM	#3
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	i wouldnt say for sure they are ceriths. they are probably Rissoid or Pyramid snails. it could be ceriths, but rarely do the make it past the larval stage after hatching. here some info on Rissoids and Pyramids. http://www.reefland.com/rho/2006/05/...lid_snails.php __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

11/01/2006, 11:19 AM	#5
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	I'm leaning on Rissoid Snails. Do you have any mollusks in the tank other than snails? Do you notice any of these tiny guys on the larger snails? __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

11/01/2006, 08:21 PM	#8
DrBegalke Go Buckeyes! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Phoenix area, AZ Posts: 2,599	i've had a few survive in a 12g, unless something is eating them, i think they'll make it. __________________ ~Jason Begalke Current Tank Info: Latest project: JBJ Cubey

11/01/2006, 08:37 PM	#9
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	I wouldn't trust the LFS to accurately identify anything, much less snails, which can be pretty difficult to ID. They probably concluded they were ceriths just because of the general shape of the shell rather than based on any of the truly important characteristics, which they probably aren't too familiar with. Take a look at the link paintbug posted. It is possible that they really are ceriths, but the odds are much better that they are something else. __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

10/31/2006, 10:47 PM	#2
IPowderBlueTang Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Kalamazoo, Canada Posts: 769	Why siphon them out, just let them grow! They will benifit the tank. When they get bigger the owner can sell them.

11/01/2006, 11:12 AM	#4
RGV Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Mission, Texas Posts: 11	I recently had an outbreak of Pyramidellid snails and they destroyed my tridacnid clam before I knew what was happening.

11/01/2006, 01:15 PM	#6
tibbs2 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: IA Posts: 1,422	You need a picture for anyone to have any chance of identification. My ceriths mutliply very quickly. I have hundreds in my tank.

11/01/2006, 08:19 PM	#7
FLricordia Moved On Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Pensacola Posts: 538	They are pretty small to get a good pic of.I took some to the LRS and he said they were cerith and would give .10 each for whatever I could get past 1/16" size. He said they wouldn't do any harm to anything in the tank and many probably wouldn't make it anyway.

11/01/2006, 10:10 PM	#10
Meisen Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 2,108	I have had ceriths and some other related species (no id on them but they often get sold as "Florida ceriths") reproduce repeatedly in my tanks and several others I know of over the years. Apparently they dont know they cant make it through the larval stage in an aquarium Anyway, there is a good chance these are just ceriths (or something similar), especially if thats what they look like. Are they all over the substrate? Any on the glass? Can you make out a radula working the glass? I realize its fairly obvious but if you see substantial growth in the snails over time (and arent losing anything you value), you probably have your answer anyway. __________________ "You dont know where they've been.....There are all kinds of animals pooping in them" -my lovely wife, only she didn't say poop. Current Tank Info: Tankless. Like your water heater.

11/01/2006, 11:01 PM	#11
FLricordia Moved On Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Pensacola Posts: 538	yes, there are hundreds and hundreds on the sand and glass, none on the turbos, astreas, corals. It had me worried till I talked with my LRS dealer. He assured me that they were OK and the overpopulation wouldn't cause any harm to the reef inhabitants. On the glass with a magnifier you can see them working the diatom.

11/01/2006, 11:19 PM	#12
FLricordia Moved On Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Pensacola Posts: 538	It really doesn't suprise me. We have always had good luck with reef systems. Don't know if it's the water or what but the coral growth is unreal. She has some hairy mushrooms that have gone from 3-4 inches to almost 8 inches across in 3 moths since setup. A green brain that is show piece quality, frogspawns that have grown from $10 frags to $50 full sized and rock that has gone from newly gray fiji to intense purple. 3 red blastos that heads that are now 1.5" and appeared from a rock that has a frogspawn on it. They weren't there when we got the frogspawn. These were in the old 75gl. She got the frogspawn appro 8 months ago. Haven't lost a coral yet though she has lost all the anemones she has bought. I can't get over the orange and the greenish-yello plates. They are balloon-puffed with long tenticles. I will get pics maybe this weekend when I am over there again. You should see the growth in my 20 nano. I've had over 10 new red, purple and green shrooms in the last 2 weeks appear and polyps are out of control. Ricordias have almost doubled in size since setup in Aug.

11/02/2006, 10:54 AM	#13
merk1_99 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: massachusetts Posts: 270	I have a 55 gal and my ceriths reproduce all the time. At any given time when the lights go out there are at least 100 on the glass.... Granted I don't have anything predatorial in the tank that would pick off the larvae.

11/02/2006, 01:30 PM	#14
beetle-b Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 174	I too have had ceriths reproduce regulary, I consider it a bonus as they are one of the most expensive snails...since they sift sand so well at night and clean so thoroughly. I would hang on to them and when they get big enough sell to a LFS for a nice price!

11/02/2006, 03:37 PM	#16
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	some of you should document it with lots of close up pics. from baby snails up to adult. the predators in the tank, fish, inverts, etc., are not the worst for the larvae stage. the skimmers used in our systems usually take them out of the water column. as well as other filtration methods. im by far not a scientist, just a hobbyist like everyone else. i would be curious for info on everyone that have had ceriths breed in the tank. things like the exact species name, water parameters, filtration, other livestock in the tank, types of algae growing in the tank. things like that. __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

11/02/2006, 06:38 PM	#17
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	It is definitely easy to get ceriths to breed. Raising them to adulthood is another thing, though I know a few people who have done it. For some species, the problem probably is the fragility of the larvae like paintbug mentioned. AFAIK, most species in the hobby are direct developers though, so that's not an issue. It's probably predation on the juveniles. I'm probably as skeptical as anyone here that all of these people reporting to see baby ceriths really are. How many even know what a rissoid is, let alone how to tell one from a juvenile cerith? If these guys are really breeding in the numbers people are seeing them, why aren't at least a few making it to adulthood? Why are the snails only active at night, when you would expect to see rissoids out? __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

11/03/2006, 09:28 AM	#19
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	that would be awesome! try to get some really clear pics of where the snail comes out of the shell. __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently